#04 - PW Operational Assessment Recommendation

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PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 23 work and record their work in the CMMS, and that work order is attached to the asset’s record within the CMMS. Moreover, operators are commonly issued mobile devices so that they can access the CMMS in the field, allowing them to use the GIS capabilities, receive work orders, and fill out the work orders without having to return to the office. A properly designed and implemented CMMS provides numerous advantages to organizations. It improves workflows, communications, and analysis of asset conditions. It also allows reporting not just of the work that is being done, but the backlog of work that is not being accomplished and may require more resources. It can be an invaluable tool not just for tracking asset conditions but also for tracking workforce conditions. By showing the amount of work that is being accomplished, the ratio of corrective to preventative maintenance that is occurring, and the backlog of work orders, a CMMS can quantitatively make the case as to whether more staff are required. The reports produced by a CMMS can aid leadership in making more informed decisions and be an effective tool to communicate with parties outside the Department. The City utilizes an asset management software program known as Beehive. Beehive has been in use for several years within the Department and has been utilized to develop the Department’s asset inventory. Unfortunately, Beehive does not include any Parks assets, as the Department has not purchased a Parks module. Additionally, it is not used to its full capability work order system. Operators in the field primarily rely on Beehive for utility locates and GIS mapping, using a mobile app version. In its role as an asset management program, work that is done on the utility system is recorded within Beehive by the Assistant Director following the completion of the work. Work orders are not issued prior to work, negating the ability to plan work or track work backlogs, and the sort of data that would allow for the tracking of level of effort (e.g., labor hours, equipment, and supplies used) is not collected. Rather than the Operators entering all of this data in the field and the Assistant Director performing quality control checks on completed work orders, the Assistant Director enters data on asset status and the type of work performed. To fully realize the value of Beehive, the Department should implement all of its functionality. This would involve developing the work order capabilities of Beehive to include the most efficient recording of the data for that work. Once a work order is created, it can be assigned to specific Operators, who upon completion of the work, will fill out the necessary information in the work order. It can then be reviewed for detail and accuracy before approval. Currently, when work is completed, information about the work is relayed to the Assistant Director, who enters the data into Beehive. To enhance functionality, the Parks module should be acquired and mobile devices provided for Operators working in the field. The proper use and maintenance of this tool will be imperative to the success of the proposed work plan noted in Recommendation 1. The work recorded in the CMMS should be reviewed and referenced when the work plan is reviewed and decisions on operational initiatives or capital improvements are made. Most CMMS packages come with their own standard set of reports, allowing custom reports to be created. It is important, then, that the Department select or develop the necessary reporting tools to make the best use of their data. It is also necessary to invest in sufficient staff training to ensure all staff can use Beehive proficiently. Failure to obtain adequate training is a common cause of poor adoption of software in organizations and can jeopardize the substantial investment made in the software. The Department should evaluate training courses offered on the program and take advantage of as many of them as it deems necessary to properly utilize the tool toward its strategic objectives.