Datria Introduces Scouting & Inspection and Storm Recovery

Datria released Datria Scouting and Inspection, a packaged voice self-service application for mobile field employees, and Datria Storm Recovery, a voice self-service application for mobile field employees.  The application helps geographically dispersed companies locate, manage, and maintain their assets.

Scouting and Inspection uses voice self-service allows technicians to use a telephone or two-way radio to report their observations. The application converts the voice to data and updates the company's asset system.

Scouting and Inspection improves productivity in both routine and emergency situations. In routine applications, companies use the application for regularly scheduled inspection processes. In emergency situations - such as extreme weather events - companies can use Scouting and Inspection to assess the damage and create a detailed inventory of the work needed to repair the damage.

Scouting and Inspection also allows field technicians to open trouble tickets (also known as work orders or service orders) directly from the field, using a set of voice commands.

"With Storm Recovery and Scouting and Inspection, Datria has delivered a powerful combination," said Art Schoeller, research director at the Yankee Group. "Scouting and Inspection helps companies maintain their assets and avoid service failures. Storm Recovery helps companies restore service when there is a failure. Scouting and Inspection starts the work process; Storm Recovery completes it. Companies can now use voice self-service for the entire work cycle - allowing them to increase productivity and provide better service."

Storm Recovery helps energy utilities and telephone companies restore service after outages caused by weather events, such as tornados, hurricanes, and ice storms.

Many energy and telephone companies provide reciprocal emergency services to other companies in their industry. During an emergency, companies lend employees to each other to help restore service. The on-loan employees are experts in repairing infrastructure, but often do not know how to receive work orders or report their work using the host company's scheduling and dispatch system.

Datria Storm Recovery uses voice self-service to deliver information to and from the field. With as little as 30 minutes of training, technicians use telephones or two-way radios to report their work and receive new assignments. Storm Recovery™ uses programmed dialogs to ask questions; technicians respond in natural language. Storm Recovery™ converts the voice to data and updates the host company's work database. The host company responds to the situation.

The new packaged application is modeled after a storm recovery system that Datria deployed for a major Florida utility in 2001. The system has been used after numerous weather events, including Hurricanes Gabrielle, Charley, and Francis.

Storm Recovery is available as both a premises-based solution and as a hosted service.