Railroad company streamlines processes and eliminates paperwork with ProntoForms and Toughpad rugged tablets

September 3, 2013
Rugged Laptops and Tablets
Challenge: To deploy a faster, more reliable documentation solution for field workers as data was handwritten and then faxed to the main office for processing.
Solution:  Panasonic Toughpad FZ-A1, a rugged, 10-inch, Android-based tablet with AT&T 4G LTE and cloud-based ProntoForms application.
Result: Workers can access saved data and transmit electronically at the touch of a button, resulting in faster turnaround times and greater accuracy.

ProntoForms-Toughpad-Panasonic

Roadway Worker Training (RWT) provides the railroad industry with training, consulting and support. RWT’s workforce frequently collects data in the field and sends reports to the home office.

On RWT’s old system, data was handwritten and then faxed to the main office for processing. With this pen-and-paper based system, paperwork was not always legible or submitted promptly.

Jennifer Weithman of RWT recalls, “The quality was not very good, at times. When the fax came in, we [sometimes had] to write over them to make them legible.”

The solution was to arm field workers with the Panasonic Toughpad™ FZ-A1, a rugged, 10-inch, Android™-based tablet with a high-resolution camera, access to the cloud, a daylight-viewable screen and long battery life. With 4G LTE connectivity from AT&T, workers use the cloud-based ProntoForms application, which allows data access and electronic transmissions at the touch of a button.

“The biggest benefit, by far, is instant access to collecting information. As soon as the day is over, I hit the send button, and my paperwork is finished.” – Sean Quigley, Roadway Worker in Charge.

INSTANT INFORMATION COLLECTION AND DELIVERY

Weithman explains, “After ProntoForms… it’s much easier to read. And as soon as they’re finished at the jobsite, they can send the form in and we have it immediately. In turn, I can send out my invoices quicker, which helps with our cash flow.”

With ProntoForms, RWT employees can complete customized forms; capture text, pictures and barcodes; access GPS and time information; and submit their work directly to the back office system or to other data destinations like the cloud.

With a daylight-viewable screen and fully-rugged construction capable of withstanding 4-foot drops, as well as challenging weather, dust and water, Toughpad A1 was the clear choice for railway workers in the field. Senior Signal Director Steve Peery explains, “I can leave my laptop at the office and use the Toughpad… Its brightness is good, so we have no problem seeing the screen out in the sunlight. Toughpad is exactly what it says. It’s a great piece of equipment to utilize in a railroad setting.”

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