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.