The inspection takes a lot of time and resources
Every year, water authorities inspect thousands of waterways. Inspectors walk through large areas to assess whether ditches are being properly maintained and whether water can flow through them freely. The problem is that a large portion of these inspections yield no results. Many waterways are simply in good condition but are still inspected manually. This takes a lot of time, while capacity is scarce. Water authorities are therefore looking for ways to make the inspection process more efficient and targeted.
Schouw M.App: Digital and Risk-Based Inspections
With IMAGEM Schouw M.App IMAGEM the inspection process IMAGEM from a comprehensive field inspection to a risk-based approach. Satellite imagery and artificial intelligence automatically analyze which waterways may require maintenance. Only these locations are forwarded to enforcement officers. This ensures that inspectors only go out into the field when it is truly necessary.
What is Schouw M.App?
Schouw M.App is a digital solution that supports the entire inspection process, from analysis to field inspection and reporting.
The solution combines:
- satellite images
- artificial intelligence
- smart algorithms
- a mobile inspection system
- a central dashboard
This creates a process in which technology first identifies potential problem areas. Only those locations are then forwarded to field enforcement officers. The result: fewer physical inspections, more efficient use of resources, and greater transparency in the process.
How does Schouw M.App work?
Schouw M.App supports the entire inspection process, from digital analysis to on-site verification.
1. The Digital Fireplace
- Task: A satellite captures an image of the area to be surveyed at the right moment.
- Analysis: AI and smart algorithms analyze the waterways in the satellite images.
- Screen review: Staff manually validate rejected watercourses. Only the watercourses that require attention are forwarded to the field inspection.
2. Field inspection
- Notifications: Inspectors receive, via a mobile app, only the locations of non-compliant waterways that have been assigned to them for inspection.
- Physical inspection: Inspectors assess the situation on-site, and for ditches that fail inspection, the assessment is supported by photographs.
- Process: The plot manager, who is responsible for maintaining the watercourse that failed inspection, will then receive a letter containing a maintenance request.
- Reporting: A clear dashboard displays all reports, the progress, and the results of the process.
The benefits of the digital inspection
- Fewer manual inspections: Inspectors need only inspect waterways that have been classified as “unclean” or that are cases of doubt.
- Efficiency in open areas: In areas without obstacles, such as trees, up to 80% of the waterways no longer need to be physically inspected.
- Time and cost savings: Only problem cases are inspected, making the process more efficient and less expensive.
- More interesting work for medical examiners: They can focus on complex cases and apply their expertise in a more targeted manner.
- Centralized knowledge management: All information is recorded in a single, easy-to-navigate dashboard, ensuring continuity and efficient management.
Do you have questions about Schouw M.App? Check out the frequently asked questions (FAQ) below.
-
Absolutely. Schouw M.App can import data from your existing GIS environment, and the analysis results can also be exported back into it, either as a web service or as a local file. You can also use the results to populate your case management system or other systems.
-
It is possible, but by default we offer Schouw M.App via the cloud. This means it has no impact on your existing IT infrastructure, and employees can access the environment from anywhere, including from home. As mentioned, if you’d prefer to install and manage it in your own environment, that’s certainly no problem
-
Yes, Schouw M.App uses machine learning models that learn from past situations and use that knowledge to assess new situations. As they are trained further, the algorithms become increasingly better at distinguishing between clean and contaminated waterways. IMAGEM you through the implementation process and perform the basic analysis for you. If you prefer, you can also carry out this process entirely on your own.
-
Schouw M.App offers much more than a one-time analysis of satellite imagery. It supports the entire process, from collecting training data and conducting screen reviews to assigning tasks to field staff and providing feedback on the results. This workflow can only be effectively managed within a comprehensive system. All results generated through this workflow are, of course, available in open formats and services, allowing them to be integrated into your existing geospatial applications.
-
No, one of the advantages of Schouw M.App is that we’ve incorporated our expertise in working with artificial intelligence and data science into our models, and we deliver the results to you online. You don’t need to have any knowledge of this yourself. However, if you do want to perform your own analyses and, for example, develop your own models using the underlying software, you can certainly do so.
-
No, Schouw M.App is installed as an enterprise license and is available to all employees without the need for individual licenses. This applies to office users, administrators, and even field staff. You can create an unlimited number of accounts and assign permissions yourself, without affecting the licensing costs.
-
Yes, you can. Schouw M.App is based on the M.App Enterprise platform, which allows you to add data, create dashboards, configure mobile applications, and much more. This is also included in the environment license. You can even configure applications for entirely different processes within your organization; the M.App Enterprise environment is openly available.
-
Absolutely, IMAGEM a standard “Proof of Concept” program that allows us to conduct a pilot for an area of up to 10 x 10 km (100 km² in total). As part of the trial, we’ll purchase data for you, train the algorithms using baseline data provided by your organization, and set up a basic Schouw M.App environment for you—including a feature for field verification—for a fixed fee. This way, you can see for yourself whether Schouw M.App adds value to your organization.
