TICKET APPROVAL SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF PERFORMING QUALITY CONTROL IN FIELD SERVICE APPLICATIONS

1 . An apparatus for facilitating oversight and quality control of a plurality of locate and marking operations performed by a plurality of locate technicians forming an approver group reviewed by an approver, each locate and marking operation comprising identifying a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface;

at least one display device;

at least one user input device;

a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and

a processing unit coupled to the communication interface, the at least one display device, the at least one user input device, and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit:

A) controls the communication interface to receive log-in information from the approver;

B) controls the at least one display device to display, in response to A), an approver inbox, the approver inbox comprising a plurality of locate technician windows, each locate technician window associated with one locate technician of the approver group;

C) acquires from the approver via the at least one user input device a first selection of a first locate technician window of the plurality of locate technician windows, the first locate technician window representing a first locate technician;

D) in response to C), controls the at least one display device to display information relating to a first locate and marking operation performed by the first locate technician;

E) acquires from the approver via the at least one user input device an approver quality assessment input representing a first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation;

F) generates an electronic record of the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation based at least in part on E); and

G) controls the memory to store the electronic record of the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit includes in the electronic record generated in F) an electronic signature of the approver to signify completion of the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in B), the processing unit further controls the at least one display device to display, as part of the approver inbox, a first total number of new tickets representing locate and marking operations awaiting quality review for the approver group, a second total number of quality controlled tickets representing unsatisfactory locate and marking operations for the approver group, and a third total number of coached tickets representing locate and marking operations for the approver group that have been referred for coaching.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each locate technician window displayed in B) comprises:

at least one identifier for the one locate technician;

a new ticket icon indicating a first number of locate and marking operations performed by the one locate technician and awaiting quality review;

a quality controlled ticket icon indicating a second number of locate and marking operations performed by the one locate technician and deemed unsatisfactory; and

a coached ticket icon indicating a third number of locate and marking operations performed by the one locate technician and referred for coaching.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein in C), the processing unit further acquires from the approver via the at least one user input device a second selection in the first locate technician window of the first locate and marking operation performed by the first locate technician.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the first locate and marking operation displayed in D) comprises:

ticket information from a ticket provided to the first locate technician prior to performing the first locate and marking operation, the ticket information relating to the first locate and marking operation to be performed; and

at least a portion of a locate manifest regarding the first locate and marking operation as performed by the first locate technician, the locate manifest including at least one digital image associated with a first dig area in which the first locate and marking operation was performed.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein in E), the processing unit acquires from the approver via the at least one user input device the approver quality assessment input in response to the approver comparing the displayed ticket information and the displayed portion of the locate manifest.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein in G), the processing unit further controls the memory to store the ticket information and the locate manifest for the first locate and marking operation as part of the electronic record of the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in D), the processing unit further controls the at least one display device to display, together with the information relating to the first locate and marking operation, a plurality of quality assessment icons representing different possible quality assessments for the first locate and marking operation.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of quality assessment icons include:

an approved icon representing a satisfactory locate and marking operation;

a QC icon representing an unsatisfactory locate and marking operation; and

a coach icon representing that the first locate technician requires coaching.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein in E), the processing unit acquires from the approver via the at least one user input device a third selection of one of the plurality of quality assessment icons so as to provide the approver quality assessment input representing the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processing unit further maintains a numerical count of satisfactory locate and marking operations, unsatisfactory locate and marking operations, and locate and marking operations requiring coaching based on the third selection by the approver of one of the plurality of quality assessment icons.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processing unit further designates the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation for higher managerial review randomly or based at least in part on a predetermined rule.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein, if the QC icon is selected by the approver as the third selection, the processing unit further:

controls the at least one display device to display a QC referral popup window that facilitates entry and/or selection of reasons for the unsatisfactory locate and marking operation; and

acquires from the approver via the at least one user input device the entry and/or selection of the reasons for the unsatisfactory locate and marking operation.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit forwards the electronic record of the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation, together with the reasons for the unsatisfactory locate and marking operation, to a QC approver different from the approver.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processing unit controls the at least one display device to update the first locate technician window in the approver inbox to indicate the unsatisfactory locate and marking operation.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein, if the coach icon is selected by the approver as the third selection, the processing unit further:

controls the at least one display device to display a coaching popup window that facilitates entry and/or selection of reasons for the coaching; and

acquires from the approver via the at least one input device the entry and/or selection of the reasons for the coaching so as to provide a coaching referral.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit further controls the at least one display device to update the first locate technician window in the approver inbox to indicate the coaching referral.

19 . A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processing unit, perform a method for facilitating oversight and quality control of a plurality of locate and marking operations performed by a plurality of locate technicians forming an approver group reviewed by an approver, each locate and marking operation comprising identifying a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:

A) receiving log-in information from the approver;

B) displaying, in response to A), an approver inbox, the approver inbox comprising a plurality of locate technician windows, each locate technician window associated with one locate technician of the approver group;

C) receiving a first selection from the approver of a first locate technician window of the plurality of locate technician windows, the first locate technician window representing a first locate technician;

D) in response to C), displaying information relating to a first locate and marking operation performed by the first locate technician;

E) receiving from the approver an approver quality assessment input representing a first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation;

F) generating an electronic record of the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation based at least in part on E); and

G) storing the electronic record of the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation.

20 . A method for facilitating oversight and quality control of a plurality of locate and marking operations performed by a plurality of locate technicians forming an approver group reviewed by an approver, each locate and marking operation comprising identifying a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:

A) receiving, at a computing device, log-in information from the approver;

B) displaying on at least one display device associated with the computing device, in response to A), an approver inbox, the approver inbox comprising a plurality of locate technician windows, each locate technician window associated with one locate technician of the approver group;

C) receiving a first selection from the approver, via a user interface device associated with the at least one display device, of a first locate technician window of the plurality of locate technician windows, the first locate technician window representing a first locate technician;

D) in response to C), displaying on the at least one display device information relating to a first locate and marking operation performed by the first locate technician;

E) receiving from the approver, via the at least one user interface, an approver quality assessment input representing a first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation;

F) generating, via the computing device, an electronic record of the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation based at least in part on E); and

G) storing, in at least one memory associated with the computing device, the electronic record of the first quality assessment of the first locate and marking operation.