Smart Phones for Reliability and Field Operation Data

Over the years as a field service engineering manager, I created several databases and applications to reliably collect operations and failure data for FRACAS (failure reporting analysis and corrective action system) from engineers and operators in the field. Commercial FRACAS systems are great for analyzing data and collecting the “big” failures, but the
daily, frequent, small failures that occurred were not being collected. Getting the data into the database was too time consuming. Consider an engineer out in the field for days on end. Their focus is to get the job done and get home. Operators are even less likely to record failure and operation data not knowing the value of it. Look at your Windows OS experience – Reboot and keep moving. I don’t have time to send a bug report.
The goal was to collect the most complete data possible to provide reliability information to upper management and other departments. I generated small local databases on system control computers and engineering laptops that had the quickest possible data entry for the most popular failures or operational changes. The efforts succeeded to some degree, but never collected all of the data. Being a manager that rotated field duties with my engineers, I felt their pain. In addition to textual information, there were frequent requests for pictures to complete the record when there was visual evidence to strengthen the case.
The key to collecting the most complete data is to make it easily accessible, easy to record, and quick. Get on with the fix, make the customer happy, and fly back home. Today there may be an app for that. Better yet, there is MobiFlex.

MobiFlex is an online app builder for smart phones (Apple or Android based). It allows you to drag and drop buttons and functions to create a custom application to fit your needs. I can envision selecting a system ID, choosing a top 10 failure, and press complete. Done! - move on to repair.  The database records the timestamp, phone ID, and GPS data.  Maybe add some text and snap a picture if needed.
Oh yeah, one more thing. All those daily email updates from the field could be automated from the collected information, leaving field service more time to find solutions to the problems.
Blogger Labels: Smart,Data collection,Failure,FRACAS,Database,MobiFlex,Solutions