CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
POSM to the Rescue: A Sheldon Teeples Customer Story
Sheldon Teeples Profile — Part 2 of 2
In Part 1, Subsite Electronics representative Sheldon Teeples explained why he preferred demonstrating POSM Software and why ease of use mattered to the sewer inspection crews he trained. Read Part 1 here .
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A Story Worth HighlightingSheldon shared a particularly memorable experience with one of his municipal customers—a story that illustrates why straightforward software, consistent automation, and operator-friendly workflows can matter so much in the field. |
When Knowledge Starts to Disappear
Sheldon explained that the municipality had been a long-term customer, but historically had not used POSM. He had personally trained the crew on the inspection software they selected at the time.
Sheldon remembered warning the team that the software required a high level of computer knowledge: “I told them bluntly, ‘every time you run this, you’re going to feel like an idiot. It’s designed for operators with a deep knowledge of computer programming.’”
Five years passed without the city requesting follow-up training. As experienced employees moved into other positions, newer operators were trained internally. Sheldon said the result was a gradual loss of institutional knowledge: “The problem was, their knowledge had just dwindled off.”
Eventually Sheldon received an urgent call. The municipality had five inspections backed up and needed help getting back on schedule.
“Where’s Your Report?”
When Sheldon arrived, he recalled the following exchange:
“I asked, ‘Where’s your report?’
‘Well...we didn’t really make a report.’
‘Okay, where’s your videos?’
‘We really didn’t make a video.’
‘Did you take any pictures?’
‘No, we didn’t do that.’
‘Well then, you’re really screwed. You have nothing to present except your word.’”
The problem was not simply that the inspections had fallen behind. The crew had completed work without consistently producing the reports, videos, and images needed to document what had been inspected.
Showing the Crew a More Automated Workflow
Sheldon then demonstrated the operator-friendly automation he valued in POSM Software. Once a technician begins an inspection, POSM can automatically:
- Capture an inspection image for each observation.
- Record inspection video.
- Save a ten-second video clip and image with each observation entered.
The point of that automation was simple: help technicians focus on inspecting the pipe while the software handles important documentation tasks in the background.
Following the demonstration, the municipality converted to POSM Software. Sheldon also sold the organization a new camera truck.
Catching Up and Staying Trained
According to Sheldon, after switching to POSM the municipality was able to catch up on its backlog of inspections with a workflow that was easier for the crew to manage.
Sheldon later supervised their POSM training. At the time of the interview, that training session had taken place seven years earlier, and he said: “They can still run POSM as well as I can!”
The Lesson From Sheldon’s Story
Sheldon’s story illustrates why operator usability matters in sewer inspection software. When experienced employees move on, inspection workflows still need to be understandable, repeatable, and easy for the next technician to learn.
Automation cannot replace a trained operator, but it can help make sure important inspection documentation—video, images, observations, and reports—is captured consistently as part of the normal workflow.
See POSM for Yourself
If you're evaluating sewer inspection software and want to see how POSM handles inspection video, observations, reports, and operator workflows, request a demonstration with our team.
Special thanks to Sheldon Teeples for allowing us to share this two-part POSM Spotlight.
Missed the beginning? Read Part 1: Subsite Rep Sheldon Teeples Prefers POSM .
