In the context of industrial forestry, TIMOs and REITs, it is easy make the case for field foresters to be using Forest Metrix. Not only is Forest Metrix an easy and accessible data collector, but iPhones and iPads are inexpensive to deploy, and most foresters these days are comfortable with this type of technology. But just as importantly, Forest Metrix is easy to integrate into the more complex IT infrastructure of large organizations.

While many use Forest Metrix as a soup-to-nuts forest inventory and analysis system, some organizations with proprietary legacy database systems can use Forest Metrix for its data collection capabilities and export cruise data into their existing databases using common file formats, such as .xls, .cvs, .tab, etc. Custom, enterprise-level integration is common, as we can adapt Forest Metrix to interface with your back-office programs.

Inexpensive hardware

In this age, spending $3,000 on a dedicated data logger is generally wasteful and unnecessary. Technicians have been carrying smart phones and tablets with them for years. When equipped with a proper waterproof case for field use, an iPad is a far more versatile and powerful business tool. Especially when considering deploying dozens of units, there are no data loggers that can be had for less than twice the cost of an iPad, and the most common data logging hardware costs five times that of a ruggedized waterproof iPad.

In our experience, dedicated hardware becomes is a significant barrier to successful deployment of software. 1) its just too expensive to buy a data logger for everyone, and 2) the hardware platform and Windows Mobile operating system is so inaccessible to most foresters that the device usually sits in a drawer.

Easy to master

Supervisors worry about foisting another “solution” on their staff, as in the past they became the resident expert charged with teaching the troops and dealing with issues. Forest Metrix is very intuitive and easy to learn. It offers easy touch screen data entry and simple language. There are no hidden menus or complex functions, and no need to be a technology expert. Help buttons are everywhere.

Most users become comfortable with the program in about an hour, and one or two cruises is all it takes to become fluent. Maybe another hour of training on the reporting side, and that’s it. But what if you have some reluctant learners? Our personalized training means that we take care of getting your employees up to speed, and we handle questions and troubleshooting, leaving you to focus on your job- not ours.

Easy administration.

Forest Metrix is, at the end of the day, a FileMaker database file. FileMaker software is available for every desktop operating system and Apple iOS. This means that administrators can set up cruise files and templates in their office, and email these cruises directly to the field users’ iPads or iPhones. No need for docking stations with serial ports, mailing thumb drives, or dealing with complex file server configurations. Cruise files can be backed up to the cloud whenever the devices have internet access (using Dropbox, for instance), and users can still use wired connections to move files from their device to the desktop, if wifi access is limited.

Some IT departments bristle at the thought of supporting yet another piece of software, but Forest Metrix is nothing more than FileMaker on the iPad and Microsoft Excel on a Windows desktop.

Forest Metrix is currently deployed with some of the largest TIMOs, paper companies, and industrial forestry companies across the country. Clients include Weyerhauser (Plum Creek), Glatfelter, Steigerwaldt, Hancock, Green Diamond, Potlatch, and others. Contact us for demonstration of how others have moved their field crews into a fast and easy data collection process on company-issued iPhones and iPads. Costs are less than any comparable forestry software. Email us (donn@forestmetrix.com) to schedule a brief live demo over the web to see if Forest Metrix is a good fit for your company.