The inspection system was previously manual, and inspectors had to physically visit the site. We had Difficulty in maintaining the same accuracy for inspection, employee’s time & effort are spent in labor intensive inspection tasks, The duration taken to close cases is long, Resources manages to complete only 4-6 inspections (daily) while each visit takes up to 2 hours, The associated cost is comparatively high since there is a need to hire many employees.

This unique solution allowed the Ministry of Tourism to address these issues. During covid while physical presence was reduced this innovative solution was being developed. Inspectors using technology to be able to inspect from their home or place of work. It used the collaboration of systems, inspectors, and Inspected Organizations Representatives to conduct the inspection. The representative would take a tablet and open an application and turn on their camera showing the inspector on the other side all that he needs to inspect.

The innovative solution was implemented and ongoing but during that time Ministry of Tourism management decided to halt the solution and develop it into smart inspection. This entails outsourcing inspectors through Gig economy concept. The ministry would request freelancers to inspect through a platform which would spread the inspectors around the Kingdom reducing the time needed to inspect. It will also increase the number of resources available while increasing the number of jobs for the citizens.

We partnered with Total Technical Triangle a leading technology provider to implement “VuSpex NOW system. They developed the workflow solution for Ministry of Tourism inspection activities. They provided Ministry of Tourism with automation for the remote concept.

Affected users are inspectors, reviewers, inspected organizations, administrators, schedulers. Inspectors were affected in a positive manner where they can conduct an inspection from anywhere that has an internet connection& it reduces the time required to finish the task. Technical reviewers no longer need to visit the location as the system automatically saves the inspection interaction. Inspected Organizations can get their inspections done in a fast manner while not having to wait for availability.

Ministry of Tourism has a continuous analysis that is conducted to measure multiple performance indicators. Higher productivity which allows more inspections to be completed in a shorter time frame. KPI’s are in place to measure the number of inspections being conducted on average per day. There was an increase in 2-3 inspections a day after introducing the digital remote inspection solution. In addition, we have noticed an increase in accuracy with the reporting as all inspection processes and inspection media, results, communication, etc. are archived.

The result we expect in the future are zero mistakes in the inspection process. Also, the average number of inspections increase to 10 per day. Enhance compliance to standards with saving all information and data digitally. Eliminate unethical behavior.

Inspectors faced challenges with connectivity in the workplace as multiple inspectors were conducting inspections at the same time. The live inspection video was lagging which led to the Ministry upgrading the internet to ensure fast connectivity. A hand full of inspectors were not digitally savvy which led to additional trainings and qualifications. Therefore, in the initial implementation phase the number of inspections being conducted were reduced. The training sessions should have lasted longer for all inspectors to learn. Training sessions have increased, and the training period grew from two weeks to a month. This ensured that all inspectors were ready.

To be successful in an innovation solution we needed to ensure that the policies and regulations are defined and clear. Organizations can ensure that when facing uncertainty, they are able to follow the policy. Leadership and guidance are required to ensure the workforce are following the correct direction. Training and qualifying resources to be able to adopt new technologies and innovative services. It allows for a smooth transition to a new way of doing things. Vendors to support with maintenance and operations for the initial implementation phase and with continuous improvement

The innovation solution can be replicated in many operational aspects of services. Using internet connectivity to conduct a service from any location. The remote solution is being used in multiple organizations to inspect schools, buildings, place of business, etc. The ministry has currently adopted the remote concept to conduct interviews for the tourist visa process. They are planning on expanding the number of services that will be using the remote concept. For example, travel agencies and tour guides.

Issues always occurs when creating / introducing a new innovative concept. We faced connectivity issues but learned from our challenges when introducing the concept to a different operational service.

In addition, we faced challenges with resources adopting the remote concept as a few were used to physically inspecting. We created an additional training for resources that were not tech savvy. Once it was introduced the workforce were efficient and excited to start a new way of business. Inspected Organizations Representatives were onboarded to video the inspection location without understanding how the system works. The representatives weren’t doing a good job as it wasn’t clear to them the reason behind it. In their training we introduced how the system works and the reason behind it, once that was introduced, they were motivated and were doing a great job.