GIS-Centric Asset & Work Management Resources for Government and Utilities
Posts tagged Asset Management
Integrating GIS with Permits, Licenses, and Code Enforcement for Small and Medium Sized Utilities
Aug 18th
Raise your hand if:
- You’re reading this post and you work for a municipality or utility serving a population of less than 40,000.
- You use more than one application to manage your work orders, permits, licenses, and inspections.
- You’d like to be able to manage all of the above information in a GIS-based environment.
(way to go if you actually raised your hand)
Most people know about the GIS-based work management capabilities found in Elements (service requests, work orders, etc.). However, a lot of small to medium-sized municipalities and utilities are using Elements to manage much more than just service requests and work orders so I thought I’d post a few examples here.
Building Department
The dynamic data management tools in Elements give users the ability to efficiently manage Building Permits, Inspections, Certificates of Occupancy and other construction-related items. Basic features include:
- Customers and contractors can submit permit applications online
- Notify customers and contractors of status changes and application progress via email or text message in real-time
- Monitor interdepartmental approval statuses of each permit application
- Manage fees, building valuations, and footage assessments associated with permits and applications
- Create configurable inspections based on Permit Application types
- Generate permanent and temporary Certificates of Occupancy
- Monitor expiration and activity dates for certificates and inspections
- Manage contractors, certification levels, identification numbers, and other contractor related data
Code Enforcement
Elements offers the necessary tools to manage and enforce municipal code. Users can manage nuisance calls, code violations, case files, and other code-related items including the ability to:
- Monitor status updates for individual case files
- Set follow up dates for code violations
- Visualize code violation locations on GIS maps
- Schedule field inspections and reviews
- Manage fees associated with violations and permits
- Allow customers to submit complaints and violation reports via the web
Licenses, Permits & Other Applications
Manage Business Licenses, Conditional Use Permits, and other applications specific to the unique needs of you organization with Elements. Typical examples of licenses and permits managed within Elements include:
- Business Licenses
- Inspections
- Certificates of Occupancy
- Solicitor Licenses
- Home Occupation Permit
- Alcohol Beverage Control
- Animal Licenses
- Firearms
- Restaurant Licenses
- Fireworks
- Tobacco
- Watercraft
- Sign Permits
If you’d like to see how Elements can help manage permits, licenses, inspections, and code enforcement in a GIS-based environment you can request a live demo here.
Using ESRI for GIS-Based Asset and Work Order Management Software in Government and Utilities
Aug 11th
Recently I did a quick search on ESRI’s website for “work order software” and was surprised by the result: a couple of outdated articles from 2006 about Grand Prarie Texas and the City of Philadelphia.
Search Results for "Work Order Software" on ESRI's Website
A search for “asset management software” returned more up-to-date results, but still not quite what I was looking for.
Search Results for "Asset Management Software" on ESRI's Website
If you’re looking to integrate your ESRI GIS data with asset and work order management here are some things to consider.
Full GIS Integration
Elements Management Software (www.novotx.com) 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 more
- 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
Asset, Work Order Management, and GIS Data in a Single Application
Maintaining all of your data in a single, standalone application enhances the overall user experience and reduces implementation time.
- Reduce costs and minimize 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 Management Software also 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 visist www.novotx.com .
GIS-Based Asset and Work Management Software with Full GIS Integration and Industry Standard Compatibility
Jul 20th
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
Jul 15th
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.
GIS in Asset & Infrastructure Management: New LinkedIn Group
Jul 6th
We’ve started a new LinkedIn Group for utilities and governments to share resources and information related to GIS and technologies for:
- Asset & Infrastructure Management
- Facilities Management
- Work Orders
- Permits
- Licenses
- Inspections
- Other GIS technologies for utilities and government
So if you’re interested, join the group and help us promote industry news, software and hardware solutions, blogs, resources, and the like. Have fun!
You can join the new LinkedIn group, GIS in Asset & Infrastructure Management for Government and Utilities by clicking here.
Water System Saves Big Money with GIS-Based Asset & Work Management Software
Jun 28th
Bountiful, UT – Bountiful Irrigation has recently expanded their GIS-based asset management software to include real-time mobile access and dynamic web-based data forms.
Serving over 12,000 households, Bountiful Irrigation has been using Elements Management Software as their GIS-based work and asset management solution since the product was initially released in 2006. Until recently, Bountiful has used the software primarily to create and view information including phone call logs, jobsite photos, service requests, and work orders in a GIS-based environment.
“We originally selected Elements because it saved us quite a bit of money up front on GIS licenses. It also seemed to have a smaller learning curve and quicker implementation than some of the other packages we evaluated” says Wes White, General Manager.
The company recently expanded their Elements software to push all of their data, including GIS, over the web – giving field operators the ability to access GIS data and complete work orders in real-time while on the go.
“We save a lot of time and money using the software over the web,” continues White “everyone is always on the same page and it’s easy to see how our projects are coming along.”
Bountiful has also implemented novotX’s ‘Envision’ module for Elements, which uses the web to give field workers access to archived plat drawings, photos, and property assessment information dating back over 50 years.
“We’re a small district in terms of employees, so we’ve got to be efficient” says White “…the Elements software has been critical to our success over the past 4 years.”
