When California’s San Gabriel Valley Water Company needed to go paperless in 2014, the company chose to deploy rugged devices from Getac. The rugged form factor and longer-than-average battery life of the V110 and F110 has enabled the same devices to be operational ever since – an enviable result!
“Our field crews have most definitely put these devices to the test. From dirty and damp working conditions to tossing the unit around on the job, we have pushed our devices to their limit over the last eight years and, all I can say is, Getac delivers on their product,” San Gabriel Valley Water Company Water Distribution Superintendent John Sanchez said.
Improved operational efficiencies in the field
The Getac V110 convertible offers the functionality of a laptop with the convenience of a tablet, perfectly meeting the requirements of the field operations team. They use the rear camera on the device for situational tracking and to report and document leaks.
For customer service crews, the processing power and connectivity of Getac’s F110 tablet allowed them to easily transition from the office to the field without downtime.
Migrating from a paper-based system to the rugged computing system improved efficiency for both the field and administrative teams. The devices allowed for connectivity between teams, and teams could also take advantage of industry-specific software for the first time.
How the success story unfolded
In 2014, the San Gabriel Water Company needed to migrate from paper-based systems they had relied on for years to a computer-based system to become more efficient. The privately-owned company is governed by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and is required to operate under specific budgets and regulations.
It was imperative that the new devices offered return on investment, could run industry-specific software, were built for connectivity and communication, and could accurately survey and map the 70,000+ connections the San Gabriel Valley Water Company team was responsible for servicing and maintaining.
The company began looking at technology that could assist.
The benefits Getac’s rugged devices have delivered
Field crews initially tested consumer-grade tablets, but the number of device failures prompted the company to investigate a rugged solution. Moving to a rugged solution would allow their back offices to have near-time visibility of their crews working in the field. Rugged computers are also engineered to perform in harsher than normal working conditions, including rain, mud, grease, dirt, and the sun and heat of the day.
The company decided on Getac’s V110 rugged convertibles and F110 rugged tablets, which could be customised in various ways to suit teams, such as with a hand strap and a rear camera for meter reading, service calls and to report/document leaks.
Both devices have been instrumental in improving efficiency and productivity since being deployed in 2014.
Efficiency increases in the field include faster reporting, repair assessment, and resolving customer service-related issues more proficiently and in real-time. Deploying both devices has allowed the company to take advantage of industry-specific software, such as GIS data access and work order management, that has proven effective in increasing workforce productivity and efficiency.
The devices offer uncompromised connectivity for imperative communication between the field and customer service teams.
Getac’s three-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, including accidental damage, has also been utilised by the team to repair batteries and doors throughout the years.
ESIS is the leading supplier of outstanding industrial electronic equipment in the Australian market since 1971. Check out our exclusive range of Fanless PCs, Industrial PCs (IPC Solution), Rugged Tablets, HMIs, Panel PCs and other electronic components. Our products are certified and made with high-quality custom materials for accurate results. Contact us for a detailed product catalogue or to share your queries.
Article courtesy of Getac.
