U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Deploys AirWatch to “Accomplish the Mission” of Aiding Natural Disaster Victims In times of crisis, mobile devices provide critical, real-time access to information and applications. When the infrastructure is compromised, mobile devices have the power to enter affected areas, enable tasks and initiate the recovery process where traditional pen and paper can’t deliver. Introduction The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), a network of 37,000 dedicated civilians and soldiers delivering engineering services to customers in more than 90 countries worldwide, is often on the frontline when disaster strikes. Coordinating everything from flood risk reduction to debris clearance, the USACE is not only charged with on-ground support but helping initiate the first steps towards recovery. In these of type environments, every second counts, especially when it comes to processing emergency home repairs for victims of a natural disaster. Damaged roofs, windows and entryways prevent homeowners from remaining inside the dwellings that are otherwise habitable – meaning additional strain on local shelters. The more residents that the USACE can keep in their homes, the quicker both the physical and physiological recovery from the disaster can occur. To accomplish this mission, the USACE is enlisting AirWatch on an ambitious mobile device initiative that’s cutting down on mountains of paperwork and empowering inspectors and contractors to mobilize quickly and begin impacting affected areas. Background As part of the U. S. Army’s larger strategy for exploring mobile device technology for its overall operations, members of the Engineer Research and Development Center’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Reachback Operations Center and the Information Technology Laboratory began testing with mobile operating systems in 2010. One of the goals for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was to develop applications and solutions to address common USACE pain points in the emergency response process. The USACE has a mission, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to go out and meet with homeowners who have roof, entryway or window damages. If USACE can get a blue plastic tarp in place, it allows homeowners to stay in their homes and not in a shelter. Currently, USACE inspectors go into the field with paper forms, which are filled out by hand. This becomes a very time intensive process given the volume of claims USACE receives. For example, during Hurricanes Ivan and Gustav, USACE met with 18,000 homeowners with damaged property. The USACE forms have five carbon copy attachments – that’s 90,000 pieces of paper that require tracking and manual entry into a database. With no electronic data entry on-site, a homeowner’s paperwork was sent to a central location where an entire workforce was dedicated to populating data by zip code. From there, the claim was assigned to an inspector. Human error is a major issue. With handwriting, you’re going to have errors, bad grammar and non-legible text, which add further delays. In the end, the USACE claims process took on average two-to-three days. Understandably, homeowners were upset. Realizing that traditional pen and paper data collection was no longer meeting demand, USACE began development on a pilot system known as “Field Management System,” a smartphone and tablet-based data collection system more commonly known as the Blue Roof App. Utilizing more than 120 iPhone and iPad mobile devices, the Blue Roof App eliminates thousands of sheets of paper and empowers USACE inspectors to quickly log necessary repairs to damaged homes – cutting the process down from days to mere minutes from the time the claim is logged into the system. USACE Case Study| v.2016.02 | February 2016 Copyright © 2012 AirWatch, LLC. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential. Solution USACE is eliminating the time delay. Instead of a clipboard and a pen, they are doing a system that is now more like an airport ticketing model. USACE sets up kiosks that snap into place at a mobile command center. Homeowners can now walk-up, apply for assistance on the iPad kiosk and that data is captured digitally the moment they sign their name. The iPad then assigns assistance back to a server, which creates a longitude and latitude. The USACE inspector in that area receives a note on their iPhone showing that they have been assigned a new case. Instead of 2-3 days with paper having to be sent, it only takes minutes. The system does all the work. To manage their mobile device fleet, the USACE relies on the proven security and visibility solutions powered by AirWatch. As homeowners apply using iPads, the requests are instantly added to the Operation Blue Roof Command Center dashboard where they are reviewed by USACE field managers and immediately assigned to USACE field personnel for initial inspection using iPhones. Real-time charts, customizable based on vital information, displays the overall status of the mission. The charts are updated with every transaction, and data can be exported via spreadsheet to any external data repository. The Common Operating Picture dashboard, very similar to the configurable dashboard found in all AirWatch applications, is the command center for the Field Management System. Once the form has been submitted, iPhones are then used by Quality Assurance personnel to track inspection data, take photos, note damages and enter quantities of repair materials required which is then populated online. Following this, local contractors are given a special URL to the contractor portion of the USACE dedicated Blue Roof website. When contractors are assigned repair requests, based on information entered by Quality Assurance personnel at the command center portal, they instantly appear in the contractor assignment page. By clicking the “View/Update” link to the right of the repair request, contractors can update the actual quantities of repair materials they used for a temporary repair. Once this data is entered into the system, the repair is marked as complete and the record is archived in the command center system. Mobile Device Management is critical for USACE success in the field. In addition to the dashboard, USACE is currently testing AirWatch Mobile Device Management capabilities to remote wipe devices, should they go missing, to ensure sensitive data is not compromised for both the homeowner and the inspector. USACE also uses the devices as a communications tool for mission leaders to locate and communicate with deployed response personnel. The USACE is accountable for the safety of everyone we have on the ground; so, this is another way to ensure their safety while completing the task at hand. Results Leadership within the USACE, using applications gathered from claims submitted during the 2005 & 2008 hurricane seasons, estimate that the Blue Roof App could save millions in costs related to time spent processing claims using the old system. When the next disaster does occur, extensive field-testing gives the USACE confidence that the AirWatch solution will deliver. USACE inspectors are claiming this will be the game changer in assisting homeowners during natural disasters because they know response times have been cut down exponentially. It’s a win- win situation. The homeowners are cared for, and the technologies take the onus off of the inspectors. In addition, the USACE responders log less time in the field, where debris and other dangers reside, which helps ensure their safety. Homeowners aren’t used to getting service like this from the government. They now experience state-of-the-art technology and interact with devices that they’re used to seeing. Beyond the time-saving advantage, the Blue Roof App will also play a key role in reestablishing a sense of normalcy for the victims. Consumers today expect a confirmation email, which is mentally comforting. The computer is doing the work but psychologically, everyone feels better when they get that email saying their request is being taken care of. For the first time, homeowners are going to get the same psychological benefits as receiving the confirmation that their application is being processed and someone is diligently working on their case. That gives them hope… you can’t underscore the importance of that in times of crisis. USACE Case Study| v.2016.02 | February 2016 Copyright © 2012 AirWatch, LLC. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential.