Tweet

Five Key Benefits of Collaborative Working on Mobile Devices in Hazardous Areas

ASSAMSTADT, GERMANY — (Marketwired) — 11/12/15 — Collaborative working on mobile devices goes further than simply calling a colleague for assistance. It is enabling people to complete their work in a completely different way. They are now able to rely on other people and devices located around the world to provide them with necessary real-time information and support while working in remote locations.

Following ecom–s roots and decades of experiences as the world´s first manufacturer and market leader for Zone 1 mobile phones and tablets, Collaborative Working in hazardous areas is now possible using the first intrinsically safe 4G/LTE Android Smartphone Smart-Ex® 01 and the only Zone 1 / 21 and Division 1 certified tablet, the Tab-Ex® 01. ecom´s Mobile Worker Concept is providing five key real-use benefits to companies and workers in hazardous areas around the world:

Traditionally, on-site workers in potentially dangerous areas carry out assignments based on paper lists and clipboards, then afterwards have to enter the results into the company database — which is highly inefficient. The ultra rugged tablet Tab-Ex® 01 — based on the Samsung GALAXY Tab Active — brings a wide range of applications and new customer focused solutions into Zone 1 / 21 and Division 1 areas for the first time.

Thanks to applications such as electronic job sheets and work orders, on-site workers are now able to focus on the task in hand while using tablets or smartphones. They no longer have to be concerned with retuning to a control centre to update information on a system, they can update it in real-time as they carry out work. This enables them to cut down on time spent at the end of each day on administrative tasks, significantly increasing wrench-time.

Reducing the risk of operations is essential for any company involved in hazardous area operations. Taking advantage of the latest technology advances, the pocket-sized 4G/LTE enabled Smart-Ex® 01 Smartphone helps to simplify and streamline the way mobile workers operate and interact with each other, their remote experts, and their backend systems.

Interaction with corporate enterprise systems also becomes easier with the tablet Tab-Ex® 01. Forms that are typically too large for a PDA or Smartphone can be displayed on Tab-Ex® without the need for continuous scrolling. The Tab-Ex® 01 ensures access is fast and seamless — providing workers the complete background on an asset, detailing all historical data and repairs to quickly perform the task in hand.

Having a device that is capable of transmitting GPS data provides also a huge upgrade in the security of the workforce, giving them piece of mind that if any accident were to occur that others would be alerted. This significantly reduces workers exposure to risk while they are working, improving the overall safety of operations.

Operations can be delayed for a wide range of reasons caused by anything from user error to asset failure. One of the key benefits of using mobile devices and collaborative working is that any information relating to an asset can be made immediately available while the worker is at the point of inspection.

Optional built-in rear and front cameras for the Smart-Ex® 01 and Tab-Ex® 01, with a full complement of wireless capability, allow equipment defects to be captured at inspection or while maintenance work is executed. Video calling applications make the defect instantly visible to those who need to diagnose the issue and determine the follow-on actions. This has the potential to dramatically reduce downtime and repair time, reducing the risk of costly delays.

With the uptake of technology in the workplace, big data is able to give businesses a much greater in-sight into their operations and the way they carry out work. By giving each user a mobile device to capture information on, the quality and accuracy of data can be significantly improved. This can be a huge benefit to the business as it means more information can be made immediately available, avoiding the need for a specialist to visit the site or offshore platform in person.

The Tab-Ex® 01 for example, leveraging Samsung´s know-how, can support multiple mobile worker roles performing a range of applications, including Asset Surveys, Material Tracking, Operator Rounds, Inspection and Maintenance. With this help, analysts can interpret the data in real-time and they can then make immediate decisions on whether an asset or a process needs to be adjusted. Thus, decision-making processes are shortened and problems, as well as defects, can be resolved quickly and efficiently.

The less time that workers need to spend offshore on a rig or on a plant, the less cost is incurred by the business. As cost-effective 4G/LTE networks become accessible in the field and offshore, real-time notification of plant changes and abnormalities to team leaders in the field is now possible with the Tab-Ex® or Smart-Ex®, providing the ability to remotely view and interrogate notification and root cause data in real-time to quickly resolve the issue.

Using tablets or smartphones, workers can be provided with plant schematics and diagrams pre-loaded on each device. This enables people who are otherwise unfamiliar with a site to find exactly what they need to be inspecting, significantly cutting down on time lost.

For more information about how intrinsically safe mobile devices can be used for Collaborative Working please visit ecom–s Web Site at:

ecom instruments is a leading global provider of mobile computing and communication devices for use in potentially hazardous areas as found in industries including chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, mining, power generation, food and beverage.

For 30 years, ecom has set the standards and gathered comprehensive expertise in explosion protection for daily use in hazardous industrial areas across the globe.

In its four core disciplines of communication, mobile computing, portable hand lamps and measurement calibration, ecom instruments offers a wide variety of innovative and field proven solutions.

Further information about ecom instruments can be found at

Image Available:
Image Available:
Image Available:
Image Available:
Image Available:
Image Available:

Christian Uhl
Vice President Marketing
Phone: +49 (0) 6294 4224 0
Fax: +49 (0) 6294 4224 100
E-Mail:
Internet:

Tobias Fruhauf
Account Manager
+49 (0)89 / 53 29 57 34