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Inspector Field Devices

A

atjardes

SAWHORSE
Joined
Jun 11, 2025
Messages
3
Location
Northern Illinois
If you use an app or web-based platform for inspectors, what devices have you had the best luck with?

We use Accela with the mobile app for inspections on year old iPads with cell service, they've been having a really hard time completing reports lately.

I realize there are a lot of factors that can affect this but wanted to survey for devices.

Thanks!
 
e hilton said:
atj … what kind of problems?
Click to expand...
Inspectors are unable to complete reports, especially pictures. Typically getting a spinning/loading wheel of death in Accela.

Everything is up to date and they have cellular service. IT says its not internal its the iPad, Accela states no issues, service provider says no issues.
 
We use some kind of excel-based program to generate punchlists on ipads. Also on the laptop. Laptop works fine, on the ipad it takes 1 to 2 minutes to upload pictures. Very frustrating.
 
We use android tablets with a non web dependent inspection app call PermitEyes. No cell component in the devices, we can connect to the web through a hot spot in the truck or other open WIFI. If we had no connection in the field as soon as we get back to the office we can sync to the mother ship
 
My former jurisdiction uses TRAKiT (it has another name now, I think Community Development) and the inspectors used iPads. Worked pretty good.
 
We have a custom-built database platform that uses Filemaker from Claris. We use iPads. It mostly works when there is cell service. We will be switching to Opal (Oracle product) in the near future.
 
We use IG Inspect with Energov/Tyler Tech also. It works pretty well for us. IG doesn't have the full functionality of the in office system but works really well for a field app. Our IT gurus also have it set up so if we have to we can remote in to our desktops from our iPads if needed to get to the main system. We have good connectivity with Verizon throughout the city, but the good thing about IG is even if connection is down you can keep going with what's on your iPad as long as you don't log out. It will download/upload as soon as you connect again.
 
BN4537 said:
Oracle product
Click to expand...
Around the year 2000 I was chosen as a beta with a laptop for field applications. There was no remote connection to a mainframe but other than that, the principle and functionality was the same. The software was from Oracle.

There was no adaptability built in. There were no drop down menus and none could be created. I would not be able to modify anything. I was told that the system was bare bones because Oracle Corp reaches a world wide audience so off the shelf software has to be simple.

I was picked as the test pilot because of the volume and variety of corrections that I write. All it took was one meeting with the SOB and before ever getting the actual laptop, the idea was quashed. The extra work was going to be a deal breaker.

All these years later, competition might have forced Oracle to adapt and become user friendly.
LA County was in it for hundreds of thousands of dollars before pulling the plug/ The other stumbling block was that the manager that forged their way into the ether died.
 
ICE said:
All these years later, competition might have forced Oracle to adapt and become user friendly.
LA County was in it for hundreds of thousands of dollars before pulling the plug/ The other stumbling block was that the manager that forged their way into the ether died.
Click to expand...
It appears to be much better now. I remembered your stories and asked a lot of questions. The software seems able to be configured to do whatever we need. Getting it configured properly on the cheap, as we are attempting, will be another story. I haven't got my hands on our customized version yet, but I was able to play with the one another city uses, and it appears to be pretty good. We shall see. When it's up and running I will report back.
 
We use MGO, otherwise known as My Government Online, which is not really a company but a government agency that created a software for itself 20 years ago and signs intragovernmental agreements with jurisdictions at an excellent price point. We are getting ready to go live at the end of this month with a massive upgrade to their software. This is not an update, but a massive upgrade to the system. We are happy with them so far because they are very responsive to our requests. Right now, however, I would not commit until they are finished rolling out the new upgrade.

We use iPads in the field for inspections, but you can use your smartphone.

www.mygovernmentonline.org

Government Permitting Software - Land Management and more

No upfront cost government software that provides a complete Permitting, Planning and Zoning, Code Enforcement and more software solution.
www.mygovernmentonline.org www.mygovernmentonline.org
 
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