Managing New Infrastructure Through Advanced Technology

U.S. transportation officials announced $2.2 billion for infrastructure projects across the nation on August 11. This funding comes from President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill to enhance the country’s transportation systems and citizens’ access to high-speed internet.

As state and local governments receive funding, plans to update roads, bridges and railways are soon to come. Cities will need to effectively manage contracts, workers, community assets and reports. This begs the question – is your current software fit to handle the impending workload?

Updating aging infrastructure is an important undertaking that benefits your community; however, having the proper means to manage these new projects is just as important.

In order to meet increased demands, the public sector must shift to innovative and advanced technology.

Benefits of Advanced Technology

Automated processes and efficiency. There are several advantages of process automation including lowering operating costs, increasing productivity, reducing human error and saving time. Agencies cannot thrive and meet ever-increasing demands with slow, manual operating procedures.

Manual processing, spreadsheets and paperwork not only create time constraints but also limits you from accessing key reporting metrics. Intuitive, automated technology gives you the data to see how your time is being spent on operations, and how to improve and repeat the process.

Budget predictability. Software providers are more commonly offering their technology from a Software as a Service (SaaS) model. This “pay-as-you-go” model is predictable. You pay for what you use and need, and it is scalable to fit your current and future operations.

Funding is limited, which means projects will compete for prioritization. Purchasing a new system as an operating expense can reduce the time and number of stakeholders needed for approval. There are no long-term commitment purchases.

Software offered from a SaaS model is operated and managed in the cloud. This allows your organization to also access information anywhere and at any time.

Investing in technology from a SaaS model keeps financial forecasts predictable and eliminates the need for future manual installs and upkeep.

Do more with less. The public sector is still recovering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Many are dealing with the loss of revenue and difficulty in recruiting new employees. Resources and personnel have become limited, but community demands are on the rise.

The government is creating new funding opportunities that directly impact those employed in the public sector. The challenge is finding how to do more work with fewer means.

The right software can mitigate the effects of staffing challenges and reduced resources by providing an array of capabilities, including community management, new process implementation, improved data accessibility and automated shared information between your team and other stakeholders.

Enterprise Asset Management

An advanced Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution is key to managing and tracking your community’s assets as new infrastructure projects begin. The right software helps you understand what assets you own, how they are performing and gives insight into assets that need maintenance and replacement.

Effective software gives you the data to be proactive in emergencies or damaged assets. This added value saves your community money by avoiding unnecessary money on repairs and also prevents damage to public property.

GIS integration is an effective tool to give you advanced location status. As your municipality receives new government funding, there will be new assets acquired – resulting in the need for increased management responsibilities.

An effective EAM solution has to be mobile. Technology is shifting to the cloud, and the public sector must do the same. Having a mobile, cloud-based solution allows field staff the flexibility to move about and be efficient, while not having to be anchored to an office.

Can Your Solution Handle the Workload?

Demands are increasing. Your approach to meeting these demands must match. Evaluate your current solution. Are your processes automated? How much time do you spend on reports? Is your team backlogged on important projects?

It may be time to consider a new software that allows your team to thrive and to be prepared for the future. Discover how CentralSquare’s EAM software can increase your team’s efficiency and help your community run more effectively.