I get a lot of phone calls from people who say their GIS based work order software is not being used and they want to find something that’s:
- Easier to use, and
- More affordable.
Usually they explain that they purchased a nice GIS-based asset and work order management system 5-10 years ago and it just never really got adopted.
Unfortunately, of all the cruise ships on the ocean, it’s not very fun to find yourself in this particular boat. Someone probably spent a lot of time and money up front on the software, and let’s face it: breaking up can be hard.
However, if you find yourself in this boat, you ultimately have two decisions – you can either:
- Get back up to speed on the application and force everyone to start using it, or
- Dump your current GIS based asset management system and get something that your people will actually use.
Before jumping ship to a newer, flashier ocean liner, here are a few quick questions to help you evaluate the situation:
- Why is your software not being used?
- How much money and time will it take to get back up to speed and use the application to its full potential?
- Even if you had all the time and money in the world, could your field operators use the thing? Or is it just too complicated?
Many times we’ve found it to be quicker and less expensive to get a new application than to resurrect the old one. At any rate, make sure to examine your current situation carefully before jumping ship – spending a bunch of money on one lousy cruise is bad enough, no one wants to go on two.