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Investigation and Remediation Data Management within the

Small Business ContextLacy Smith, P.G.

St. John – Mittelhauser & Associates, Inc.

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My Context• Began with SMA in 2009• Investigation and Remediation

Services• Annual Sales increased 80% in the

past 5 years• Company of ~40 people.• Tasked to develop a company wide

data management implementation beginning with one large remediation project

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Some Universal DataManagement Principles

• Ensure data accuracy through

Centralized data storage

Consistent quality assurance procedures

Logical and consistent data reporting

Lifetime data management

• Garbage In = Garbage Out

• Maximize efficiency while minimizing errors

Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Latest Findings on National Air Quality: Status and Trends through 2006, EPA454/R-07-007

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Independent Data “Management”

Water Levels

Survey Data

Boring Logs

Soil Analytical

Figures &

Graphs

Groundwater Analytical

Well Construction

Details

• Project • Manager• Field

• Staff

• Lab• Analyst

• Client

• Regulators

• Community• Stakeholders

Water Levels

Soil AnalyticalGroundwater

Analytical

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Challenges in a Small Business

• Independent-Minded Colleagues

• Change is HARD!

• Limited Personnel• Small Overhead

Budgets

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The Path Forward

Teaching Myself Teaching Others

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The Path Forward

• Leveraging Cutting Edge Technology

• Clear, honest, patient communication

• Culture Shifts

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The Upside of the Small Business

• People are your biggest asset• Independence also brings freedom and

trust to try new ideas

• Note: Contamination identified by dark blue / purple and spreading to the light green / light blue

CPT / ROST OUTPUT

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The Upside of the Small Business

• Every person wears many hats• Willingness to open up the “black-box”

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Collaborative Data Management

EQuISDatabase

• Proj

ect

Man

ager

Client

•Lab

Analyst

Regulators

Fie

ld•

Sta

ff•

Com

munity

Stakeholders• Data In • Data Out

GISMaps

Excel / PDF

Reports

Boring Logs

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Lessons Learned• People are your best resource. A key individual is

essential• Culture of Data Management is powerful to

create buy-in• Leverage key technology• Unpack the “black-box”

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Questions?Comments?