Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090204466 | TICKET APPROVAL SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF PERFORMING QUALITY CONTROL IN FIELD SERVICE APPLICATIONS - A ticket approval system and method of performing quality control in a field service application. The method includes obtaining a ticket, performing at least one task associated with the ticket, collecting data associated with at least one task, and transmitting the data to a work management server including database and approval applications. Also provided is a method of reviewing the data received by the approval application for quality control purposes. | 08-13-2009 |
20090207019 | TICKET APPROVAL SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF PERFORMING QUALITY CONTROL IN FIELD SERVICE APPLICATIONS - Methods and apparatus for assessing a locate and marking operation. Ticket information is received regarding the locate and marking operation prior to performance. Following performance, a locate manifest is received that includes a digital image associated with a dig area for which the operation was performed. One or more electronic indications are provided, based at least in part on a comparison of the ticket information and the locate manifest, of a quality assessment of the locate and marking operation. The electronic indication(s) indicate one of: 1) a satisfactory operation; 2) an unsatisfactory operation requiring further quality control assessment and/or at least partial re-performance; or 3) a satisfactory operation, but nonetheless requiring technician coaching. An electronic record is generated of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation based on the electronic indication(s). | 08-20-2009 |
20090210284 | TICKET APPROVAL SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF PERFORMING QUALITY CONTROL IN FIELD SERVICE APPLICATIONS - Methods for overseeing and assessing a locate and marking operation. A ticket is received including ticket information regarding the operation, and a first locate technician is dispatched to perform the operation pursuant to the ticket information. A locate manifest is received that includes at least one digital image associated with a dig area in which the locate technician performed the operation. The locate manifest is compared to the ticket information, and a determination is made if the operation is 1) satisfactory, 2) unsatisfactory and requires further quality control assessment and/or at least partial re-performance, or 3) satisfactory but the first locate technician requires coaching. One or more electronic indications of one of 1), 2) and 3) are provided so as to generate an electronic record of a quality assessment of the locate and marking operation. | 08-20-2009 |
20090210285 | TICKET APPROVAL SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF PERFORMING QUALITY CONTROL IN FIELD SERVICE APPLICATIONS - Methods and apparatus for facilitating a quality assessment of a locate and marking operation. Ticket information and a locate manifest are received regarding the operation as performed by a technician. One or more electronic indications of the quality assessment are processed based on the locate manifest, the ticket information, and at least one of: a time required to complete the locate and marking operation; a time at which the locate and marking operation was performed; a cost of the locate and marking operation; one or more conditions associated with a dig area in which the operation was performed; a number of facilities to be located as indicated in the ticket information; a discrepancy between the facilities to be located as indicated in the ticket information, but not indicated as marked in the locate manifest; and an efficiency with which the technician performed the locate and marking operation. | 08-20-2009 |
20090210298 | TICKET APPROVAL SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF PERFORMING QUALITY CONTROL IN FIELD SERVICE APPLICATIONS - Methods and apparatus for facilitating oversight and quality control of a plurality of locate and marking operations performed by a plurality of locate technicians forming an approver group reviewed by an approver. An approver logs-in to access an approver inbox comprising a plurality of displayed locate technician windows, each locate technician window associated with one locate technician of the approver group. The approver selects a first locate technician window representing a first locate technician, and in response information relating to a first operation performed by the first technician is displayed. The approver provides an approver quality assessment input representing a first quality assessment of the first operation, and an electronic record of the first quality assessment is generated and stored. | 08-20-2009 |
20090327024 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF A FIELD SERVICE OPERATION - Methods, apparatus and systems for computer-aided determination of quality assessment for locate and marking operations. In one example, a quality assessment decision is solely under the discretion of a human reviewer, albeit facilitated in some respects by computer-aided display of information, and electronic record keeping and communication functions associated with the quality assessment result(s). In another example, information related to a locate and marking operation is electronically analyzed such that a quality assessment is not based solely on human discretion, but rather based at least in part on some predetermined criteria and/or metrics that facilitate an automated determination of quality assessment. | 12-31-2009 |
20100010862 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF A FIELD SERVICE OPERATION BASED ON GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION - Methods, apparatus and systems for computer-aided determination of quality assessment for locate and marking operations based on geographic information. In one example, information related to a locate and marking operation is electronically analyzed such that a quality assessment is based at least in part on first geographic information indicating at least one first location of a field-service technician following issuance of an instruction to perform the locate and marking operation, and second geographic information indicating at least one second location at which the location and marking operation was requested to be performed in the instruction. | 01-14-2010 |
20100010863 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF A FIELD SERVICE OPERATION BASED ON MULTIPLE SCORING CATEGORIES - Methods, apparatus and systems for computer-aided determination of quality assessment for locate and marking operations based on multiple scoring or grading categories. In one example, information related to a locate and marking operation is electronically analyzed such that a quality assessment is based at least in part on a plurality of quality assessment criteria, wherein each criterion has at least two scoring categories each associated with a scoring value or grade and having an expected data value or range of expected data values. | 01-14-2010 |
20100010882 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF A FIELD SERVICE OPERATION BASED ON DYNAMIC ASSESSMENT PARAMETERS - Methods, apparatus and systems for computer-aided determination of quality assessment for locate and marking operations. In one example, information related to a locate and marking operation is electronically analyzed such that a quality assessment is made using assessment parameters that are dynamically selected based at least in part on first information describing at least some aspects of the locate and marking operation as performed by a field-service technician and second information relating to a description of the locate operation to be performed. | 01-14-2010 |
20100010883 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING A QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF A FIELD SERVICE OPERATION BASED ON MULTIPLE QUALITY ASSESSMENT CRITERIA - Methods of generating and storage-mediums storing at least one data structure for facilitating a quality assessment of a locate operation performed by a field-service technician to identify a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility. The data structure comprises a plurality of quality assessment criteria relating to the locate operation, at least two scoring categories for at least some of the plurality of quality assessment criteria, each scoring category associated with a unique quality assessment indicator, and at least one expected data value or range of expected data values for each scoring category. | 01-14-2010 |