Category Archives: Industry Software

High Market Share and Crappy Products

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He’s no Michael Jackson on the dance floor, but what Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak lacks in dance moves he more than makes up for in wisdom.

After declaring that Android would be the winner in the smartphone race, he spoke with Engadget and – referring to Android – stated that a product “…can get greater market share and still be crappy.”

There is a lot of wisdom in that statement.   A great example would be Windows Vista; anyone who ever used the thing would put it at the very top of the “Crappy Products with High Market Share” list.

Luckily, Microsoft redeemed itself with Windows 7 and luckily not all products with high market share are crappy.

When evaluating GIS-based asset and work management software be sure to look beyond the number of customers a vendor has; it’s surprising how many people actually will jump off a cliff just because their friends are doing it.

Municipal Work Order & Asset Management Software Selection Tips

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This post contains several common questions asked by municipalities and utilities when going through the selection process for asset and work management software.  The objective of this post is not to sell one particular software application or method, but rather to put a few things out there on the table for you to think about and hopefully help you decide what is best for your individual organization.

When selecting asset and work management software for government and utilities, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Usability

There’s a fine line between powerful software and an application that’s too complicated for people to use.

The nature of powerful software often entails processes that can be difficult and/or confusing to the end user.  My recommendation would be to have some end users sit in on a demo – by this I mean end users like the guys in the field who will be filling out work orders, and end users like the office admins who will be logging the phone calls – not necessarily end users like the IT staff.  If the office and field personnel are confused in the demos, you can count on them being confused when it comes time to actually use the thing.

GIS Integration

Do you need to purchase additional GIS licenses?

Depending on your GIS setup, this may or may not be an issue.  For smaller systems with limited resources, this is definitely an area where you can save some money, depending on which work order / asset management package you select.

Do you need to ‘synchronize’ your GIS data between your main GIS application and the asset management software?

This can save money, but be careful – when pushing data back and forth wires can get crossed and you can quickly run into data integrity issues with your GIS if you’re not careful.

Is the application built exclusively on top of a single GIS vendor?

Let’s face it – most people in the United States use ESRI for their GIS.  However, you may want to incorporate GIS data from multiple vendors into your asset / work management application – so keep that in mind.  We’ve seen some of our clients use their asset management software with MapInfo and other vendors as well.

Scalability

Can the application grow with your organization?

Remember, today you may only be interested in work orders, but next year you may want to integrate things like business licenses, permits, and inspections.

Is the application modular?

By this we mean do you have to buy each piece of the software separately or is it an all-in-one type application?  For example, do you need to buy a Work Orders ‘module’ and a separate Storm Water ‘module’?  The good news is, you only pay for what you need – the bad news is, you usually need more modules than you initially expect – and the dollars can add up fast.

Implementation and Maintenance Fees

How much is the annual maintenance?

Nobody likes maintenance fees, but unfortunately these fees are what make the world turn (in the software world at least).   20% of the software purchase price is pretty much industry standard, although software vendors vary on this and you may end up paying more or less depending on a) the vendor you select and b) your negotiating skills.

How much will you be paying for technical support?

Some companies offer an introductory period where you won’t pay for technical support.  Other companies are not so excited about giving away free support hours.  This is definitely an area that will vary with each vendor – but remember that support for niche products in niche markets typically doesn’t come cheap ($150-$250 per hour is industry standard).

How long will the implementation take?

For smaller cities and utilities (populations less than 10,000 or so) this can be fairly quick – sometimes as quick as 30-60 days or less.  For larger systems you can expect up to a year or more, depending on how complicated the workflow processes are and how much data needs to be converted.

What did I miss here?  I’d love to hear your comments and/or experiences.

GIS-Based Asset and Work Management Software with Full GIS Integration and Industry Standard Compatibility

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If you’re looking to integrate your GIS with an asset management package there are several options to consider.  Elements Management Software offers the following features in a single, standalone application.

