An asset management system transformation at Devonport City Council, Tasmania, has placed its Works staff ahead of the game in terms of real-time asset mapping and maintenance, and two dedicated staff have been leading the charge.
Business Systems Administrator, Lisa Smith and Strategic Project Officer, Dami Barnes have led Council’s Project Transform, which was designed to improve the asset management system by revising processes and using technology to capture and record information to improve decision making on asset maintenance, renewal and resource allocation.
After two years of planning, Project Transform ramped up from mid-2019 and the new system went live on 31 August 2020.
Infrastructure and Works Manager, Michael Williams said the key project objectives were improved asset lifecycle management, streamlined asset management processes, reduced Council risk, disciplined asset financial management, improved customer service and improved management reporting.
Williams said the project impacted most of Council’s 175 staff in some way, in particular the 55 outdoor staff who operate and maintain Council’s main asset classes.
He said despite some staff being unfamiliar with the hardware required (smartphones, tablets), the entire workforce had embraced the new TechnologyOne system being implemented.
“Understandably so, some staff were very hesitant to start with, but as part of the project, Dami held regular workshops and kept staff engaged and acknowledged their feedback.
“Our Works staff had the biggest change to their daily processes and given their limited ability with technology, have excelled in embracing the change.
“A huge amount of project planning and change management went into the project, which paid off as the project progressed.
“Having Council’s leadership recognise the importance of this project allowed skilled staff to be allocated solely to the project. Providing unlimited training and opportunities for feedback from the end users was critical in engaging with the workforce.”
Williams said the key outcomes of Project Transform were, more accurate GIS data, a digitised workforce, more accurate lifecycle costs against Council assets, more accurate operational works costings, automated maintenance scheduling, more efficient timesheeting, more informed asset management decision making and a better understanding of the complex workload of Council’s largest department.
Council is continuing to work on streamlined asset and financial reporting and improved customer service processes.
