The Redwood City Public Works Services (PWS) Department is comprised of four operating divisions:

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1 City of Redwood City, Public Works Services (PWS) Work Process Needs Assessment By: Russell Narahara, Management Analyst II The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of how field work is currently assigned, tracked, and completed at PWS and how those work processes could be improved. All opinions, observations, and recommendations in this document are based upon my internal research. Although PWS has not yet automated its work processes, the existing work processes provide a solid framework and communication tool as evident by the good condition of the City s systems (water, wastewater, storm, and right of way). Work Process (Background) The Redwood City Public Works Services (PWS) Department is comprised of four operating divisions: Right of Way Maintenance Water Utility Services Wastewater Management Services Fleet & Municipal Services Center Management For each division, daily operations are made up of a combination of reactive work (generated from customer complaints or emergency response) and preventative maintenance (scheduled periodic inspections to prevent infrastructure and/or equipment failure before it occurs). With the exception of the Fleet division who utilizes Assetworks, a computerized system used to schedule and track work completed, daily operations in the other divisions are scheduled and assigned using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that are printed to generate paper daily s. The printed daily s are essentially tables/checklists that the worker uses to notate the location of assigned work, the amount of time worked, problems found, and resolution taken at each job site. During/after each job, workers notate the work completed on their daily and at the end of the work day, submit their daily to the Public Works Supervisor for his review. The following work day, the Public Works Supervisor reviews each daily and proceeds to input the data into an Excel spreadsheet. After data from each daily is input into the Excel spreadsheet, the daily is filed into a filing cabinet for safekeeping. Here is an example of a daily : HOURS CODES & CATS. TASKS. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE 2. SCHEDULED SYSTEM MGMT. PERSONNEL: 3. SERVICE REQUEST WORK 4. EMERGENCY REPONSE DATE: 5. ADMINISTRATIVE 6. CIP TASK: CALL ADDRESS COMMENTS Odometer Reading Begin: POSSIBLE CAUSES - REFERENCE NUMBER UNDER CAUSE () (2) (3) RECEIVED CALL START - TIME END - TIME ROD - FEET CUTTER SIZE CAUSE () CAUSE (2) ROOTS 6 ANIMAL CARCASS ELECTRICAL POWER FAILURE 6 INVALID GREASE 7 CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS 2 FLOW CAPACITY DEFICIENCY DEBRIS 8 MULTIPLE CAUSES 3 NATURAL DISASTER DEBRIS FROM LATERALS 9 INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE 4 BYPASS VANDALISM 0 INFLOW & INFILTRATION 5 CAUSE UNKNOWN CAUSE (3) CITY SIDE CLEAR? MILD SEVERE DOOR HANGER DISTRIBUTED? CAN'T LOCATE C/O FOLLOW UP ACTION NEEDED? DRY/WET WEATHER