Full GIS Integration

Elements provides a comprehensive set of GIS-based asset and work management tools in a single, standalone application giving utilities and municipalities the ability to:

  • Manage work orders, permits, licenses, inspections and other important data in a GIS-based environment using GIS data from any industry standard application including ESRI, MapInfo, Manifold, Autodesk, and others
  • Maintain assets and critical infrastructure in a GIS-based environment without requiring third-party GIS licenses
  • Tie work history and asset management data to any GIS asset
  • Associate asset and work management data to non-customer related assets and accounts
  • Take advantage of GIS-based asset and work management without incurring additional GIS expenses
  • Visualize work history and asset locations on GIS maps
  • Visualize geographic areas containing high concentrations of work orders and other data
  • Effectively distribute capital improvement funds by quickly finding problem areas and assets with high failure rates
  • Maximize existing GIS investments
  • Use GIS data from any source or application to manage assets and infrastructure in a visual, geographical environment
  • Powerful GIS Tools In a Standalone Application

Elements provides asset, work management, and GIS data in a single application – reducing costs and minimizing the learning curve.

  • All information, including GIS data, is accessible in a single application
  • Full GIS integration is provided without requiring third-party GIS licenses
  • Reduced learning curve; third-party GIS applications are eliminated
  • Reduced maintenance and overhead for support staff
  • Quicker overall implementation

Industry Standard Compatibility

Elements allows municipalities and utilities to maximize their GIS investment, regardless of which GIS technologies are currently being used by the organization.

  • Full GIS support for any industry standard GIS application including ESRI, MapInfo, Manifold, Autodesk, and others
  • Organizations with little or no GIS can use Elements to take advantage of GIS-based asset and work management by obtaining GIS data from resources such as counties, state, and local governments then using that data with Elements
  • GIS data from varying sources and multiple applications can be used together to manage assets and infrastructure

Elements Management Software integrates with ESRI and other GIS applications to provide GIS-based asset and work management tools for utilities and government.   To learn more about Elements and related products offered by novotX visit www.novotx.com.

GIS-Centric Asset Management and the ESRI 2010 International User Conference

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The annual ESRI International User Conference is always incredible, but this year novotX was nowhere to be found – no booth, and no people sitting through classes.  Are we crazy?

Maybe.

Online plenary presentations, Twitter, Foursquare, and LinkedIn groups helped us make the decision.  The biggest factor in our decision, however, was our customers.

So where were we?

At our office, working – just like most of you.

The fact is, this year we’ve been absolutely swamped with implementations and new customers coming onboard with our GIS-based asset and work management software.  So, instead of putting our resources into an exhibit hall and buying alcohol for anyone at the conference that could possibly buy our software, we decided to put our money into our existing customers.

Our goal is to keep our customers happy and provide GIS-based asset management software that works.

I’ll be the first to admit – there’s not a better place to see the latest technologies, learn from experts in the industry, and meet new geo-peeps.  These conferences have also proven to provide excellent resources for GIS admins to find information on asset and work management software applications that integrate with ESRI and other GIS products.

So for those of you who made it to the conference, hopefully we’ll see you next year.  For those of us who didn’t make it to the conference?  I guess we can count ourselves lucky that we didn’t have to walk through a crowded exhibit hall full of sales reps trying to Jedi Mind Trick us into buying whatever it is they’ve got to offer.  Exhibit halls are funny places, but I’ll save that for another post.

If you’d like to find conference information related GIS and Asset, Infrastructure, or Work Management (whether you attended the UC in person or not) you can join our newly formed LinkedIn group GIS in Asset, Infrastructure, and Work Management for Government and Utilities.

Elements Management Software integrates with ESRI and other GIS applications, providing GIS-centric asset and work management for government and utilities.  For more information visit www.novotx.com.

Small City Hits Big Homerun with GIS & Asset Management Software

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West Point, UT – The city of West Point, UT has recently expanded their GIS and work management software, reducing costs and increasing return on investment.

