On Wednesday, March 15th, we will release Version 1.5 of our EdgeMobile and Adamas Edge software, and it includes an exciting new module called “Tours”. To support Tours, we have also made changes to our Desktop software and expanded the “roles” list to include a new designation: “Security”.
At its simplest, Tours allows sites to set up specific checkpoints or locations along a route. Using a combination of QR code and the GPS capabilities built into iOS devices, Tours tracks staff as they move from location to location, thereby ensuring individual rounds are executed appropriately and on time.
While Tours is perfect for security applications, it has applicability for any work that has a need for a checklist, text and/or photo documentation, data capture, problem reporting, and more. For example, a cleaning person can be provided with a list of duties for the day. As each item is completed, the user can check it off on the list, and the time and place recorded. If there is anything needing attention, it can be reported through the Tour application with notes and/or a photo. Also, when the item is completed, it can be documented with a photo.
Tours is architected to capture information specific to a particular location, such as a checklist of items to be confirmed there (e.g., “gate locked’, “lights out”, “temperature setting”). This way, you not only know that personnel traveled to the specified locations at specific times, but you also can get confirmation of specific tasks to be performed at a location. The App allows up to 6 items per checklist, and you can add an unlimited number of additional checklists if you require more than 6 items.
Even more, Tours has the ability to vary the route or tasks at each station to make each round less predictable. That is, management can indicate whether a station or task is required anywhere between 10% and 100% of the time.
Tours makes use of discreet, coded location tags. To facilitate finding the tags — always a problem when the tags are discreet, Tours allows location-specific help that ranges from a short text description to a complete PDF document including photos. As a result, no tag should ever go undiscovered, even by a first-time user.
Tours is designed for indoor and outdoor work, remote work where cellular is a problem, or when using devices without cellular connectivity. While an internet connection is required to start and finish a Tour, connectivity (WiFi or cellular) is not required during a tour itself.
Perhaps most exciting is the license plate scanner option. This allows the user to verify that vehicles are authorized to park at a specific station. Coupled with the newly improved PTE (Permission to Enter) module, visitors can be granted parking permission on a daily basis, and Tours will recognize based on the license plate whether the vehicle is authorized — all without the necessity for issue parking passes or stickers. Tours captures an image, the plate number, and the approximate GPS location of any unknown or expired vehicles for management’s follow-up.
What ever the purpose of the tour, the completion of the tour is documented automatically. If anything is not completed, that item appears as an exception on the summary report. Likewise, any additional information collected during the tour or as a problem report, that information is also flagged in the summary report.
The app is free as is the Tours functionality for any Edge by Melinx or Adamas Edge customer. This version requires iOS 15.6 and is planned be the last major release supporting iPod Touches. Going forward, we will require devices capable of running iOS 16 or later and that have a larger screen size.