As we find ourselves adapting to a new normal after the events of the past two years new challenges are presenting themselves more often than we'd like. One issue currently affecting businesses, large and small alike, is a tight labor market. This shortage of available talent has had a huge impact on the inspection and permitting process, hindering all stages of construction.
Labor shortages do not necessarily have to hold up progress – innovative solutions are already in place to overcome these obstacles. For example, a remote solar inspecting app, available on both iPhone and Android platforms, has been in service for several years now. While the success of the app proves that remote inspecting works, many building departments have been slow to get onboard and hesitant to adopt the new technology.
A missed opportunity for sure as municipalities and inspectors can easily become overwhelmed and forced to put in overtime hours or delay inspections. At the very least, the time and expense differences between in-person and remote inspecting alone should have been its own catalyst for change.
Advancements in technology have made so many things in our lives easier, changing the way we handle daily tasks and navigate the world. Building departments need to take advantage of new technology to help streamline workflow and speed up the inspection and permitting process.
Until recently field inspectors were using an antiquated paper on clipboard system with digital cameras. There were many errors in placing their field data into the proper forms and significant data loss, resulting in incomplete forms.
The mobile inspection app eliminates those pitfalls by capturing the data using a sophisticated and easy-to-use form that is accessible on any smartphone or tablet, whether online or offline. Accompanying photos are also cataloged with corresponding data.
How does it work? A typical remote inspection and verification process is outlined below.
The days of physical trips to city hall, lugging stacks of paperwork, are slowly fading away. Many cities are expanding their websites to accommodate the new processes. Electronic filing of permitting paperwork is gaining acceptance in many areas. Currently, wet signatures and raised stamps or seals for document execution are being replaced with e-signature services. The sooner we institute electronic filing and remote inspecting industry-wide, the quicker we can make a smooth transition to this more efficient process.