2 After the data input process, the Public Works Supervisor creates Excel based reports that among other things tabulate the causes of maintenance problems or time spent on certain jobs. These reports are reviewed by the Public Works Superintendent and/or the Public Works Director. Data from the reports are often used to fulfill reporting requirements as mandated by various regulatory agencies. Work Process (Problems) The first problem with the current work process is that it is a paper based system for tracking and managing assets (water, sewer, storm, right of way infrastructure). If data from the daily s are not input into the Excel spreadsheets on a regular basis or if data is incorrectly transcribed, the Public Works Supervisor has to spend a lot of time going through reams of paper. The current system creates opportunities for error combined with the fact that staff does not have quick access to critical data. A misfield document can leave out valuable information resulting in a negative effect on maintenance and replacement planning, as well as creating inaccurate reports. A second problem with the current work process is that there is too much reliance on the memory s of the field crews. Having worked the systems for years, certain field crew members know the location of problem areas, can predict when problems will occur based on environmental factors, and don t always share this type of information with their fellow workers or provide full details on the daily. As staff retire or turnover, valuable knowledge about the systems disappears. The crews that are left behind have to relearn the system through trial and error. Recurring problems that could have been prevented by consulting past daily s is slow and cumbersome especially since the old daily s do not always provide the type of details required to prevent or diagnose future problems. A third problem with the current work process has to do with work generated from customer (i.e. Redwood City residents) complaints. Residents that call to report a problem are assisted by the secretary s and administrative clerk s (front office staff). Reported problems are logged into a Microsoft Access database by the front office staff and work is dispatched to the applicable crews via pager. Crews typically respond to problems within one hour and if working on another job, normally get to the reported problem as soon as possible. In theory, the fact that the reported problems are being logged is great. However, the problem with the process is that resolutions (for each reported problem) are not entered into the Access database. The Access database is full of incomplete records that do not serve any useful purpose. Residents seeking an update have to either wait for the problem to be fixed or call for an update. A fourth problem with the current work process is the City s GIS (geographic information system). If setup properly, GIS can provide the data management and visualization tools necessary to support daily operations from mapping to data collection to analysis helping plan, implement, and maintain the critical infrastructure of the City. GIS is capable of answering questions such as: Where are the shutoff valves that will isolate the water line leak? Who are the nearest property owners that must be notified before a sewer repair project begins? What is the density of service requests by neighborhood? How many streets, properties, people, and businesses will be affected by a street repaving effort, and what are the alternatives? Where are the problem locations ( hotspots ) that require preventative maintenance on a more routine basis in order to prevent problems from occurring? 2

3 Unfortunately, the City s GIS provided little information about an asset other than its location and characteristics. Additionally, the City s GIS is not stored in one database. Instead, GIS files are stored on different machines so it is hard to tell old file versions from new file versions. As a result, information about an asset is often outdated. Work Process (Solution) To retain and efficiently organize asset data and maintenance work completed, PWS should implement a maintenance management system (MMS). Once implemented, the MMS will: Map work orders to specific assets using GIS. Provide PWS with a geographical context to query historic work orders and learn about actions taken in the past to prevent future problems. Information such as the type and amount of work performed in certain parts of the City will be available in report format at the touch of a button, rather than having to sort through reams of paper, books of maps, or rely on employee s memory. Improve customer service (service requests will remain open until resolved). Retain asset information (information won t be lost when staff leave). Plan PM programs more efficiently (reports will show areas of the City that require more maintenance). As PM work increases, the number of problems should decrease because assets are being properly maintained. Monitor maintenance costs Help with liability issues (detailed notes are date and time stamped and cannot be altered). Next Steps (Task Update the City s GIS) After researching how other public agencies implemented their MMS, PWS realized that a fully functioning MMS required a healthy GIS. When GIS is integrated with an MMS, automated processes will enable PWS to provide incident maps, optimize job routing for field crews, and perform jurisdictional overlay and proximity analyses for customer and business notification. With regard to asset management, a healthy GIS will enable PWS to conduct, track, and maintain valuable aboveground and underground inventories. Field crews will inspect, verify, and update the condition of assets at the job site. Managers can run queries to learn about the age of assets, access the condition of the system, and gather key cost data to help with capital infrastructure planning (CIP). Down the road, PWS can leverage GIS with a customer relationship management (CRM) tool to review and analyze resident requests, monitor complaints by location, target resources more effectively, allocate funds by location, communicate problems, and provide feedback to the resident who reported the problem. Finally, an improved GIS would not only help the MMS project but also improve internal communication between PWS and other City departments by providing real time updates to all and serving as the central repository for all data. By storing data in one place, the new GIS would eliminate redundancies while streamlining processes and operations. In March 2009, PWS served as project manager to rebuild the City s GIS. Teaming with Farallon Geographics, a GIS consultant based in San Francisco, the project was completed in November Here are some of the goals of the GIS project and their results: GOAL: Initially, the database will store GIS data for Public Works Services (water system, sewer system, and storm system data) and the Planning Department (street centerlines and parcels data). 3

