Blackpool's mobile working boosted with GGP

06 March 2009, 8:13am

StreetScene Officers and Housing Inspectors in Blackpool are using the latest mobile technology to improve the services in the popular UK seaside resort. Using smart PDA’s loaded with specially developed software and maps from GGP’s GIS, officers in the field can report incidents or defects, complete inspection reports and issue a range of standard communications in real time and without returning to the office.

The handheld HTC TYTN II devices are also linked to the Council’s centralised property database helping officers identify, access and record additional information pertaining to an address or location. A direct link to GGP NGz, software specifically designed to manage the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG), provides real time access to this essential resource reducing administration and resulting in a tangible increase in operational efficiencies.

Mobile working in Blackpool was originally introduced to support the delivery of services that contribute to the Council’s StreetScene Service Plan. Applications include Assisted Household Waste Collections, Waste Permits, Commercial Waste Services and support for Neighbourhood Environmental Action Teams. In all cases the map display, created using GGP GIS, helps identify and record the location of incidents or services requests while the real time access to the NLPG facilitates identification and enables detailed information to be appended to a specific address.

Following on from the success achieved from the original applications Blackpool has initiated another project using the mobile devices and GGP supported back office links. As part of the Monitoring and Intervention in the Private Sector project officers are allocated private sector housing cases for inspection. Addresses derived from the NLPG are loaded onto the handheld devices, which are also used to record inspection results and photographs. A map overlay in GGP GIS enables spatial analysis of the recorded information.

This innovative use of technology and pioneering application of the NLPG was recently recognised at a prestigious national awards ceremony. For the third year running the groundbreaking work by Blackpool Council was rewarded, with a ‘Highly Commended’ for Best Business Process Transformation using the NLPG.

GGP Systems specialise in GIS and Gazetteer Management software specifically designed for the UK public sector. The South London based company provides easy to use solutions for the creation and management of corporate property databases, the ability to add and use a spatial element to all location based information and a range of solutions to meet t-Government directives.

Contact Prim Maxwell at GGP tel. +44 (0)20 8686 9887, e-mail: prim@ggpsystems.co.uk, www.ggpsystems.co.uk

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