Case Study: Hughes Associates, Inc. achieves 30–50% faster inspection reporting and boosts factory safety with Claris (FileMaker)

Automated solution for iPad accelerates reporting of fire and safety hazards by up to 50 percent

Hughes Associates, an engineering and consulting firm specializing in fire protection and life-safety assessments, was contracted to inspect nearly 1,100 garment factories in Bangladesh under The Accord to identify fire and building safety hazards. With just six months to complete inspections and 20 inspectors in the field, the company needed a faster, more consistent way to collect, review and report data than handwritten notes and later manual entry.

Working with Anvil Dataworks, Hughes deployed a custom FileMaker solution (FileMaker Pro, Server and FileMaker Go for iPad) built in three weeks that let inspectors capture standardized data and photos on iPads, sync to a central database, and auto-generate reports. The system cut report generation time by 30–50%, enabled quicker hazard analysis and corrective action, and made it possible to meet the project deadline while improving factory safety.

Hughes Associates, Inc.

Brian Rhodes

Director for Codes and Standards, Hughes Associates, Inc.