ASFiNAG:
Digital Inspection of Traffic Infrastructure

  • Forms are dynamically pre-populated with data from Asset Management / GIS / SAP systems

  • IMT 2.0 Infrastructure Management (database of all objects) as integrated CRITIS application with mobile offline capture

  • Audits and inspections as well as defect recording & tracking, SQL export, Microsoft Power BI evaluations and PDF reports

ASFiNAG uses dynamic checklists for the inspection and checking of objects for the entire traffic infrastructure: The checklists and protocols of all inspections and checks of the entire traffic infrastructure are recorded digitally on tablets directly on site – including extensive photo documentation with advanced GIS function as well as defect recording with history.

HybridForms – Digital forms for critical infrastructure

The entire process of technical inspections of assets – from creating a new assignment, pre-filling data fields via form automation and interfaces, mobile data capture by field teams using GIS and Connected Maps, to data export to existing systems – is completely digital.

Dynamic offline inspection checklists with intelligent enterprise features and integrated process functions support experts in their work, such as seamless switching between offline and online mode, automatic data synchronization, geotagging of photos and dynamic defect tracking, as well as historized data exchange with the ProOffice asset management system from SynerGIS.

HybridForms supports various authentication systems for correct access to HybridForms according to IT security requirements. For user login, Microsoft Active Directory (AD) is directly integrated at ASFiNAG to ensure optimal security on all iPads and iPhones as mobile clients.

Interfaces to internal systems enable adaptive dynamic forms that automatically show only the actual components of the respective objects.

About ASFiNAG AG

ASFiNAG (Highway and Expressway Financing Corporation) is an Austrian infrastructure company owned by the federal government.

Services are: Planning, financing, constructing, maintaining, operating and tolling of around 2,200 kilometers of highways and expressways with 367 interchanges, 164 tunnels with 383 kilometers of tubes, and 5,192 bridges.

The company has around 3,000 employees, who work in 42 freeway maintenance centers, 6 toll stations and 9 traffic management centers. ASFiNAG is one of the major operators of critical infrastructure in Austria.

About VertiGIS | ProOffice

The project was successfully realized together with SynerGIS / VertiGIS as specialists for ESRI GIS and facility management solutions.

Dynamic checklists for the inspection of infrastructure objects (such as bridges and tunnels) on freeways and expressways by ASFiNAG with HybridForms

Digital Transformation at ASFINAG - IMT
Digital Transformation at ASFINAG - IMT
Thomas Stachelberger, ASFiNAG

»As one of the central components of ASFiNAG’s infrastructure management tool IMT, HybridForms makes a significant contribution to handling core tasks of structural maintenance management such as performing periodic checks and inspections, recording and tracking defects, and initiating resulting actions as an end-to-end digital workflow.

A particular plus point is the possibility of straightforward connection to third-party systems – whether for analysis purposes, for visualization of the collected data on dashboards or for progress documentation.

HybridForms is outstanding in its ability to automatically generate form structures adaptively and dynamically on a large scale for each individual object, and to map the variety of different engineering structures in ASFiNAG’s asset management, from bridges to tunnels, from noise barriers to overhead signposts, in the electronic forms in a customized manner.«

Thomas Stachelberger | Technical Project Management & Service Manager OMT / Object and Measure Management Tool, ASFiNAG AG
Hannes Bauer, ASFiNAG

»The teams of the Structural Maintenance Management handle around 6,500 inspections of engineering structures such as bridges, tunnels or protective structures every year. The complete and proper documentation of these inspections and checks is very important.

