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

1 . An apparatus for facilitating a quality assessment of a locate and marking operation performed by a first locate technician, the 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;

a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and

a processing unit coupled to the communication interface 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 ticket information regarding the locate and marking operation as provided to the first locate technician prior to performing the locate and marking operation;

B) controls the communication interface to receive a locate manifest regarding the locate and marking operation as performed by the first locate technician, the locate manifest including at least one digital image associated with the dig area;

C) processes at least one electronic indication of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation based at least in part on the locate manifest, the ticket information, and at least one of:

a time required to complete the locate and marking operation;

a time at which the locate and marking operation was performed;

a cost of the locate and marking operation;

one or more conditions associated with the dig area;

a number of facilities to be located as indicated in the ticket information;

a discrepancy between the facilities to be located as indicated in the ticket information, but not indicated as marked in the locate manifest; and

an efficiency with which the first locate technician performed the locate and marking operation; and

D) generates an electronic record of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation based on C).

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , 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 C).

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit further controls the communication interface in B) to receive the locate manifest via email.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ticket information comprises at least one of:

a ticket number;

an address or other location information regarding the dig area; and

at least one member code identifying a facility owner of the at least one underground facility.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one digital image included in the locate manifest comprises at least one of:

a first photograph that identifies a location of the dig area;

a second photograph of a paper manifest or a log of the ticket, the dig area, and/or the at least one locate mark; and

a third photograph of the dig area showing the at least one locate mark placed in the dig area.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first photograph includes a street number on a mailbox or on a building, or a serial number on a telephone pole.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least one digital image includes a marked-up image of a geographic area surrounding the dig area, the marked-up image including at least one digital representation of the at least one locate mark electronically overlaid thereon.

8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least one digital image comprises GPS data associated with the dig area.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the locate manifest further comprises at least one of:

a time, date and/or duration of the locate and marking operation;

a ticket number for the ticket associated with the locate manifest;

an address or other location information regarding the dig area;

at least one first identifier for a facility owner of the at least one underground facility;

at least one second identifier relating to work performed during the locate and marking operation;

a third identifier for a party requesting the locate and marking operation;

a fourth identifier for the first locate technician performing the locate and marking operation;

a signature of the first locate technician;

a fifth identifier for a crew to which the first locate technician belongs;

at least one sixth identifier for one or more types of locate markings used for the locate and marking operation; and

one or more notes made by the first locate technician.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one display device, wherein the processing unit further controls the at least one display device to display at least a portion of the locate manifest and at least some of the ticket information.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:

the displayed portion of the locate manifest comprises the at least one digital image and a work performed text display field; and

the displayed ticket information includes a ticket manifest text display field.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processing unit processes the at least one electronic indication of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation in C) based at least in part on a comparison of the at least one digital image with the ticket manifest text display field and the work performed text display field.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processing unit further controls the at least one display device to display at least one icon representing the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one icon includes:

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.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising at least one user input device, wherein the processing unit acquires a selection, via the at least one user input device, of one of the approved icon, the QC icon, and the coach icon so as to receive the at least one electronic indication.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit associates the locate manifest with the ticket information and controls the memory to store the ticket information, the associated locate manifest and the at least one electronic indicator so as to archive the electronic record of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation.

17 . A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processing unit, perform a method for facilitating a quality assessment of a locate and marking operation performed by a first locate technician, the 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 ticket information regarding the locate and marking operation as provided to the first locate technician prior to performing the locate and marking operation;

B) receiving a locate manifest regarding the locate and marking operation as performed by the first locate technician, the locate manifest including at least one digital image associated with the dig area;

C) processing at least one electronic indication of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation based at least in part on the locate manifest, the ticket information, and at least one of:

a time required to complete the locate and marking operation;

a time at which the locate and marking operation was performed;

a cost of the locate and marking operation;

one or more conditions associated with the dig area;

a number of facilities to be located as indicated in the ticket information;

a discrepancy between the facilities to be located as indicated in the ticket information, but not indicated as marked in the locate manifest; and

an efficiency with which the first locate technician performed the locate and marking operation; and

D) generating an electronic record of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation based on C).

18 . A method for facilitating a quality assessment of a locate and marking operation performed by a first locate technician, the 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 ticket information regarding the locate and marking operation as provided to the first locate technician prior to performing the locate and marking operation;

B) electronically receiving a locate manifest regarding the locate and marking operation as performed by the first locate technician, the locate manifest including at least one digital image associated with the dig area;

C) processing at least one electronic indication of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation based at least in part on the locate manifest, the ticket information, and at least one of:

a time required to complete the locate and marking operation;

a time at which the locate and marking operation was performed;

a cost of the locate and marking operation;

one or more conditions associated with the dig area;

a number of facilities to be located as indicated in the ticket information;

a discrepancy between the facilities to be located as indicated in the ticket information, but not indicated as marked in the locate manifest; and

an efficiency with which the first locate technician performed the locate and marking operation; and

D) generating an electronic record of the quality assessment of the locate and marking operation based on C).

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising electronically maintaining a numerical count of satisfactory locate and marking operations, unsatisfactory locate and marking operations, and locate and marking operations requiring coaching based on C).

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein C) and D) are completed within one day of the first locate technician performing the locate and marking operation.

21 . The method of claim 18 , wherein B) comprises electronically receiving the locate manifest via email.