As much as I’d like to tell you about a free software package that will solve your problems, the reality is you are likely to come across some expenses – no matter how you slice it. The key is to minimize the expenses and find a software package that works for your individual needs.

Expenses you’ll likely encounter include:

1. Asset Management Licenses (Elements, Cartegraph, Cityworks, etc.)
2. Desktop GIS Licenses (ESRI, MapInfo, Manifold, etc.)
3. GIS Web Publishing Licenses for Web Access (ArcSDE, Oracle Spatial, etc.)
4. Software Maintenance Fees (for all licenses above)
5. Database Licenses (SQL, Oracle, etc.)
6. Learning Curve (staff labor to learn the software)
7. Training Expenses (paying for training)
8. Hardware Expenses (computers, servers, etc.)
9. Staff Expenses (to input data)
10. IT Labor (to maintain the system)

The good news is you can drastically reduce each of the above mentioned costs by wisely selecting a GIS-based management package.

For example – there are a handful of GIS-based asset management packages out there (including Elements Management Software) that don’t require GIS licenses.

Publishing asset management data over the web does not have to be expensive either. Products like Elements Internet Server allow real-time access (via the web) to GIS and asset management data for a fraction of what many GIS server technologies cost.

Additionally, here are a few more ways to reduce costs:

1. Reduce database licensing costs by selecting an application that runs on SQL Express, or any other free database program.
2. Save money on training by selecting software that is not overly-complicated. After all, bells and whistles are cool – but not if they make the software too complicated to use.
3. Reduce IT costs and hardware expenses by selecting an off-site or hosted solution.

Do you have ideas on how to reduce costs? We’d love to hear them!