1. Thesize,weightandthicknessofthe
SamsungTabActiveisinadifferent
league.Thedeviceisgreatandthe
clarityofthescreenindirectsunlight
isexcellent.
Tim Bruce
Senior Project Manager,
Asset Engineering, Amey
Modernisingrailwayexaminations
Samsung
The challenge:
Toenablerailwaystructures
examinationstomovefrompaper-
basedreportstomobiledevices
Amey is one of the largest and most diverse
companies working for the public and regulated
sectors in the UK, with the ultimate aim of
creating better places for people to live, work
and travel. In rail, the company offers innovative
and versatile asset management, engineering
design and operational delivery solutions
to Network Rail, Transport for London, train
operating companies and other rail providers.
The company wanted to provide its staff working
on CEFA (Civils Examinations Framework
Agreement) examinations for Network Rail with a
mobile device they could use to log asset data and
complete examinations on site, replacing paper
notepads and PDAs with limited functionality.
Amey conducts 100,000 examinations of
railway assets each year. There are two types
of examination – the first is an annual visual
inspection, which is conducted from a position
of safety to determine if any major defect has
deteriorated or to verify that action has been
carried out to repair a previous issue.
The second is a detailed examination, which is
carried out generally every six years. To conduct
The customer
Infrastructure asset management company Amey
The challenge
To provide Amey staff working on structures
examinations for Network Rail with a mobile
device they could use to log details and complete
work on site
Samsung products and services
• 200 x Tab Active (initial order)
Benefits
• Ruggedised body that’s well suited to the
conditions Amey’s inspections take place in
• Lightweight, relatively thin device that staff can
comfortably hold and use all day
• Excellent clarity display, ideal for outside working
• Android OS, essential for Amey’s custom apps

2. We needed something
with a decent screen
size but that was
lightweight and could
cope with the rigours of
being out in the field.
Tim Bruce
SeniorProjectManager,
AssetEngineering,Amey
this examination, the railway has to be closed and
there may be road closures too. “It can involve
ladders, hoists and hammers for a tactile detailed
examination of the structure’s fabric,” explains
Tim Bruce, Senior Project Manager in Amey’s
Asset Engineering team..
The detailed examinations have always been
completed by hand on site, with paper notepads
and digital cameras being used by staff. The
annual visual examinations, on the other hand,
moved from paper to a PDA device (the Motorola
MC65) back in 2011. The screen size and clunky
interface of the devices means they aren’t well
suited for detailed examinations, so these have
remained paper-based to date.
To enable Amey to move the detailed
examinations to a mobile device, the company
had a list of essential requirements. “We needed
something with a decent screen size but that
was lightweight and could cope with the rigours
of being out in the field,” he says.
“We looked at a number of devices, including
a ruggedised 7” Android device from another
manufacturer, which was 1” thick and had a
hand strap and was very heavy so was a non-
starter,” says Bruce. “We ended up getting in
quite a number of competing devices on loan
and the feedback for all was they were too
heavy to use all day.”
“Then we heard there was a new Samsung device,
which was an out-of-the-box ruggedised tablet,”
“It sounded ideal, so we ordered 10 from the
first shipment to the UK. We were already
familiar with Samsung tablets, so it was an easy
decision to make the purchase. We’ve been very
impressed so far.”
The solution:
A pilot of 200 x Tab Active
ruggedised tablets
Following its first purchase of 10 Tab Actives for
the initial pilot, Amey has invested in 200 Tab
Actives for its staff examining infrastructure for
Network Rail. The initial pilot has already yielded
a positive response from staff, says Bruce, and
an anticipated purchase of 80 additional units is
planned to follow shortly.
“The size, weight and thickness of the Samsung
Tab Active is in a different league. In conditions
on site, particularly when it’s wet and they are
likely to get dropped, they are an ideal solution.
The device is great and the clarity of the screen
in direct sunlight is excellent.”
The result:
Real-time logging of inspection
results onto Amey’s back-end
system, direct from the site
“Based on this feedback, we’ve decided the Tab
Active will be our device of choice,” adds Bruce.
“We’re now developing Android apps aimed at
enabling us to capture all the information we
need during a detailed examination. We’re just
about to finalise the end version of the app
so we should be able to begin rolling this out
shortly.”
Bruce says that during the pilot, Amey has
eliminated the time consuming stage of
writing up of hand written notes and data
entry, making the whole examination process
vastly more efficient and cost effective. It also
enables the company to monitor in real-time
what’s happening with its huge teams of staff
out in the field, with its database being updated
continually from site while examinations are
taking place.
Contact details
Visit: www.samsung.com/uk/business
Email: BusinessUK@samsung.com
Tel: +44 (0) 1932 455 000
Samsung Electronics (UK) Ltd
Samsung House, 1000 Hillswood Drive,
Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 0PS, United Kingdom
Benefits of the Tab Active
The Samsung Tab Active is IP67 certified for
dust and water ingress. It’s also drop tested
to withstand tough construction industry
conditions. An 8 to 10 hour, long-lasting battery
life and easily replaceable back-up battery deliver
uninterrupted working. The rugged device
provides access to real-time information on site
all day long. It’s also compatible with back-end
systems to enable high-speed data access on
the move. Samsung’s C-Pen stylus makes it easy
for construction workers wearing gloves to stay
protected when using the device and the Tab
Active also has GPS tracking and an HD camera
that can be used as a barcode scanner.
AssetEngineering
Tim Bruce is Senior Project
Manager in the Asset Engineering
team, which is part of Amey’s
Consulting and Strategic
Infrastructure business, offering
bespoke solutions to mobile
working clients worldwide.