Top 5 Reasons Why Government and Utilities Should Go Mobile

[Republished 2023]

Every day, your team is tasked with managing millions — if not billions — of dollars in infrastructure assets. Are you maintaining your city or utility as efficiently and effectively as possible with the latest mobile technology? Or, are you behind the times and struggling? Here’s some food for thought on why you should make the switch:

1. Ditch the paperwork

With a mobile asset management system, you spend less time filling out paperwork and more time doing the work that matters. Required info — think notes, photos, and costs — is logged naturally as you flow through your day, meaning there’s no paperwork to bring home. Everything’s completed on the spot and in fewer steps, saving you time, money, and from hand cramps.

FROM THE FIELD:

“This is a multi-million-dollar business. There’s a lot of money out there — taxpayer dollars. We need to be efficient, we need to be competitive, and we need to put out quality work and have good outcomes. That’s what the citizens expect, and it’s what we should expect of ourselves, too.”

Jeremy Reichert
Adams County, CO Public Works Operations Manager

2. Never lose a work order

When you have stacks of paper work orders on your desk and in your truck, one is bound to go missing every now and then. With mobile workflows, things don’t get lost in the shuffle. Track your work with your smartphone. Then, when you get back to your desk (or when your supervisor wants to see the current notes), all the info you need is ready and waiting.

FROM THE FIELD:

“We have over 170 lift stations, so time is of the essence. We wanted to have an application that was easy for crews to quickly get out of their truck, collect their readings, and then move on to the next.”

Daniel Johns
Clay County Utility Authority, FL GIS Manager

3. Instant access to real-time data

Stop sweating when someone asks for a report. By moving to mobile, you’ll be confident in your numbers and know you’re serving up accurate, real-time data. After all, crews are entering their info as they work—not at the end of the week, month, or year. Everything you need to make data-driven decisions is only a few taps away.

FROM THE FIELD:

“Our budget doesn’t get cut. The reason it doesn’t get cut is because our council has a lot of confidence in the numbers. If [OpenGov] says we need $4 million to maintain our OCI, then the council says, ‘That’s what it has to be.’”

Joe Cory
City of West Des Moines, IA Deputy Public Works Director

4. Easier workforce transitions

You know your city or county like the back of your hand. You may even have every asset and its maintenance history memorized. But, what happens when you go on vacation, need to train a new employee, or plan to retire? Relying on memory to run your operations is never a good idea. A mobile asset management system sets your team up for success by giving them a digital archive of your community’s maintenance history.

5. Data at your fingertips, day or night

Receive an emergency call in the middle of the night? With mobile workflows, you can head straight to the scene with all the info you need in your back pocket. Not only will you have instant access to vital maintenance history, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions right from the field.

FROM THE FIELD:

“I handle all the emergency calls after everyone’s gone home. Most the time, 911 puts [the requests] right into [OpenGov]…I use that to determine where I’m going, see what the issue is, tell what I’ve done on the issue, and go on to the next one.”

William Crews,
Cobb County, GA DOT Crew Leader


Think it’s time for your local government or utility to make the move to mobile? Let’s chat! We’re here to help and answer any questions you may have.

Last Updated on February 23, 2024 by Jeff Neukom

Category: Asset Management

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