NASA Langley Research Sean Johnson Adapx Deploys Digital Pen Technology for GIS Updates to Automate Facilities Inspections

Facilities Management Challenges The Challenge: managing facilities information collected on paper –As soon as facility operations begin… Maintenance begins requiring inspections, repairs Building conditions change requiring construction and updated designs Facility ops integrate with other workflows such as asset, personnel management –Data is easily collected on paper, but operational processes slow down Getting data off paper has high operational costs in time and resources Poor visibility into building conditions delay repairs, drive up costs Mobile computing alternatives are complex and expensive to buy, support 3

Case Study - NASA 4

Situation NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has been on the bleeding edge of technology and innovation when it comes to their office space utilization optimization. Early adopters of technology, The GIS department at NASA LaRC is always looking for new tools and procedures to gather and manage the ever changing facilities, staff and room configurations at the vast Langley campus. Thousands of people, working around the world to accomplish the mission of space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research 5

Challenge NASA LaRC was asked to cut costs and at the same time support alterations in mission requirements from aeronautics to space exploration. They established a goal to reduce 25% of their land use, buildings and personnel. This meant that essential information on space allocation would change drastically and those changes needed to be documented. Vast areas and structures around the world in constant renovation GIS database used for space planning/optimization containing all floor plan data (floor, roof, wall, window, drains, electrical, communication jacks, …) is not in sync with infrastructure changes Current data collection method uses standard pen and paper to mark up maps and capture field notes. Paper is scanned for archive, originals are sent to GIS for transcription and geodatabase update 6 “This process has been broken for years and we’ve tried to get this done and get it done efficiently” William Ball GIS Manager, NASA Langley Research Center

Solution Switch to digital pen and paper for data collection.. Digital field notes of configuration changes made on the paper map GIS gets digital version of data for geodatabase update and QC 7 “it’s easy for the person collecting the data and there’s no guesswork for our GIS tech as to what he’s trying to tell us. The information goes straight in and we can archive it without making a scanned copy” William Ball GIS Manager, NASA Langley Research Center

Results Same data collection workflow, no re-training, instant GIS data with no transcription errors or time lag Archives are digital Survey time was cut in half Errors reduced by 80% Overall survey costs reduced by one third 8

Future Application – Roof Survey The GIS department at NASA LaRC is already planning on new ways to utilize digital pen technology. The Operations and Maintenance department does roof top surveys and they will use it for documenting HVAC and other equipment. 9 “This would be a highly desirable solution to have folks take a piece of paper to write on. After all, it’s much easier to carry a clipboard to the roof instead of a tablet. If it drops, you don’t have to worry about it breaking into a million pieces” William Ball GIS Manager, NASA Langley Research Center

Future Application – Storm Surveys At NASA Johnson Space Center, during major storms, emergency crews must check and assess building problems (windows blown out, damage to roofs). They have considered using laptops but in the middle of a storm they anticipate problems with electronic hardware as well as the cumbersome nature of large form factors. Using Rite-in-the-Rain 11 x 17 paper would be optimal for the process. Funding for this process has recently been allocated. 10

Future Application Circuit Breaker Documentation Federal requirements for documenting circuit breakers has been a multi-year process currently being done with 5 laptops. Synchronizing the laptops with the master database has been problematic and they determined the hardware is overkill for the process. A simple form created and digitally enabled with Excel could replace the need for the laptops, reduce training expenses and easily integrate with the existing database. 11

NASA Pen and Paper Data Collection

Streamline Documentation Design Teams ArcGIS, Autodesk Accounting MS Office ERP Facilities Managers MS Office Design, Change Forms, Punch lists GIS Office CAD PDF Office Printer Inspection reports Marked up building designs, as builts Maintenance work orders Track conditions better More efficiently deploy service personnel Cut operational costs Handwritten data on building plans and forms automatically digitized, tracked  Notes, Forms instantly digitized on site at facilities with digital pen  Data integrated into original files  Changes immediately documented and available to teams by or on the network

Automating Paper Forms Paper form printed from Excel – filled out by hand Work items automatically digitized, formatted Record of field worker, pen, date and time of data entry Dates, numbers, signatures Lists, checkboxes Automatic Reports in Excel

Automating GIS Speeding field mapping and GIS data collection with paper maps 1. Define map view in ArcGIS 2. Print and collect data 3. Data integrated into ArcGIS Automating CAD/PDF Faster building plan tracking with Autodesk and printed plans 2. Mark-up plan 1. Print CAD plan 3. Document changes, update designs in Autodesk

Digital Pen and Paper Demonstration 16

Mobile Technology Comparison Rugged LaptopRugged Tablet Rugged PDA Digital Pen Mobile Light weight Rugged for harsh conditions Usable in the rain, bright sun Multiple day battery life Access to GIS, CAD, office files, features Handwriting recognition Hardcopy back-up record Large format support No change to existing pen & paper process Little training required 17

Benefits The benefits of paper Anyone, anywhere Large formats Paper record The benefits of digital data Immediate access Structured forms in Excel Design Updates in CAD, ArcGIS Track conditions better More efficiently deploy service personnel Cut operational costs 18 Time and cost of processing and transcribing paper: Expensive resources taken from operations to inefficient processes Speed data processing of assets: Avoid additional costs purchase, support, training required for mobile computers Streamline Operations: Improve paperwork processing Digitally document as-built changes