Where there is smoke, there is now automation

To enhance operations within its Fire and Security division, Chubb Australasia General Manager of Service Delivery and Strategy Jody Blinco was tasked with finding and integrating a technology solution nationwide which would make data more readily available in real time and provide better visibility across the work of its Fire and Security technicians. The company decided on a field data automation solution from Intermec.

One of the major motivators within Chubb to move towards complete field data mobility came from the desire to better service its customers, by being able to quickly and regularly inform them of the status of their fire and safety testing and compliancy. This would have been very difficult to achieve under the old paper-based system.

“The handheld gives us the capability to do more than just take our orders and deliver a base level of services. It allows us to go above and beyond for the customer and also comes associated with a whole range of automation benefits,” said Blinco.

“A number of Chubb’s technicians work across hazardous environments - refineries, coal mines, gas plants - that demand the highest safety rating alongside product ruggedness. This was one of the deciding factors that led to Chubb choosing Intermec’s CN3 and CN4, as they could be relied upon in any environment, avoiding any need for their technicians to return to doing part paperwork, part electronic work, and offering Chubb the best return on investment.”

Intermec Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand Tony Repaci explained the advantages of automation through use of handheld devices also included their intrinsically safe components across a mixed fleet of devices, which fit Chubb’s field purpose and operating environment.

Another factor that added to the device passing the all-rounder test was that all information about the sites Chubb technicians went to could be on hand at any given time. This might include notes about who to talk to or important contact numbers for the site. Through the messaging tool, technicians could download what had happened and who was on the site recently.

Additionally, when technicians go to a job at, for example, a mine site that has 2000 fire extinguishers spread across the site, they can scan a barcode to find a particular extinguisher in the list and check it off electronically. In this instance, the handheld is saving them time and leaving little room for error in data recording.