Before
implementing the rugged tablets, the survey system required handwritten
information on paper forms to be retyped in offices across Minnesota.
Dozens of Fisheries Area databases were methodically analyzed for
errors and consolidated in a process that took months every year.
Rick Lorenzen, Fisheries IT Supervisor at the Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources, knew a technological advancement was necessary.
For three years, more than 40 people worked on the project to define
the requirements, select the hardware, determine appropriate data
validation values, design and load the database, develop the entry
screens, and rigorously test screens and reports. Seven hardware testers
evaluated over a dozen potential field hardware options, ultimately
choosing Xplore rugged tablets.
The
use of the Xplore rugged tablets in survey boats permitted data
entry to be validated with fish in hand, eliminating redundant data
entry and reducing errors. Immediate validation of data at the point
of capture also ensured more accurate data for the Department of
Natural Resources. "The application of technology significantly
improved efficiency while capturing fisheries data, speed of data
retrieval, and quality of data stored," Lorenzen said in his
Lake Survey Project. "It also enhanced the ability to share
the data with the public and other agencies."
"The
new Java client Lake Survey application is delivered to rugged tablets
and desktop workstations over the DNR intranet and provides statewide
access to a single database and dozens of reports," Lorenzen
said. "Data captured, stored, and analyzed by this system includes
current and historic physical, chemical, and biological information
regarding habitat, water quality, and fish population characteristics.
This information is used to manage Minnesota's fisheries."
Other
data, such as data from Minnesota's largest lakes, was also made
available in the new data structure design, providing a wealth of
additional research possibilities for research biologists and other
agencies.
In
addition to making information more readily available, the tablets
have also increased efficiency and improved quality for the department.
The rugged tablets have eliminated 27 separate copies of lake survey
databases that previously required weeks of data consolidation annually.
They also have ensured better data quality by providing validation
when the fish is still in-hand instead of doing the data entry from
paper over the winter when the fish was no longer available to recheck.
"They provide immediate reporting once the data is entered,"
Lorenzen said. "Previously, reports were only published once
a year after winter data entry and after consolidation of multiple
databases."
The
measurable benefits were proven by cost savings of implementing
the rugged tablets. Since data entry occurs directly onto the rugged
tablets while in the field, approximately 8,875 hours of in-office
data entry were eliminated. These hours saved the department $195,250
annually. Overall, estimated cost benefits from implementing the
application were $216,170 each year. Not only did the rugged tablets
save the department money, they also saved employees hours of memorization.
"The tablets provide intuitive screens with complete drop-down
selection values that shortened the data entry learning curve for
staff and eliminated the need to memorize 3 digit codes for dozens
of fish and plant species," Lorenzen said.
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more about the Xplore iX104.
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