4 RESULT: The GIS database stores GIS data for the water, sewer, and storm systems as well as street centerline and parcels. In addition, every asset now has a unique ID that will allow MMS software such as inframap to relate information (such as a work order) to that unique ID (ex: a specific fire hydrant). GOAL: The new geodatabase will help eliminate certain work flows and improve efficiency. RESULT: In the past, adding infrastructure improvements to the GIS was a manual process. Kevin Dawdy (GIS Analyst in B.I.T.) would manually enter up to ten attributes (age, material, measurements, etc) for each piece of infrastructure (every valve, every hydrant, every pipe segment, every manhole, etc.) in the GIS. The majority of the data entry process is now automated by the GIS database or by custom macros (program commands that automate a process) created by Farallon Geographics. Instead of filling in ten attributes, Kevin only has to fill in two or three attributes; reducing the time it takes to add infrastructure improvements. Additionally, the GIS database now contains data integrity controls that help maintain the GIS data s accuracy. For instance, the GIS database can now make certain a hydrant is connected to a service line or make certain a sewer lateral ends in a cleanout. GOAL: The new database will run off Microsoft SQL Server; providing real time information to a multitude of users and eliminating the need to store GIS data on separate machines each with different file versions. RESULT: Redwood City now has a shared GIS database running on Microsoft SQL Server. The GIS database is now considered a relational database framework. This means that it can share data with other software on the same platform. For example, we could tie the GIS database with water consumption from our billing system since it also resides in a relational database framework (Microsoft SQL Server). This would allow a user to view the water consumption for specific parcels within our GIS. The GIS database now runs of the following (new) technologies: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Redwood City had been running Microsoft SQL Server version 2005 before this project. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 delivers comprehensive spatial support that will enable City staff to seamlessly consume, use, and extend location based data through spatial enabled applications which ultimately helps end users make better decisions. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 will allow a larger variety of applications to access the new GIS database. ArcGIS Server Standard, Enterprise Edition, version 9.3 enables staff to distribute maps, models, and tools throughout the City more efficiently than before the project (when GIS data was not centralized; different file versions existed). Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) 2009, SQL Server Edition enables staff to quickly translate, transform, integrate and distribute GIS data. 4

5 Next Steps (Task 2 Search for an MMS solution) After the GIS project, PWS has evaluated approximately a dozen MMS solutions. PWS is looking for a software solution that has the following characteristics: Windows based and runs on SQL Server; provides a customer service and inspection module, and is flexible enough to meet the needs of a growing organization facing new and more stringent regulations. Tracks and manages all assets, resources, and staff time. Provide time, cost, and materials for each work order. The system should create reports demonstrating the costs associated with work assignments and employee productivity. These reports will maximize the efficiency of PWS staff by tracking what we do, how much we do, and how much time and money we spend. Centralizes information and provide an effective way to communicate between different divisions within PWS. Staff should be able to evaluate the status of work in progress out in the field as well as the condition of assets accurately and quickly. Allows PWS to personalize fields, comments, and reports to meet our specific needs. We should not have to completely change the way we work. Preventative maintenance schedules should also be created and maintained by the new software. We need the ability to create automated schedules to ensure that maintenance of infrastructure such as water hydrants and storm pump stations are accurately defined and up to date. Preventative maintenance schedules should produce consistent and accurate to do lists based on existing data. For example, a general check of the system or manual replacement of critical parts needs to be scheduled every three months, six months, or at any other specified interval. Help to forecast future personnel and material needs by tracking the life cycles of components. Next Steps (Task 3 Present the MMS solution to the new PWS Director) Due to the scope of the project, PWS did not move forward with the selection of an MMS after the old PWS Director, Larry Barwacz, left the organization. PWS plans to provide an in depth overview of various MMS solutions to the new PWS Director. The only notable MMS solution that is included in this binder is field software called InfraMap created by a company called iwater ( based in Irvine, CA. InfraMap s tag line is that it is software created for field users by field users. During several software demonstrations, PWS crews reacted very positively to the inframap software as shown by their non stop questions. In comparison, during other software demonstrations, very few questions were asked by the field crews. Attached you will find a product overview for inframap software along with product sheets for field computers (Panasonic H) recommended by iwater. Please note that inframap software is a field solution and if implemented, it would need to tie to asset management software that would provide all of the cost analysis, reports, and other high level functions. As a stand alone product, inframap does not provide cost analysis or reporting functionality. 5