811spotter has announced the General Availability (GA) release of its iOS and Android app. Designed for construction industry professionals, the 811spotter app gives construction field teams access to data and documentation capabilities via a map-based interface, enabling contractors to work safely in challenging environments.
"With 811spotter's mobile apps, our teams can get full ticket details and dig-site information, including the electronic white-line derived from the original ticket, to get all the site details they need," said Mark Benesi, Northern California safety manager at Malcolm Drilling. "That might sound simple, but it's something our guys in the field have never had before. All this stuff used to be buried in emails or stacks of paper — now they can just look at a map on their phone, and see exactly where they're supposed to be working."
Used by dozens of U.S. construction contractors, the 811spotter platform supports the process of managing 811 tickets to help contractors manage excavation projects and avoid damage to underground pipelines, cables and other pre-existing infrastructure.
The 811spotter mobile app brings the same ticketing information to field teams' tablets and smartphones via a map interface that enables teams to track multiple tickets and jobs in a single view. Built for commercial contractors and for use in the field, the 811spotter app provides field teams with access to up-to-date jobsite details — from utility locations and ticket status to messages from the notification center or head office — while out in the field.
"Our customers tell us that communication between field teams and office-based 811 ticket managers is a major bottleneck — and a point of failure — for high-stakes excavation projects," said Marc Krichman, co-founder of 811spotter. "With our new mobile app, we're breaking down those barriers, and ensuring that all team members have the 360-degree visibility and reliable real-time data they need to get the job done."
Field teams can also collect supplementary data about utilities and other infrastructure while in the field, adding geotagged photos, notes and location information to support information provided by the regional 811 center and support safety for future field teams working in the same area. The result is a context-aware ticket management system.
"Our company specializes in underground wet utilities, and ticket information can be unclear — but the last thing you want is field teams improvising or guessing," said Adam Bettencourt, area manager at Mozingo Construction. "By crowdsourcing reliable real-world information about underground infrastructure, 811spotter's app is a game-changer for companies like ours — our field teams can share information fast, with automatic geotagging to reduce on-site delays and help us get the job done right every single time."
"When it comes to excavation, the stakes are high, and there's simply no margin for error," Krichman said. "At 811spotter, we're committed to helping field teams to work smarter, and giving them the data, resources and connectivity, they need to consistently weave best practices into their daily workflows."
811spotter is currently available in California and Nevada, with support for more states coming in the next few months.