About Bountiful Irrigation
Located just north of Salt Lake City, Bountiful Irrigation provides secondary water to over 12,000 residents throughout the city of Bountiful. The district was formed in 1959 and has grown to be one of the most efficient pressurized irrigation systems in the state of Utah.
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
Follow novotX on Twitter @ novotX_GIS
Using HTML with Elements GIS-Based Asset & Work Management Software
Jun 25th
There’s something to be said about good old HTML. Nothing new, nothing fancy, just plain old coolness.
Elements harnesses the power of HTML in several areas – configuring record layouts, designing data input forms, setting up web submission forms, and rendering GIS maps.
Yes, that’s right – you can use HTML with your GIS map renderings in Elements. What I love about HTML is you can pretty much do whatever you want with it; it’s simple to learn, and adds an incredible amount of flexibility to any application.
So here’s a quick map I threw together using basic HTML to render labels on a GIS map showing Work Order locations. This map is nothing incredibly fancy or over-the-top… but it’s clean, simple, it displays the information I’m looking for, and it took about 2 minutes to put it together.
Basic GIS map showing Work Order locations; using HTML to render labels. (click to enlarge)
The neat thing about Elements is you can do the same thing I did here with Service Requests, Business Licenses, Permits, Inspections, and just about anything else you can think of.
GIS, Asset & Work Management Software, and the Nintendo Wii
Jun 16th
Pop Quiz: How many Wii consoles have been sold compared to PS3s and Xbox 360s? (And what does that have to do with GIS & asset management?)
Simple, affordable, and easy to understand, the Nintendo Wii has outsold both the Xbox 360 and PS3.
Feature for feature both the Xbox 360 and PS3 blow the Wii out of the water. Far better graphics, faster processors, more storage, you name it. The Wii doesn’t compare. However, the Wii has proven a couple of things:
- People like simple stuff.
- People like stuff they can afford.
To illustrate the point: Remember back in the fall of 2006 when the only way to get a Wii was to pay two times the retail price? Remember how you had to buy it from some punk kid who was making a killing that year selling Wiis? …so you gladly let him rip you off while you gritted your teeth and paid like $500 for the stupid thing so your kid could have a one for Christmas? Remember one year later at Christmas time when Wii’s were still hard to find?
Nintendo could not manufacture the things fast enough.
Well, they’ve done it again. This time it’s a 3D video game console (handheld) that works without 3D glasses.
So what does this have to do with GIS and asset management software? More than you might think.
You see, you’ve got Microsoft (Xbox 360), Sony (PS3), and Nintendo (Wii) all playing in the same space here. Microsoft and Sony have been focusing their efforts on making super-powered-all-in-one entertainment hubs while Nintendo has been doing nothing of the sort. Nintendo’s strategy? Stick to what they do best – video games.
And their strategy seems to be working.
Nintendo has sold at least 70.9 million Wiis – compared to only 35.7 million PS3s and 40 million Xbox 360s (even though the 360 has been on the market for almost a full year longer than the Wii).
At novotX, we like Nintendo’s strategy. For those of you who’ve seen our GIS-based asset and work management software you know it’s much like the Wii – simple, affordable, and easy to understand.
For those interested in reading more Nintendo’s 3D device, here’s the source article:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hOgruq-9nbyzLje-SdR7w1KKI2hQD9GCELNG1
For anyone interested in checking out Elements, our GIS-based asset and work management software, you can contact us here:
http://www.novotx.com/Contact.aspx
GIS-Based Asset Management, Utility Billing, and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge
Jun 7th
I love the sound of an electric guitar. I’m also a software guy. So when CUSI invited us to team up in Nashville to show a fully integrated utility billing and GIS-based asset management solution I jumped at the chance.
The plan was simple: we would use our API to combine CUSI’s UMS .NET utility billing software with our GIS-based asset and work management software to provide a clean, GIS-based, fully integrated solution for medium to larger utilities.
Homerun.
The software was a rock star and booth #219 looked like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on a Saturday night (minus the purple paint). For those of you aren’t familiar with Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, it’s small – and it’s the most rockin’ place in town. Stop by on a Saturday night and you can bet it will be standing room only, jam-packed with people spending money faster than they can pull it out of their wallets.
Small, rockin', and jam-packed with people, the CUSI booth at CS Week resembled Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
Showing the software was a blast and the CUSI staff was incredible. Product demonstrations ran back-to-back nearly the entire conference and utility systems across the US and Canada were able to see firsthand the advantages of combining utility billing with asset management in a GIS-centric environment.
I would say that showcasing the integrated utility billing and GIS-based asset management software was my favorite thing about CS Week, but like I said earlier – nothing beats the sound of an electric guitar.
GIS and Maintenance Management for Small Utilities
May 21st
Utilities and public works organizations often face a daunting task when it comes to efficiently managing maintenance schedules and routine activities that are required to properly maintain public infrastructure.
The video below demonstrates a simple way to integrate maintenance management with GIS to easily keep track of calendar events and scheduled maintenance. We put this short video together to show how smaller utilities can benefit from the built-in calendars and scheduling tools in Elements while leveraging their GIS investment.