Let’s talk safety. Where do most damages occur? You most likely know the answer. During the excavation process.
At the core of damage prevention is recognizing the risks related to the excavation process. Contractors and excavators achieve this in a number of ways; however, it’s generally understood that the use of technology at the beginning of the process is key to reducing damages. But here’s the real question. Can technology also provide real-time and cost saving efficiencies?
Norfield has been working closely with the team at George J. Igel & Co., Inc. in using new technology to streamline the management of 811 tickets and provide efficiencies.
It’s of critical importance that Norfield, a leading technology vendor to OHIO811, listen to the voice of the excavator to understand how to combine both technological innovations and established practices and procedures. The team at Igel opened their doors to Norfield so we could identify the ways to reduce human error with technology and streamline their internal processes with risk mitigation at the forefront.
Photo by Nightman1965 – stock.adobe.com
In the excavation process, the safety of all involved is top of mind. There are several critical components at play. Contractors want paint on the ground with accuracy and excavators want it without disrupting their schedule. To achieve both ‘wants’ you must communicate in the best way possible to all the involved stakeholders: Call Center, Facility Owners, and Locators. This communication method should be in a manner that assists all stakeholders to screen tickets, delivered efficiently, and provide safe and accurate information for digging to commence without fear of damage to life or limb. Remember, it’s the contractor who dies first in the event of a serious accident.
Today’s common contractor problems:
Long-term projects with people turnover
Using common language with locators to maximize efficiency
Inability to communicate directly with facility owners
Keeping track of tickets
Reluctance to “grid” out jobs because of the possibility of creating gaps of risk
Excavators don’t speak in the same way that other stakeholders do
Norfield recently launched a new technology solution to help to solve these common problems. DiG LOGIX is a comprehensive planning, project management, scheduling, and ticket submission software platform designed specifically for engineers, designers, and excavators in the damage prevention industry. By streamlining collaboration, enhancing operational efficiency, and ensuring rigorous safety protocols, DiG LOGIX empowers teams to reduce risks, save costs, and improve project outcomes from design to excavation and beyond.
Igel provided valuable input to the development of DiG LOGiX to help solve the most common challenges faced by contractors and excavators. DiG LOGiX specifically offers the following solutions –
- Quality Control. The approval process to submitting locate requests protects against using the wrong primary street or creating an error that could inadvertently open up risk.
- Streamlined Organization. Organize the data in an easy-to-use platform that eliminates the human error component.
- Communication. Excavator application is used to communicate with stakeholders outside of your organization for third-party locating and more. It’s also a way to share language with subcontractors on the same job to communicate the same message to locators to create efficiency in marking the project.
- Collaboration. Norfield’s new excavator application eliminates having to use multiple “software”/links to do things like remarks, positive response, etc. All processes are provided in one simple to use platform.
Norfield’s goal is to be at the forefront of providing solutions that the damage prevention community sorely needs. It’s imperative that these technology solutions are created from the contractor’s perspective, those that are first and foremost in control of keeping our communities safe. With DiG LOGIX, contractors can confidently manage complex projects, collaborate across teams, and safeguard both people and assets—driving success and ensuring that every job is completed with maximum efficiency and safety.
Norfield hopes you now have a better understanding of Norfield and our involvement in your everyday interactions with OHIO811. We can’t wait to share what new and exciting technology we are working on next.
This article was written by:
April Mitchell, Chief Marketing Officer, Norfield Development Partners
april@norfielddp.com
https://norfielddp.com/
Mary Long So, Vice President of Safety & Employee Development
George J. Igel & Co., Inc.
mary.so@igelco.com
https://www.buildwithigel.com//
