Crape Geomatics wanted to manage risks to the safety of its workers – and received a whole lot more.

Calgary-based Crape Geomatics offers a range of services that includes field surveys, mapping, land information services, remote sensing and more. With 38 crews, almost all of whom can be in the field at any time, a major concern for Crape is managing risks to the safety of its workers. The company needs to know where its people are in real time, and that they have returned safely at the end of each day.

Crews had been checking in by phone, but there were occasions when employees left a site and were out of reach for periods. "No situation ever became a real issue, but we still need to know our people are safe at all times," says CEO Mike Crape.

Crape Geomatics already had a contract with TELUS for satellite imagery, and Mike Crape knew that TELUSalso offered fleet tracking solutions. However, he still considered a number of options before choosing the TELUS solution. "What TELUS provided us with is a professional assurance that isn’t always there with new technology," says Crape. "When TELUS rolls out something new, we know they’ve put the thought into it and we know that it’s going to work the way they promised. They do their homework." Another major benefit of working with TELUS is the number of TELUS locations in the Crape Geomatics coverage area. In-vehicle installations can be done quickly, without taking crews out of the field for more than a few hours.

Crape Geomatics now has a GPS tracking device installed in each field vehicle, transmitting data in real time via satellite to a TELUS Tracker mapping application at Crape’s offices. The solution provides Crape Geomatics with an advanced fleet tracking and telematics service. As an integrated platform, TELUS Tracker brings all the components together – field devices, modems, connectivity – under a fully managed software application that leverages technology to enhance operations, safety and security and is able to grow with their future needs.

The company can now tell instantly where every vehicle is, the speed at which it’s travelling, whether it’s idling excessively and more. “The most important part of the solution is ensuring that all our crews make it home safe,” says Crape. "We create safe zones – for example, a geographic region or a town – and each vehicle has to be back in its zone at the end of the day. If they’re not, we’re automatically notified by text message, so we don’t have to constantly watch the system."

The tracking information can be used to manage a number of other risks too. "We’ve had a few accidents where we were able to bring up data to show that our crews were driving at safe speeds and weren’t putting themselves in danger," says Crape. The company has used historical data to disprove trespassing claims against it – and the solution also helped recover a stolen vehicle within just two hours of the theft being discovered. "Considering the cost of getting a new vehicle and the impact on our insurance, this one instance essentially paid for a year of the service," says Crape.

And because the system transfers data through a cellular link, Crape Geomatics can use the same link for its own data transfers, allowing crews to work electronically, improving productivity and efficiency. "In the end, it’s just provided us with so many great ways to extend our resources," says Crape.