Hastings Council will reap significant benefits from integrating the new AUTHORITY Asset and Infrastructure Management (AIM) application seamlessly with financials, GIS and work orders, as well as pioneering its innovative use of hand held devices.
AUTHORITY AIM began to manage the first group of assets from July 1, and the rest will be phased in within four to six months when assets and infrastructure worth $942 million will be under management.
According to Business Analyst, Steve Embry, Council staff across the various asset categories will benefit from the integrated AIM application. It will allow them to:
- obtain asset information seamlessly for financial reporting, where previously this required a separate process
- link to the Authority Work Order module, enabling automatic update of asset capital value information where the life of the asset has been extended by improvement works
- link condition ratings and Asset inspections into AUTHORITY AIM
- interface with hand held devices to enable field inspection and work application without the need for the current paper trail and data entry duplication processes
- move to asset based costing, for improved knowledge of spending patterns
- include non financial performance measures and track performance.
The system’s ability to interface directly to Hastings’ eView geographic information system (GIS) will allow Council staff to view assets live on screen. For instance, asset management people will be able to zoom down through the GIS to a road to check that a street sign is in a particular location using data held within AUTHORITY AIM.
Similar advantages will be available to staff who issue work orders. Engineers will be able to create a work order, and when that work is completed, details of the asset’s extended life will be added automatically to upgrade the capital value of the asset.
“It will automate most of what is a mainly manual task, which will be a significant advantage,” says Steve Embry. “Capital improvement details from the work order, including costs, will flow through to the asset register and update information on capital value. There will be big savings in time and cost, and heightened efficiency.”
Greater efficiency will also flow from AIM’s integration with Council’s financial system. Officers creating financial reports on asset classes can easily summarise details into the asset register at whatever level is required, without having to run a separate program.
According to Steve Embry this will also deliver much more accurate asset information. Eventually, Hastings will introduce hand held devices for checking and recording changes to assets in the field. When field staff inspect a water pump, for instance, they will be able to update information on this asset there and then.
Alternatively they could receive work orders in the field, carry out the work, then sign off. This contrasts with the present manual system.
“It may take a while to introduce, but some areas of Council are very keen to use the technology, and with our new systems it’s just a matter of enabling it,” Steve Embry said.
With a rapidly expanding population already topping 70,000, Hastings is among New South Wales’ fastest growing regions. Major planning is under way for a new area of development requiring a significant upgrade to infrastructure.
“We will need to bring many new assets online, and are confident that Civica’s AUTHORITY AIM solution will allow us to do so,” Steve Embry said.
For further information on AUTHORITY AIM and other Civica applications for Local Government please contact Paul Coates on (02) 9926 2800.
* Copy supplied by Civica
