IIoT Voice Applications: Changing the Face of Maintenance Repair and Overhaul

By Bob Bova, President and CEO of AccuSpeechMobile

MRO is an acronym for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul. MRO is any action that helps keep or restore an item to its working condition. MRO applications are making an enormous impact in industries such as aviation and aerospace, logistics and transportation, automotive, energy, field asset management, and quality control.

In the maintenance, repair, and mobile inspection market, users and vendors are starting a diligent move toward application development for tasks in the field (and in facilities). This evolution to mobile applications marks an improvement in service delivery, asset management, trend analysis, and most importantly, worker safety. 

IIoT with Voice-Enabled MRO

IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) has made it possible to track and reduce the high costs of maintenance by managing the inspection information on a timely basis. The use of IIoT is a far more efficient way to collect data that increases worker safety as well as data integrity. Because it is collected in 24/7 real-time, data and apps can be used all day, every day, and anywhere in the world.

Adding voice interface to the mix allows for a hands-free MRO process. Keeping hands on a wrench, rather than looking down and pushing buttons on a screen, voice enabling the interface to these mobile applications is changing the MRO to a best-practice, continuous process, lean manufacturing model.

Collecting data becomes a more powerful tool on many levels starting with a standardized process (for everyone using the system).

Since the voice interface requires processes to be completed in the correct sequence of steps, voice-directed input on method and condition ensures consistency and accuracy.

Management is empowered with data for comprehensive trend analyses, removing workarounds, and managing employees more effectively.

Voice-Enable MRO Improving Safety and Productivity

The standardization mandated through voice-enabled MRO drives significant productivity gains, often as significant as 50 percent improvement. Staff performing the inspections with the new voice interface regard the process easier to follow, and worker satisfaction also increases.

This drives employee engagement and retention.

Most applications for mobile data collection are installed and run on mobile devices as client applications; they frequently are not connected to the cloud, rather they are installed on the mobile devices.

With device-based implementation for the voice interface, workers can be miles from any connectivity and still collect data all day long. These devices include laptops, tablets, smartphones and other smart, mobile devices that can install and run a robust mobile application.

The ability to have an intelligent voice client on a device – regardless of connectivity – allows voice-enabled applications to fit a wide range of MRO deployments in the field.

Voice-Enabled: The New Standard

Voice automation provides detailed error messages, warnings about data that fall out of acceptable ranges, pre-load information already collected in other screens, as well as provide detailed instruction for new or troublesome event reporting.

Voice control guarantees operations are more efficient by utilizing inspection personnel with seamless integration responses. Predefined maintenance or inspection procedures are updated in real-time again promising consistency and uniformity.

About the Author: Robert Bova has served as the President and CEO of AccuSpeechMobile for 12 years, successfully introducing the innovative AccuSpeechMobile voice solution to the marketplace from the company’s early years, to today, the fastest growing mobile workforce voice productivity company. Bova works closely with the leadership of a growing number of fortune class customers, understanding customer objectives, and with the internal team and solution, help customers further optimize business processes and mobile operations. He has a successful track record surpassing corporate goals with special competence in entrepreneurial, start-up, rapid growth, M&A and public companies. At US Bank/Oliver Allen Corporation, he created the Secure Networking Division and grew it to over $12 million, and at the ISG division (SSL Technology) at Rainbow Technologies, he grew the business operations from zero to $56 million. Bova holds an MBA in Marketing from National University and a BA from Syracuse University.