EffectiveUI Helps Honeywell Fire Systems Streamline Safety System Management with eVance™ Services Web and Mobile Apps

This year, Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 5 – 11) focuses on the theme "Smoke Alarms Save Lives." For contractors who manage fire alarm systems within commercial buildings, Honeywell Fire Systems has created eVance Services – a set of desktop and mobile applications that make alarm system testing and maintenance a more precise and efficient process, which helps to ensure people stay safe. The eVance Services offering includes two different applications: Service Manager, a Web-based application for the desktop, laptop and mobile devices that streamlines dispatching, scheduling and maintenance activities; and Inspection Manager, a mobile application that assists in on-site systems testing. The company enlisted user experience agency EffectiveUI to help design both applications. EffectiveUI collaborated closely with the Honeywell development team to architect the application workflows for the software system, providing detailed user interface specifications for both applications, and delivering visual designs for each. The EffectiveUI team focused on usability and task efficiency for each of the critical user roles to ensure that administrators and technicians can get their jobs done easily. "In building these applications, it was important to Honeywell that we look at how to improve processes that make daily life easier for our customers through innovative products and service offerings," said Jeff Netland, Software Services Marketing Leader, Honeywell Fire Systems. "With the help of EffectiveUI, we were able to create applications that focus on the human element of this highly technical product, which will make our customers more successful in their service, test and inspection work and ultimately help save lives." Service Manager maintains all of the information needed to manage building sites in one easy to use application. Dispatchers can access and update maintenance schedules, receive real time panel alerts and have 24/7 access to information on all fire safety equipment for each site. All of the information is stored in the cloud, meaning dispatchers can easily update and share details, and are automatically alerted if equipment needs attention or an alarm is triggered. The capability of one system to manage all of this information – versus separate systems for data and scheduling – eliminates 70 percent of duplicative data entry for dispatchers and managers. The mobile application, Inspection Manager, allows an on-site technician to more efficiently test all of the fire safety equipment on a site using a mobile device. Previously, a site test required two people – one to test each of the inspection points, and one to watch the control panel to make sure the test was successful. With Inspection Manager, one technician can now walk through the site and test each alarm and piece of equipment. The panel information is connected to the cloud and sends a signal to the mobile app showing the test results in near real-time. The application reduces the chance for errors in testing and creates accurate, professional test reports that users can deliver to their building management customers immediately upon the completion of a test. Technicians can even add photos of system components or areas needing additional attention, to their reports right through the application. "This project was a great example of collaboration and co-creation – our team worked very closely with the Honeywell team to overcome a number of technical and conceptual hurdles to make an amazing family of products said Tim Wood, VP of UX and Design, EffectiveUI. "The combination of our user interface expertise and design experience, and Honeywell's engineering excellence resulted in a product that helps Honeywell customers succeed." There are currently thousands of buildings being kept safe because of the eVance Services applications, which have been honored internally within the company with a Gold Life Safety Human Factors Award.