The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) promotes the safe and effective use of powered access equipment worldwide in the widest sense – through providing technical advice and information; through influencing and interpreting legislation and standards; and through safety initiatives and training programmes.
The Challenge
IPAF have auditors all around the world who monitor the compliance of powered access equipment training centres. They carry out different types of audit in several different languages, often in locations with no internet access. IPAF wanted an input tool that guided the auditors through each type of audit and allowed them to upload the completed audit to a centralised system, culminating in an audit report that can be emailed to the customer. They also wanted to be able to report in detail upon the data both from the completed audits and from their own system.
The Solution
SBP’s system architects developed an application in AppSheet that allows the auditors to input their audit data whilst on site using a smartphone, tablet or laptop in their language of choice. Upon completion of the audit entry (and when internet access is available), the data is uploaded automatically to a centralised SQL database.
SBP also created a Microsoft Access interface for use by IPAF HQ, including a wide variety of SQL queries to report upon and amend the database data in the wide variety of ways that IPAF require.
Overnight (or on demand), all the day’s audits from around the world are incorporated automatically into IPAF’s large existing data set, and each audit report is generated in PDF form and emailed automatically to the auditor for review. At the same time, a set of Excel reports are generated, for use by IPAF HQ.
The Benefits
- Automation of a varied and previously cumbersome and very manual auditing process.
- Bringing together employees from around the world and unifying procedures
- Allowing a wide range of automated reporting of data
Testimonial
I am delighted with the solutions SBP have delivered. The team listened to our needs and built a bespoke user friendly auditors Appsheet solution which automates a previously manual process. They also created a detailed Microsoft Access interface which gives us the visibility and reporting we needed. SBP were able to understand our business needs and use their strong AppSheet and Integration experience and expertise to develop specific and efficient solutions. Stephanie Nolan-Byrne – Audit and Quality Control Manager – IPAF
