AppSheet > Case Studies > Digital Transformation of EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc. with Google Workspace and AppSheet

Digital Transformation of EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc. with Google Workspace and AppSheet

Technology Category

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Sensors - Environmental Sensors

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Paper & Pulp

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Indoor Air Quality Monitoring
Outdoor Environmental Monitoring

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
Testing & Certification

About The Customer

EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc. (EDI) is an environmental consulting company based in Western Canada. The company specializes in aquatic and terrestrial sciences, as well as environmental management. EDI helps organizations assess and manage potential impacts on the environment and meet government regulations. The company has eight offices across Western and Northern Canada and its workforce is primarily composed of frontline workers, including biologists, scientists, safety inspectors, and project managers. These employees often work in remote areas, and the company's success is directly linked to their ability to work effectively in the field and collaborate with coworkers and clients across Western Canada.

The Challenge

EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc. (EDI), a Canadian environmental consulting company, faced significant challenges in managing its remote workforce and streamlining its operations. The company, which specializes in aquatic and terrestrial sciences and environmental management, has eight offices across Western and Northern Canada. Its workforce is primarily composed of frontline workers, including biologists, scientists, safety inspectors, and project managers, who often work in remote areas. The company's success is directly linked to the ability of these remote workers to work effectively in the field and collaborate with coworkers and clients across Western Canada. However, until four years ago, much of EDI’s field work was still being tracked with pen and paper, leading to frequent challenges. The company needed a solution that could help it transition from traditional methods to digital processes, improve collaboration among its employees, and enhance its data collection and analysis capabilities.

The Solution

EDI turned to Google Workspace and AppSheet to address its challenges. AppSheet, Google Cloud’s no-code application development platform, allowed EDI to replace the majority of its pen and paper processes with tailored apps. AppSheet's platform-agnostic nature meant that it could work on any device, regardless of the operating system, enabling any employee to access their AppSheet apps. The Offline Mode feature of AppSheet allowed workers to collect data on their mobile devices in the field and have it automatically download when they reconnect to the internet. This eliminated the challenges associated with pen and paper and led to significant time savings. Google Workspace, on the other hand, enabled seamless collaboration among EDI's employees. Google Meet, part of Google Workspace, became EDI’s tool of choice for in-person collaboration. Google Workspace also made it easy for EDI to collaborate with customers who use Microsoft Office tools by allowing employees to store Microsoft Office files on Google Drive and open, edit, and save them using Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Google Workspace and AppSheet has significantly transformed EDI's operations. The company has been able to streamline its processes, improve collaboration among its employees, and enhance its data collection and analysis capabilities. The use of AppSheet has not only led to significant time savings but also improved the quality of data collected in the field. The platform's Offline Mode has been particularly beneficial for EDI's projects in remote areas. Google Workspace, on the other hand, has made collaboration easy, both among employees and with customers. The platform's compatibility with Microsoft Office tools has been particularly beneficial for EDI, as many of its customers use these tools. Overall, the use of Google Workspace and AppSheet has empowered EDI's workforce, giving the company a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Quantitative Benefit

Built and deployed over 35 mission-critical applications with Google Cloud’s AppSheet
In response to COVID-19, leveraged Google Workspace to fully transition employees to home offices in only two days
Used AppSheet to reduce a four-hour safety evaluation to one hour, saving employees over 2,550 hours a year