Arboricultural consultants work with their clients in many different ways. OTISS supports you by providing flexible and customisable surveys and reporting tools so you that you can meet a wide variety of requirements.
- Use OTISS to reduce your time and effort to carry out a one-off survey and produce a report.
- Carry out multiple projects for Archiects, Building Developers, large consultancy firms, etc.
- Provide on-going services to your clients as part of a contract.
- Provide arboricultural services to OTISS estate managers.
1. One-off survey and report
Arboricultural Consultants can use OTISS to do one-off surveys for a client. Many consultants use OTISS because of the benefits it gives them in terms of maps, data collection and collation, graphs, charts, photos, reports, secure backup, etc.
- The BS5837 Survey and Tree Survey Android applications on phones, tablets and GPS devices are ideal for on-site data collection. You then use the website to update and refine the survey data.
- Larger surveys may require a team of people (your staff or associates). As OTISS users, you can all share the same maps and synch the tree inspection data via the OTISS website. You don’t need to exchange printed maps and records – its all online for authorised users to see.
- OTISS provides a range of pre-defined Excel spreadsheets to provide summaries and detailed information about the survey data. In addition, you can set up your own Excel Report Templates (styles, columns, charts, etc) and OTISS will fill in the data. More about Excel Report Templates... Your final report can focus on a summarizing and highlighting the important findings, with the bulk of the charts and data copied in from the Excel reports.-
- For BS5837, high quality maps and printouts can be prepared using your own CAD application to combine the site plans with the CAD/DXF files provided by OTISS for the trees, RPA, shadows, etc.
However, OTISS may also help to retain this customer for future surveys…
- You can keep this data archived, so that when the client returns, you will have all the data ready for the next inspection cycle.
- Having the previous inspection data on the mobile device will speed-up your survey time.
- This could allow you to submit a more competitive quote.
- As part of your service, you could provide your customer with online access to the estate maps, data and reports.
- Your clients would see the maps and data on a website with your company logo.
- They may be more likely to return to you for more advice.
2. Projects for Archiects, Building Developers, etc…
Many arboricultural consultants get repeat business from Archiects, Building Developers, large consultancy firms, etc. Each project is completely separate from the others – but they are all for the same company.
- Often you will have agreed a standardised survey form and report format for these projects. OTISS allows you to customise the survey forms and prepare report templates that can be re-used on each project.
- Or for some projects, you need to tailor and customise the survey forms and data tables to meet specific requirements.
3. On-going Services to your Clients
Many clients will value the ability to view a website providing the maps and survey data of the tree stock on their estate.
- You can provide your clients with online access to estate maps, survey data and reports – with your logo (or the customer’s logo) on all webpages and reports.
- Over successive surveys and years, your clients see the ‘duty of care’ audit trail of the tree safety inspections.
- Clients could also be setup to view the maps and trees on-site via their phones – allowing them to report issues directly to you for maintenance or further investigation.
- Larger estates may have their own forestry/woodland teams that are capable of carrying out the recommendations from the survey. Once you have completed the inspections, the survey can be moved to the Work stage, and the client assigned to update the Work Done. The important thing about the Work stage, is that none of the inspection details or recommendations can be changed – only the Work Done checkbox and notes can be updated. Read more…
As a Arboricultural Consultancy you may be contracted to deal with all aspects of the tree management on a client’s estate. The ‘online’ aspects of OTISS can provide significant benefits and savings – both in time and money.
- Managing a stock of trees can involve a range of people: in addition to your client and their staff (groundsmen, caretaker, facilities manager, etc.), arboricultural contractors and possibly representations of local council and government agencies. At various stages, each of these people may wish to view and possibly update the tree management records. With OTISS, you don’t need to exchange printed maps and records – all the information is online for authorised users to see.
- OTISS acts as shared database of information – cutting down on unnecessary reporting and paper work.
- Users can access OTISS from any PC, MAC, laptop, note book, tablet or phone that has a web browser.
- Your staff and contractors don’t have to have identical mobile survey devices. Using the OTISS Survey apps on any Android phone, tablet or GPS device allows consultants to collect data on-site and sync with OTISS.
- At all times you, your staff, your clients, your subcontract consultants and contractors have shared access and visibility of what is happening – seeing all the same reports and spreadsheets.
4. OTISS Estate Management
A landowner or estate manager can use OTISS to manage the trees and site furniture on their estate. They can appoint you as trusted Arboricultural Consultant to help and advise them on tree management. You both use OTISS to provide a shared database of the maps and tree records.
- Within OTISS, they can assign you as a ‘manager’ for the entire estate, or appoint you to carry out specific surveys. Your can directly view and update the shared information.
- Using the Tree Survey Android application you can update survey records on-site, and synchronise them with OTISS. You can also use the website to update/refine the new inspections before completing the survey. You (and they) don’t waste time on unnecessary data entry.
- They draw on your specialised knowledge and experience, but they still retain ownership of all the raw data, maps and schedules used for managing their tree stock.
