Welcome To Data Torque

Department of Labour (Mobile Workplace)

Health And Safety Mobility Project Video.

View Case Study (PDF 300kb).

The New Zealand Department of Labour (DoL) is responsible for improving employment relations and assisting businesses with health and safety in the workplace through its Health and Safety Inspectorate and Employment Relations Services. A high level of integration and data sharing between these services is crucial.

Inspectors are required to visit workplaces and to meet with their owners and other staff. Prior to the working with Data Torque, staff could not track interactions with the client, as there was no central database capturing this information. This often resulted in doubling up and a frequent crossover of work between staff.

The vision was to introduce mobile technology for the inspectors - complemented by appropriate training to ensure they were confident using the tool in the field, ‘a vision that enabled our staff to do what they needed to do at workplaces with clients, needed to be supported both technically by the infrastructure but also with building the capability of staff to be able to work that way’ - Craig Armitage, Deputy Secretary

The project required establishing a stable and flexible mobile platform for staff to record information whilst out in the field, enabling access to system networks off-line or through remote secure wireless access.

Inspectors can now easily access information on-site and successfully record all interactions. Updating of customer records is now instantaneous – enabling other staff and departments to act upon issues and requirement more effectively than ever before.

The mobile application also allows inspectors to provide examples of best practice in the workplace and provide prompt advice on other services in DoL. Gone are the days of carrying around a car full of leaflets and information packs.  Inspectors can now locate the relevant information on the mobile device and print off the documents on-site.

The project has been a huge success for all the stakeholders. Data Torque continues to support existing projects and work on the planning, strategy and development of future solutions for the department.