The ability to carry out and complete these inspections on site using a mobile device saves a lot of time – time that can be invested in one of the core tasks of ASFINAG’s asset management – the engineering assessment of the objects and the planning of maintenance measures. This makes a valuable contribution to ensuring the availability and safety of the road network.«

DI Hannes Bauer | Asset Management Department, Structural Maintenance Management North Region, ASFiNAG AG
Thomas Steinbrucker, Asfinag

»HybridForms, one of the essential pillars of our ASFiNAG Infrastructure Management Tools, enables us to execute and process tasks assigned to ASFiNAG Asset Management involving structural inspections. In the process, road availability can now be determined very flexibly on location using tablets – and in the office as well, using desktop equipment. The clear and easy-to-use mobile app interface provides our employees with a state-of-the-art tool, replacing the analog formalism they had to deal with previously.

Standards and options specified and controlled by the app enable a permanent assurance of consistent data quality in the course of property inspections and checks. The further linking of the HybridForms application with our IMT system database and a central cockpit as a superordinate graphical user interface will facilitate and enhance many processes in production operation and make them more efficient overall.

Equally worth emphasizing is the excellent, direct and customer-oriented cooperation with the colleagues at icomedias.«

Thomas Steinbrucker | Engineering – Asset Manager, ASFiNAG AG
Logo ASFINAG
Digital Transformation at ASFINAG - IMT

Mobile collaboration in the field with HybridForms: Consistent data sets, accelerated workflows & custom-fit forms through dynamic display of object data

Problems and requirements of ASFiNAG

The protocols for structural inspections and checks of ASFiNAG facilities were printed out on paper, stapled to clipboards and then filled out by hand by the inspectors on site. These paper forms were sometimes very extensive; the inspection checklist, for example, was several 10 pages long. The photo documentation was attached separately as appendices to the protocol.

The completed checklists were then typed up in the back office and entered into the central database. This process meant a significant delay in the availability of inspection results, defects and open action items. This is now where digital transformation comes in – for more efficient and faster processes without media breaks.

Solution with HybridForms already in the pilot project

  • Digitization expansion workshop with process analysis and design of an immediately usable prototype »IMT 2.0« based on fully dynamic forms.

  • Secure pilot project on ASFiNAG servers with interfaces for risk-free testing in a real working environment with selected pilot users.
  • Going live of the digital form processes tested in everyday use directly after the pilot project, extension of the interactive GIS integration to ProOffice/ESRI.
  • Direct added value through secure enterprise features such as dynamic defect tracking, photos with sketches and annotations, interactive assistance functions.

Learning and benefits in daily productive use

  • Significantly accelerated processes, fast digital availability of data, interfaces to existing primary systems, tracking of existing/new defects.
  • Higher data quality for the captured content through optimal usability, definition of mandatory fields, validation of entries, automatic calculations.
  • Modern digital working with mobile devices & high user acceptance.
ASFINAG: Connected Maps
ASFINAG: Connected Maps

Dynamic GIS integration to ProOffice/ESRI Connected Maps

With the extended map function of HybridForms, maps from different map providers or even multiple instances from the same provider can be dynamically integrated into the forms – such as ProOffice/ESRI at ASFiNAG.

Use of Connected Maps: For professional users who have their own GIS applications in use, such as authorities and organizations for emergency services & rescue services and companies operating in the field of CRITIS.

CRITIS: HybridForms with secure enterprise features for mobile data capture & digital documentation in technical field service for critical infrastructure

Adaptive dynamic forms

  • Forms with detailed structure data of individual objects
  • Dynamic display of the relevant / actual components in each case
  • Customized checklists with structured content & data

Faster data capture: High data quality through custom-fit forms

Secure data & systems

  • Shared Devices with MDM/VPN, Microsoft AD authentication
  • Automatic synchronization of data with SSL/TSL encryption
  • Secure central HybridForms Server with Microsoft SQL

Optimal security: Extensive enterprise security

Interfaces & data exchange

  • Form automation for already pre-filled forms & defects
  • Data exchange with ProOffice, GIS and SAP as data-keeping systems
  • Version control and reactivation of further tasks

Automated processes: More transparency and full security

Digital transformation and gateways to primary systems

HybridForms: Asfinag Flowchart

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