Case Studies Mobile Information Service Helps Council Engage With the Community

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	Mobile Information Service Helps Council Engage With the Community

Mobile Information Service Helps Council Engage With the Community

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Industries	Cities & Municipalities
Applicable Functions	Field Services Maintenance
Use Cases	Remote Asset Management Remote Collaboration Remote Control
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration
Challenge	Wyong Shire Council faced the challenge of adapting to the changing ways residents accessed and interacted with local services. With many residents preferring to use mobile phones or computers for communication, the Council needed to integrate these mobile channels into its communication strategy. Additionally, many Council employees, such as those working on road works, as Lifeguards, gardeners, and maintenance staff, spent a significant amount of time in the field. The Council aimed to introduce a mobility solution that would allow field officers to remotely enter and upload data via mobile devices, eliminating the need for staff to return to Council premises to receive new data, file reports, or submit updated information. The Council also needed a solution that could integrate with its back-end systems, including Microsoft SharePoint and SQL Server databases, and ensure industrial-strength security. Read More
About Customer	Wyong Shire Council is a local government area located in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Over the last 30 years, the area has transformed from a holiday haven to a region within daily commuting distance of Sydney, thanks to urban sprawl, a freeway, and faster public transport. This new mobility has changed the way residents access and interact with local services. The Council recognized the shift and aimed to build mobile channels into its communication strategy to better engage with the community. The Council employs a diverse workforce, including field workers such as Lifeguards, gardeners, electricians, and maintenance staff, who spend a significant amount of time on the road. Read More
Solution	Wyong Shire Council partnered with OneBlink to implement a combined blinkAnswers and blinkForms development solution. This software enables organizations to create customized electronic forms that can be accessed, completed, and uploaded using any device with a browser. The application is hosted by Blink, which addresses security concerns by opening a firewall path for the Blink server into the enterprise's back-end systems. The solution does not require costly proprietary hardware and works on various common devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, and Blackberries. Both blinkAnswers and blinkForms are offered as a flat price annual service fee, allowing unlimited use without additional licensing costs. The Council conducted a three-month trial focused on the needs of its Lifeguards, equipping them with mobile devices to submit daily and incident reports via Blink. The software's offline mode ensured data was not lost in areas with poor reception. The trial was successful, and the Council plans to extend the use of blinkForms to other areas of its operations, such as tar patching, area maintenance, tree assessment, and swimming pool audits. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization

Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

Applicable Industries

Cities & Municipalities

Applicable Functions

Field Services

Maintenance

Use Cases

Remote Asset Management

Remote Collaboration

Remote Control

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Challenge

Wyong Shire Council faced the challenge of adapting to the changing ways residents accessed and interacted with local services. With many residents preferring to use mobile phones or computers for communication, the Council needed to integrate these mobile channels into its communication strategy. Additionally, many Council employees, such as those working on road works, as Lifeguards, gardeners, and maintenance staff, spent a significant amount of time in the field. The Council aimed to introduce a mobility solution that would allow field officers to remotely enter and upload data via mobile devices, eliminating the need for staff to return to Council premises to receive new data, file reports, or submit updated information. The Council also needed a solution that could integrate with its back-end systems, including Microsoft SharePoint and SQL Server databases, and ensure industrial-strength security.

About Customer

Wyong Shire Council is a local government area located in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Over the last 30 years, the area has transformed from a holiday haven to a region within daily commuting distance of Sydney, thanks to urban sprawl, a freeway, and faster public transport. This new mobility has changed the way residents access and interact with local services. The Council recognized the shift and aimed to build mobile channels into its communication strategy to better engage with the community. The Council employs a diverse workforce, including field workers such as Lifeguards, gardeners, electricians, and maintenance staff, who spend a significant amount of time on the road.

Solution

Wyong Shire Council partnered with OneBlink to implement a combined blinkAnswers and blinkForms development solution. This software enables organizations to create customized electronic forms that can be accessed, completed, and uploaded using any device with a browser. The application is hosted by Blink, which addresses security concerns by opening a firewall path for the Blink server into the enterprise's back-end systems. The solution does not require costly proprietary hardware and works on various common devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, and Blackberries. Both blinkAnswers and blinkForms are offered as a flat price annual service fee, allowing unlimited use without additional licensing costs. The Council conducted a three-month trial focused on the needs of its Lifeguards, equipping them with mobile devices to submit daily and incident reports via Blink. The software's offline mode ensured data was not lost in areas with poor reception. The trial was successful, and the Council plans to extend the use of blinkForms to other areas of its operations, such as tar patching, area maintenance, tree assessment, and swimming pool audits.

Impact #1	The Blink solution allowed field officers to remotely enter and upload data via mobile devices, eliminating the need for staff to return to Council premises.
Impact #2	The software's offline mode ensured that data was not lost in areas with poor reception, which was a key feature for the Council.
Impact #3	The trial with Lifeguards demonstrated the software's ability to handle remote work and manage incidents that required detailed documentation.

Impact #1

The Blink solution allowed field officers to remotely enter and upload data via mobile devices, eliminating the need for staff to return to Council premises.

Impact #2

The software's offline mode ensured that data was not lost in areas with poor reception, which was a key feature for the Council.

Impact #3

The trial with Lifeguards demonstrated the software's ability to handle remote work and manage incidents that required detailed documentation.

Benefit #1	The Council's trial with Lifeguards lasted three months, from July to the end of September.
Benefit #2	The Blink solution was offered as a flat price annual service fee, allowing unlimited use without additional licensing costs.

Benefit #1

The Council's trial with Lifeguards lasted three months, from July to the end of September.

Benefit #2

The Blink solution was offered as a flat price annual service fee, allowing unlimited use without additional licensing costs.

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Overview

Mobile Information Service Helps Council Engage With the Community

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit