Spotter
Spotter, a mobile app for iOS and Android tablets, was created by ENVOC to allow streaming of the inspection process. The app’s customizable features allow the user to create and manage inspection questionnaires, checklists, and information for virtually any business. This is specifically useful for grocers and the hospitality and meat industries that requires protocol inspections. Practically any inspection—from facility cleanliness to employee evaluations—can be done, eliminating the need for paper forms. Users can upload current forms using the Spotter portal and utilize media by adding photos, videos, and audio to the inspection process. Administrators can manage assets and perform audits with greater efficiency as Spotter is projected to reduce inspection times by 87 percent. While the app is currently available exclusively to iPads and tablets, Spotter developers are working to create Spotter as a mobile phone application as well.
FoodSmartphone
The new European FoodSmartphone consortium is working to detect harmful substances in food at the touch of a button. This approach to food monitoring has been awarded close to $3 million from the European Research Executive Agency, as RIKILT Wageningen University & Research and institutes from five countries work to create the app. Currently, food samples are required to go through a production chain to be registered and checked for contaminants, causing days to pass before receiving lab results. The FoodSmartphone programming would allow the tests to be uploaded by inspectors on the app, providing faster information between inspectors, manufacturers, and possibly consumers. While a launch date for the app has not yet been released, Wageningen researchers are also developing a food scanner app that would provide users with the origin and content of a food product. These new scientific developments will ensure the accuracy and quality of food products through a more sustainable line of communication.
Robles is an editorial intern for Wiley’s U.S. B2B editorial division.
Excellent article..