Environmental DataAutomated Workflow

National Groundwater AssociationTucson AZ

April 21, 2009

Mitch BeardCEO and Founder

EarthSoft, Inc.

Environmental Data

Dow Jones Investment Forum:In the next 5 years, more (environmental) data will be collected than in the previous history of

mankind.

Automated Workflow:

Required for large volumes of data and many users. Manual workflows won’t allow us to

process this much data.

Large Database Case Studies

• EPA Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, Lake Mead• States of WV, DE, CA, CO, NY, TX, LA, MT, OH,

WY, and others.• AECOM, Arcadis, Black & Veatch, CDM, CRA,

ERM, Foth, Delta Environmental, Golder, Kleinfelder, URS, and others.

• Several Major industrials including BP, Cemex, Rohm and Haas, Shell Global Solutions Group, and others that prefer not to be named.

Environmental Sample Workflow Automation

• Automated Data Collection & • Automated Database Loading• Automated Data Reporting

Automated Data Reporting

Agents: Date- or Data-Driven Triggers initiating reports delivered by email and/or dashboard:– Example 1: Produce Report A and email it to me every

Friday at 3PM. – Example 2: Produce Reports A-F and email them to all 30

members of my project team, our state PM and our client, every Friday at 3PM.

– Example 3: Produce Report A and email it to me every time MTBE => 35 PPM.

– Example 4: Produce Reports A-F and email them to all 30 members of my project team, our state PM and our client, every time MTBE => 35 PPM.

Key Metric: More Graphics, More Reports,

FasterB-30

1,3-Dichlorobenzen

e2-

Hexanone ACETONE BENZENECarbon

TetrachlorideChlorofor

mCis-1,2-

DichloroetheneMethyl T-Butyl Ether

(MTBE)Trichloroethy

leneVinyl

Chloride

Depth: 31 (ug/l) (ug/l) (ug/l) (ug/l) (ug/l) (ug/l) (ug/l) (ug/l) (ug/l) (ug/l)CLEANWATER RES -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 75 0.25 --

DRINKINGWATER RES -- -- 2 5 -- -- -- 50 5 5

Mean 69.59 35.91 338.28 26.31 3.94 113.43 0.005 68.92 0.005 0.005

UCL 73.29 48.95 581.25 41.44 8.98 130.18 0.005 91.91 0.005 0.005

Median 69.20 32.91 242.66 20.61 0.97 111.65 0.005 66.39 0.005 0.005Standard Deviation 4.50 15.85 295.36 18.39 6.13 20.35 0.00 27.95 0.00 0.00

Skewness 0.26 0.68 1.15 1.16 1.83 0.27 -- 0.44 -- --

Minimum 64.08 18.61 70.74 9.03 0.03 87.92 0.005 35.62 0.005 0.005

Maximum 75.90 60.59 841.59 57.82 15.56 142.43 0.005 111.02 0.005 0.005

Count (n) 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

Mann-Kendall S -15 -15 15 -15 -15 15 0 15 0 0

90% confidence Negative TrendNegative Trend

Positive Trend

Negative Trend Negative Trend

Positive Trend No Trend Positive Trend No Trend No Trend

95% confidence Negative TrendNegative Trend

Positive Trend

Negative Trend Negative Trend

Positive Trend No Trend Positive Trend No Trend No Trend

99% confidence Negative TrendNegative Trend

Positive Trend

Negative Trend Negative Trend

Positive Trend No Trend Positive Trend No Trend No Trend

Sen Slope -0.027 -0.093 1.257 -0.092 -0.022 0.116 0.0000 0.156 0.0000 0.0000

Easy!!

GIS Plus Database Reporting and Graphics

• Automated links to ArcGIS, ArcGIS Server, EVS, EnviroInsite and other graphics and models.

• GIS and Web GIS Query and Labeling Tools • “Spider Diagrams”, “Chem Data Boxes”:• GIS to CrossTabs• Thumbnail Graphics

Automated Data Collection: EDDs

• Excel Spreadsheets, XML packets, “flat” ASCII files• Single Tab or Multi-Tab

• May be thousands per month (can not be manual!)

• Lab EDDs (300+ varieties)

• Hopefully produced from LIMS

• Field and GIS EDDs (many automatically from instruments)

• Limnology EDDs, Geotechnical EDDs• EDD Checkers • Correctness and Completeness Checks + Data

Validation• Legislatively Driven EDDs (NPDES, Stormwater,

Drinking Water, Superfund)

• Includes highly automated systemsand subsystems for large groups such as states and EPA Regions.

• Process many thousands of EDDs without any human involvement.

• Automatically ‘push’ Reports and Graphics to data End Users upon certain ‘triggers’ such as new data or hits.

• Schedule each stage to run at specified times or intervals.

Closed Loop Automated Workflow

• Frequently now written into Statements of Work / Standard Operating Procedures

• Checks are required to enforce transactions• Checker for EDD submitter• Same Checker for EDD receiver

• Clearinghouse, “Gatekeeper”• May be 2-step, lab to field to client/state

EDD

• Sign and Submit tools– Digital Signature? – Security Rules?

• Interactive “find and fix” tools so labs and field crews get it right– Standalone, Interactive, Private– TQM: Errors are not allowed to be forwarded

• EDD Receipt Automation, Server-side– EDD may have to declare Type upon arrival– Web Dashboard tool, ftp, or email – 0 or 1, Right or Wrong, !

• Receipt Notification for Closed Loop– Feedback to data submitter via email or dashboard

EDD Transactions - Submit and Receive

/wEPDwU/wEWBwLFalse301true301

EQuIS Data Processor• Power and Flexibility• Interactive Error Checking• Color Coded Errors• Already Owned by Most Labs

EDP & Enterprise EDP

Enterprise EDP• Easy to Use• Process is Automated• Large Volume • Supports Multiple EDD

Formats

EDDs are checked and loaded using Professional or Enterprise modules - same code, same checks, different GUIs

• eCoC Systems• Glassware, Bottle Labels• Completeness Checker • Generates “Field” EDD for field sampling crew

– Workflow is the same for paper, Excel spreadsheets, PDAs, or laptops/tablets

Future EDDs:Sample Planning

GeneratesChain of Custodies

GeneratesCompleteness

Checker

GeneratesBottle Labels

Sample Planning Module

• Standalone EDD Preparation• EDD Submissions• EDD Receipts and

Acknowledgements

EDD Submission Workflow

Field Data Collection

• PDA/Tablets/Paper to Excel EDDs• Sign and Submit Field EDDs to EDP w email• Sign and Submit COC/eCOC to LAB w email• Real-Time Data Streams

– aka Time Series Data – Instrument Interfaces– Data Reduction and storage

Field Data Capture

Same Workflow no matter

the collection devices..