Methodology for Selecting Features of Mobile Technology for Municipal Inspections*

Inspections are inherent in many steps throughout the management life cycle of municipal infrastructure. Mobile technology has the potential to improve information capture and management for inspections allowing for easier access, review, and increased detail. A plethora of possible technology solutions do exist but with few comprehensive techniques available to industry for adoption and implementation assessment. This research project’s primary deliverable was the development of a method for selecting various technology features for a given inspection type with a medium-sized municipality’s information technology division serving as the research client. Six different infrastructure inspections, encompassing extensive contextual aspects and user requirements, were used in the development of an analysis framework. The framework, comprised of elements that segregate inspections into generic steps and corresponding information and data requirements, placed an emphasis on the contextual aspects that may influence the applicability of technology. The results are intended as input for formal usability evaluations to validate functional requirements.