The role technology plays in the everyday life of consumers is mind-boggling. You can order a cup of coffee, reset the thermostat settings in your house or buy airline tickets from your mobile device just like you were standing in the coffee shop or at the ticket counter at the airport.
The technology revolution has spread to the professional pest management industry where handheld mobile data collection devices, GPS tracking and even drones have entered the battle against pests.
The Sprague Pest Experts are technology early adopters and have sought to deploy the latest technological advances to the benefit of our commercial clients. We have used mobile handheld technology for nearly a decade to capture information on pest activity and pest-conducive conditions in facilities and the recently introduced Sprague Online Logbook is making the job of QA managers and auditors easier and more effective.
“Sprague’s mission has always been to provide better tools for our clients,” says Ari Rogoway, Sprague’s director of IT and the man leading the technology charge for the Sprague Pest Experts. “That starts with building better internal processes that allow us to enhance service options for our clients.”
Why is data technology so important in a field where removing dead rodents or flies from traps used to be the measure of success?
Rogoway says two things are driving Sprague’s push for greater adoption of data technology in its everyday operations:
- Stricter government regulations relating to food safety (i.e. the Food Safety Modernization Act) and a new generation of consumers who demand verification that their food is healthy and safe.
- Sprague’s internal desire to demonstrate value to its clients.
“The data we collect using mobile technology isn’t designed to simply show we inspected a station or reloaded it with bait,” says Rogoway. “It is meant to show the actions taken to correct or more an importantly, prevent a pest issue in a client’s facility.”
While technology makes reporting, accessing and analyzing pest trend and service data easier it does provide some challenges. Rogoway says Sprague continues to explore ways to promote interactivity and incorporate personality into the company’s technology offerings.
“We operate in a data driven society and our clients want to be able to access, evaluate and react to pest data to protect their facilities,” says Rogoway. “Technology has a role in our comprehensive approach to pest management and we are leveraging it in ways that add value to our commercial clients.”