Buncombe County, N. C., Building Department Mobile Computing

Buncombe County, N. C., plans to implement a software application that facilitates direct, real-time access to data in an agency's database from a mobile device in the field, in the county Building Permits and Inspections Department. The Department is responsible for maintaining orderly and responsible growth by developing and enforcing ordinances, policies, and procedures relating to the use of land.

The new software will allow the county's Building Permits and Inspections Department to provide inspection teams with mobile technology to shift their daily tasks from the office to the field. Inspectors will be able to upload inspection results to the database and remotely access permit-related data in real-time. The application also offers an off-line mode that can be used when wireless coverage is unavailable wherein updates are saved to the inspector's mobile device and uploaded to the agency database once a connection is reestablished or when the inspector returns to the office.