As one of the fastest growing cities in Utah, West Point adopted Elements Management Software by novotX in late 2006 to integrate their developing GIS with a work management package.   Top priorities for the city included the ability to create work orders, log phone calls, keep track of job costing, and manage maintenance schedules in a GIS-centric environment.

Recently West Point has recently expanded the software to manage business licenses, building permits, inspections, and certificates of occupancy in a GIS-centric environment.

Boyd Davis, City Engineer and GIS Administrator, says the greatest advantage of using Elements is that the software “combines many functions into one user-friendly software package. “

“Our greatest success so far has been implementing the inventory tracking features.   When our public works employees complete a work order they input the amount of time spent on each work order and any parts or supplies that were used during the job.   This makes it easy for us to keep track of where our time and resources are being spent.   The need for asset management and work order tracking is something that every city needs” says Davis.

Since the original implementation of Elements Management Software, additional departments have taken advantage of the technology and the software now reaches far beyond public works.   West Point is currently using Elements Management Software in the following departments:

  • Water Department
  • Wastewater Department
  • Code Enforcement
  • Building Department
  • Permits & Licenses

Plans to expand Elements Management Software into additional departments are currently in the works.

About West Point

West Point is a community of 11,000 situated just 30 minutes north of Salt Lake City, along the shore of the picturesque Great Salt Lake. One of the fastest growing communities in Utah, West Point is fast becoming one of the finest and most vibrant communities in the Beehive State.   Visit www.westpointcity.org to learn more.

About novotX

Located near Salt Lake City, UT, novotX publishes GIS-centric asset and work management software for governments and utilities.     Elements Management Software, the flagship product of novotX, allows integration with any industry-standard GIS platform to provide a simplified, cost-effective approach to GIS-based asset and work management.

For more information contact:

Justin Gough

novotX, L.L.C.

801.682.1400

justin@novotx.com

www.novotx.com

Follow novotX on Twitter @ novotX_GIS

GIS, Work Order Software, & Kate Gosselin

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Kate Gosselin

Kate Gosselin on ABC's Dancing With the Stars

Anyone who was able to stay awake through Kate’s completely uninspiring performance on Dancing with the Stars deserves some recognition.  You can watch it here, starting at 41:44.

http://abc.go.com/watch/dancing-with-the-stars/93512/258773/week-five

Of course my mind began to wander as I suffered through the dance.  Oddly enough, I began to draw several parallels between that particular performance and integrating GIS with work order software.

With Kate’s painfully boring performance in mind, here are a few quick tips for utilities and local governments looking to implement GIS-centric work order management software:

1. Select software that’s a good match for your company.

Unfortunately Tony Dovolani (Kate’s dancing partner) did not get to choose who he danced with.  Luckily, you do. Remember, you’re entering a long-term relationship with both the work order software and the vendor – so choose carefully!  Tony put it best when he said “Kate has no motivation and I have to push her each week, it gets exhausting.” Nobody wants to say that about the work order software they selected (or the vendor responsible for the implementation)!

2. Simple is best.

Let’s face it; Kate’s performance was painful for everyone – judges, spectators, and even Ms. Gosselin.  As simple as the dance routine seemed, it was evidently way too complicated for the mother of 8.  Remember, your GIS and work order software will be used by field staff and other workers who are not familiar with GIS.  You’re likely to face a steep learning curve if you overcomplicate things – so when it comes to GIS and work order software, make it easy!

3. Get the attention you deserve from your vendor.

Kate’s excuse for such a terrible performance was that her children were in town that week (yes, all 8 of them) and she had little time to rehearse.  Remember, if the vendor you select is too busy with their boat load of children (other customers), performance will suffer.  Make sure you’re the important customer.  Be the big fish in their pond – the customer that gets all of the attention because you are the most valuable client to that particular vendor.

In summary, there was nothing exciting about Kate’s performance – except that it ended.  Implementing new technology (especially neat tools like GIS and asset management software) should be exciting!  It will save time, save money, and make your job much easier if it’s done correctly.