Working with Clients

Arboricultural consultants work with their clients in many different ways. OTISS supports you by providing a range of tools to help with tree surveying and reporting the results to your customers.

A. On a per-project basis

Arboricultural Consultants can use OTISS to do one-off surveys for a client. Many consultants use OTISS because of the benefits it give them in terms of maps, data collection and collation, graphs, charts, reports, secure backup, etc.

  • You create a ‘client estate‘ within the OTISS database. You then create some sites and surveys.
  • If using pen and paper to carry out the inspections, you can use the online maps and enter the results via the OTISS website.
  • If using the Tree Survey Android application on GPS phones or tablets for on-site data collection, you can create inspection records on-site, and synchronise them back to OTISS. You can also use the website to update/amend the new inspections before completing the survey.
  • Larger surveys may require a team of people (your staff or associates). As OTISS users, you can all share the same maps and provide the tree inspection data. You don’t need to exchange printed maps and records – its all online for authorised users to see.
  • OTISS provides some basic PDF reports (with your logo) and Excel spreadsheets of all the inspection data. Your consultant’s report can focus on a summarizing and highlighting the important findings. In the future, your own report documents will also be uploaded and stored in OTISS.
  • High quality maps and printouts can be prepared using your own CAD application to combine your maps and site plans with the CAD/DXF files (provided by OTISS).

OTISS may also help you to retain this customer for future surveys…

  • You could provide your customer with online access to these maps, data and reports. This can form part of your service to them.
  • You can keep this data online so that when the client returns you will have all the data ready for the next inspection cycle.

B. Regular arboricultural help and advice

A landowner who already uses OTISS to manage their trees and site furniture, may 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 back to OTISS. You can also use the website to update/amend 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.

C. Outsourced Tree Management

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, tree surgeons, 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.
    • They can use OTISS from any PC, MAC, laptop, note book, tablet, PDA or phone that has a web browser.
    • Your staff and contractors don’t have to have identical mobile survey devices. Using the Tree Survey application on any Android phone or tablet allows consultants to collect data on-site and upload/download it to OTISS.
    • In the future, other specialised survey devices with be supported – allowing your consultants to use the tools they already have to work with you using OTISS.
  • At all times you, your staff, your subcontract consultants and contractors have shared access and visibility of what is happening – seeing all the same reports and spreadsheets.

 

Client Information.

OTISS is primarily a system for managing Tree Management and Tree Surveys, but it allows you to store contact and address information about your clients and also for site managers, caretakers, wardens, key holders, etc that may be needed.

  • The client/estate record stores contact (name, telephone, email) and address information about your client.
  • For each site (field, a groups of fields, property, etc.), that you create within the estate, you can store further contact and address information – if required. This per-site contact information is also available on the Tree Survey Android application when you are going to the site to carry out the survey.