Scoping Process
How Programs Are Scoped
Structured, asset-centric scoping before any pricing is given.
Why We Don't Quote Flights
At Stratum Asset Intelligence, every engagement starts from your assets and your maintenance system — not from an hourly rate or a per-flight price. Recurring inspection programs vary significantly based on the assets involved, your CMMS environment, site conditions, and the depth of integration your maintenance team actually needs. Quoting a flight before understanding those factors produces mismatched expectations and deliverables your team won't use.
Instead, every program begins with a scoping conversation to confirm fit, define scope, and make sure the inspection output will land cleanly in your maintenance workflow before any pricing is provided.
Five Scoping Factors
How Programs Are Scoped
Our scoping process looks at five factors before we propose a program or a price.
Factor 01
Scope of Services
- Asset types in scope (roofs, overhead structures, crane runways, rooftop mechanical, solar arrays, tanks, facades, stormwater infrastructure, etc.)
- Inspection type per asset class (visual, thermal, or both)
- Program tier: Essential Asset Watch, Critical Asset Assurance, or Reliability Program
- One-time pilot or recurring cadence
Factor 02
Site Conditions and Complexity
- Facility size, layout, and height profile
- Roof access constraints, line-of-sight considerations, and active operations
- Safety, security, and scheduling requirements around production or occupancy
- Single site or multi-site portfolio
Factor 03
Airspace and Compliance
- Airspace class, proximity to airports, and LAANC authorization requirements
- Local or facility-specific access and coordination requirements
- Any sector-specific compliance considerations (schools, utilities, manufacturing, etc.)
Factor 04
Deliverables and Integration Depth
- Findings format required (PDF + CSV, CMMS-ready import, or direct API feed)
- CMMS or EAM platform (IBM Maximo, Fiix, UpKeep, Microsoft Dynamics 365, or other)
- Asset tagging conventions, location codes, work order field mapping, and priority frameworks
- Severity classification and trend reporting requirements
- S1 critical finding alert and action summary requirements
Factor 05
Cadence and Timeline
- Inspection frequency per asset class (quarterly, semi-annual, or annual)
- Program start date and first-cycle scheduling
- Cycle review and trend reporting cadence
These inputs allow us to propose a program with a clear scope, defined deliverables, and pricing tied to a specific outcome — not a generic per-flight or per-acre number.
Program Value
What You Are Paying For
When you engage Stratum, you are investing in more than a drone showing up at your facility. A typical program engagement includes:
Asset and CMMS Scoping
We identify the assets in scope, how they live in your CMMS, and what inspection data is actually useful for maintenance, reliability, and capital planning — before the first flight.
Safe, Compliant Flight Operations
All flights are conducted by an FAA Part 107-certified, owner-operated pilot. Mission planning accounts for your operations, personnel, and property. Airspace authorization, site access, and risk are handled before we take off.
Professional-Grade Data Capture
Standardized flight patterns and camera settings produce repeatable, comparable datasets across every cycle — supporting side-by-side condition trending over time.
Structured, Severity-Rated Findings
Every defect is georeferenced, severity-rated, and tagged to the correct asset record. Findings are formatted with the fields, codes, and priority levels your maintenance system expects — not dropped into a shared photo folder.
CMMS-Ready Output
Deliverables are structured to be ingested directly into your maintenance workflow:
- Asset-keyed findings with location codes
- Work order recommendations or direct CMMS import records
- Attachments that live with the asset record, not in a separate portal
S1 Critical Finding Response
Critical findings trigger an alert within 4 hours with a written action summary within 24 hours — not buried in a report delivered at the end of the cycle.
Trend Data That Builds Over Time
Each cycle adds to a defensible condition history. Trend data across recurring cycles gives your maintenance leadership the evidence needed for capital planning, deferred maintenance prioritization, and risk conversations with ownership.
Getting Started
How Engagements Typically Start
We keep the early steps straightforward.
Step 01
Intro Conversation
We discuss your facilities, current inspection approach, and the maintenance systems your team runs today.
Step 02
Asset and System Review
We review your asset register and CMMS configuration to understand how assets are structured and how your team currently generates and manages work.
Step 03
Pilot Program Proposal
We recommend a focused pilot (typically one site or one asset class) with clearly defined deliverables, success criteria, and pricing.
Step 04
Program Design
If the pilot meets your goals, we work with you to build a recurring or multi-site program aligned to your budget, internal resources, and risk priorities.
This approach lets you validate value quickly before committing to a larger rollout.
Scope Boundaries
What We Don't Do
To keep expectations clear and protect both parties, it is important to be explicit about what Stratum does not provide.
No engineering certifications or structural sign-off
Our inspections are designed to support your engineers, roofers, and licensed consultants — not replace them. We identify and document anomalies; licensed professionals remain responsible for final diagnoses and design decisions.
No one-off flights without a defined program and outcome
If an engagement doesn't connect to a specific asset, maintenance, or reliability outcome, we are happy to refer you elsewhere rather than deliver photos you won't use.
No thermographic diagnoses beyond our certification scope
Thermal data is used to identify and document anomalies for further investigation. Reports are scoped to the level of certification and standards we hold at the time of the engagement.
No unorganized image exports
Every engagement includes structured, labeled, asset-keyed findings. We do not hand over raw photo folders without context, organization, or maintenance relevance.
No rotating crews or subcontractor hand-offs
Every program is scoped, flown, and delivered by the same owner-operator who talked with you at the start. There is no national dispatch network, no rotating pilots, and no call center between you and the person responsible for your data.
Right Fit
When Stratum Is the Right Fit
Stratum works best when:
- You manage industrial, commercial, or institutional facilities where assets are tracked — or should be tracked — in a CMMS or EAM system.
- You want inspection output that connects directly to work orders, PMs, and asset condition histories rather than sitting in a separate portal.
- You value a partner who understands both drone operations and the realities of maintenance management, reliability, and facility operations.
- You are ready to replace ad-hoc inspection spend with a planned, repeatable program that produces a defensible condition record over time.
Stratum Asset Intelligence LLC
Recurring Drone Inspection Programs for Facility Operations
Northeast Ohio · FAA Part 107 Certified · Fully Insured · Owner-Operated