There’s nothing quite like getting out from behind a desk and onto site.
Last week, Zac from our Alpha Tracker Support team did exactly that—joining the asbestos surveyors from our partners at Acorn Asbestos for a day in the field. The goal? To see first-hand how surveys are carried out, how our software performs in real-world conditions, and—most importantly—where we can make things even better. We've had some repeat tickets from an asbestos surveyor and wanted to see the issue live - supporting our wonderful customers is *so* much easier in person.
Why site visits matter
We spend a lot of time building and refining Alpha Tracker and Tracker Mobile but the real test is always on site.
Asbestos surveying isn’t done in ideal conditions. It’s tight spaces, awkward access, poor signal, and the constant need to work quickly and accurately. That’s exactly why Tracker Mobile has been designed to work offline, capture detailed data, and sync reliably later.
But no matter how much experience we have, there’s no substitute for standing alongside surveyors and watching the process unfold.
A day in the life of a surveyor
Zac spent the day following Acorn’s team as they carried out a live asbestos survey.
From logging into site, reviewing previous records, and planning the inspection route, through to capturing samples, photos and notes—it was a full walkthrough of the survey lifecycle.
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| Nice tats, Zac! |
In the photo above, you can see Tracker Mobile in action—being used on-site to capture survey data in real time. This is exactly how the system is designed to be used: simple, structured, and reliable, even in less-than-ideal environments.
Tracker Mobile plays a central role here. Surveyors are using it to:
Record asbestos samples and suspected materials
Capture photos and link them directly to items
Log “no access” areas and site observations
Work through structured forms designed around their workflow
All of this is done on a phone or tablet, often with no signal, and synced back to the main system later.
If you’re new to Tracker Mobile, you can read more about how it supports asbestos surveying on our website:
👉 https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/asbestos
The small details that make a big difference
One of the most valuable parts of the visit was spotting the little things.
Not big feature requests—but small, practical improvements:
Reducing the number of taps needed for common tasks
Making key fields easier to access on-site
Improving visibility of important information in bright or awkward environments
Streamlining workflows when moving quickly between rooms or areas
These are the kinds of refinements that only come from real-world use. And they matter—because when you’re on site, every second counts.
This kind of continuous improvement is something we’ve talked about before—particularly in how user feedback shapes development.
Working with great partners
It was also a great opportunity to spend time with the team at Acorn Asbestos.
Their experience, professionalism, and willingness to share honest feedback are exactly what make partnerships like this so valuable. Open conversations about what works (and what doesn’t) help us continuously improve.
At Alpha Tracker, we’ve always built our software in collaboration with the industry—and days like this are a perfect example of that in action.
Feeding back into Tracker Mobile
Tracker Mobile is already widely used across the asbestos surveying industry and has been refined over years of real-world use.
But we never stand still.
The insights from Zac’s visit are already feeding into discussions with the development team—helping shape future updates and improvements. Whether it’s performance tweaks, usability enhancements, or new features, it all starts with understanding what happens on site.
If you’d like to explore more about Tracker Mobile and how it supports asbestos surveying teams, take a look here:
👉 https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/asbestos
Final thoughts
A big thank you to Acorn Asbestos for having us along.
Getting out on site, asking questions, and seeing the reality of asbestos surveying is invaluable. It keeps us grounded, focused, and motivated to keep improving.
And for Zac… not a bad day at the office.
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