September 16, 2021 – “In fifteen years, at least half of our current staff will have retired.” That’s what innovation consultant Jeroen Waanders said three years ago when we asked him what motivated him to explore innovation for his water authority. “If we want to keep doing everything we’re doing now, we simply can’t continue in the same way.”
With that in mind, we began exploring the possibilities of new technologies like machine learning in the context of geography. It quickly became clear that certain checks can be effectively automated, freeing up valuable employee time for tasks where their expertise is most needed. We also discovered that simply implementing an algorithm is not enough to speed up a process.
That is exactly why we didn’t stop after developing a detection algorithm for vegetation encroachment in waterways. We also set out to support the surrounding process, drawing on what we learned from employees who have been in the field for years. That became Schouw M.App.
Last fall, we launched the production phase of Schouw M.App, based on the standard apps offered by this platform. As part of our updates, we have given “Schouw M.App Status and Management” a completely new design, allowing users to view and edit all necessary information with just two clicks. With “Schouw M.App Assignment,” tasks can be easily distributed among multiple inspectors.
Monitor Inspection
With the “Screen Inspection,” we have added a new integral component designed to allow the relevant staff members to provide an initial assessment of a watercourse’s status—based on the information displayed on the screen—following the algorithm’s initial analysis. This further reduces the burden of field inspections.
With the COVID-19 crisis and remote work during the pandemic in mind, we went back to the drawing board and integrated the screen inspection feature into the Schouw M.App environment, making it fully browser-based and requiring no additional installation or complicated access procedures. We’ve also reduced the number of clicks required, thereby simplifying and speeding up the process.
Versatile
And that’s what it’s all about in the end. A powerful machine learning model is great and helps you identify what you don’t need to focus on. But without solid support for processing the data you need to work with, it’s a waste of effort. Schouw M.App 2.0 is a compilation of the experience we’ve gained over the past few years. And we’re continuing to build on that, with the goal of becoming increasingly effective at processing change detection and enforcement signals.
We can only do this together with our customers. They keep us on our toes, point out what can and must be improved, and provide us with valuable feedback on both the application’s content and the processes surrounding it. These include both our long-standing customers and new contacts we’ve met over the years.
We would therefore like to extend our gratitude to everyone who works with us and encourage you to continue challenging us with new issues. Together, we can shape the future and ensure that our management remains effective!
