Department of Public Works (DPW)

DPW CMMSThe Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for maintaining public utilities, buildings, parks, public wastewater treatment facilities, and other utilities. Maintenance management is an essential part of DPW’s duties as it ensures that the assets are kept operational and secure for use by the public. Effective maintenance management involves a systematic approach to monitoring, repairing, and replacing assets to minimize downtime, reduce costs, and extend the life of infrastructure. DPW teams use a variety of techniques, such as condition-based maintenance, and preventative maintenance, to optimize maintenance schedules and resources. By prioritizing maintenance management, DPW can ensure that public infrastructure remains safe and accessible for communities, supporting economic growth and quality of life.

eWorkOrders CMMS offers a wide range of features that can effectively streamline and manage the DPW’s maintenance operations.

Preventive Maintenance

DTS Saves 15,000Preventive maintenance is a vital part of DPW’s maintenance management plan that aims to identify and resolve potential issues before they escalate into major problems. A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) can simplify the preventive maintenance process by automating various tasks, including scheduling and tracking maintenance activities, recording asset and equipment information, and generating reports.

Key points to consider:

Preventive maintenance helps to prevent major issues by catching and resolving them before they cause significant damage or require costly repairs.

  • Prioritize preventive maintenance to ensure that equipment and assets are functioning at optimal levels.
  • Streamline the preventive maintenance process by automating tasks and generating detailed reports.
  • Track maintenance activities, schedule routine inspections, and record essential information about equipment and assets.

By implementing CMMS, DPW can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of its preventive maintenance program, which can lead to cost savings, increased uptime, and extended asset life.

GIS Asset Mapping

By Integrating geographic information system (GIS) mapping into a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), DPW teams can gain a visual representation of assets such as fire hydrants, lift stations, signs, and more. This enables them to identify maintenance needs easily and prioritize work orders, resulting in better asset management and reduced maintenance costs over time.

Key points to consider:

GIS mapping integrated into CMMS provides a powerful tool that enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of DPW’s asset management strategy.

  • GIS mapping integrated into CMMS provides a powerful tool that enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of DPW’s asset management strategy.
  • This integration allows maintenance teams to quickly identify the location and status of various assets, enabling them to prioritize maintenance activities and allocate resources more efficiently.
  • Adopting a CMMS system that fully integrates with GIS data enables organizations to track all assets, regardless of spatiality, ensuring that they receive the same level of detailed information about their lifecycle.
  • Complete integration of GIS data with CMMS systems allows organizations to leverage the spatial capabilities of GIS for optimal asset management, increasing their effectiveness and efficiency.

The integration of GIS mapping and CMMS can result in significant cost savings, improved asset management, and increased efficiency, providing DPW with a competitive advantage in the industry.

Asset Management

Asset management is an important function for DPW, because of their responsibility for maintaining and managing public infrastructure and services, such as roads, buildings, parks, wastewater treatment facilities, and utilities.

Key points to consider:

Effective asset management requires comprehensive knowledge of the condition, performance, and value of each asset, as well as an understanding of the cost and benefits associated with maintenance and replacement options.

  • Gain valuable insights into asset performance, enabling DPW to prioritize maintenance activities and optimize resource allocation.
  • Enhance the quality and reliability of public infrastructure and services, support economic growth, and improve the quality of life for communities.
  • Increase the lifespan of assets, reduce maintenance costs, and prevent unexpected failures.

Asset management facilitates informed decision-making on asset investment, repair, and maintenance, ensuring cost-effective and efficient use of resources.

Service Requests   

The DPW manages a diverse range of public infrastructure and services and receives frequent service requests from the public.

Key points to consider:

Service requests may include a variety of issues such as potholes, street lighting, tree maintenance, and more.

  • eWorkOrders service request system provides requesters with an easy way to submit service requests to the maintenance team.
  • Automatically generate work orders, assign them to the appropriate team or individual, and track the status of each request.
  • Improve communication with residents, provide real-time updates on the status of service requests, and ensure that requests are addressed in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Prioritize requests based on their urgency and severity, ensuring that critical issues are addressed promptly.
  • Monitor and track performance metrics such as response time, completion rate, and customer satisfaction, enabling them to continuously improve their service delivery.

By providing a reliable and efficient service request system, DPW can build trust and confidence in the community and promote greater transparency and accountability in public services.

Work Orders

Work orders are a critical component of the DPW’s maintenance management system, as they provide a structured approach to managing maintenance and repair activities.

Key points to consider:

Work orders provide a structured approach to managing maintenance and repair activities in the DPW’s maintenance management system.

  • Information contained in a work order includes the location of the asset requiring maintenance, the nature of the issue, and the priority level of the task.
  • Work orders can be generated manually or automatically through a service request system.
  • Once assigned, work orders can be tracked through completion, ensuring maintenance activities are completed on time and within budget.
  • Work orders provide valuable data that can be used to identify trends and areas for improvement in maintenance processes.

Work orders help the DPW maintain a clear overview of maintenance activities, prioritize tasks based on urgency, and ensure that resources are used effectively.

Spare Parts Inventory Management

Effective inventory management is crucial for the Department of Public Works (DPW) to ensure that it has the necessary equipment, parts, and supplies for maintaining and repairing public infrastructure and services. Here are some key points:

Key points to consider:

  • Proper inventory management helps minimize downtime and reduce costs associated with maintenance and repair work.
  • Improve inventory management by using a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to track inventory levels and generate automated alerts when inventory levels fall below a predetermined threshold.
  • The CMMS can help ensure inventory is replenished in a timely manner and that the DPW always has the necessary materials on hand to complete maintenance and repair tasks.
  • By using data from the CMMS, the DPW can track inventory usage and identify opportunities to optimize inventory levels, reducing the risk of overstocking or understocking inventory.

Effective inventory management can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance and repair operations, reduce costs, and extend the life of critical infrastructure and services.

Mobile 

The use of a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) in conjunction with mobile technology can significantly improve maintenance management for the DPW. 

Key points to consider:

eWorkOrders CMMS Mobile allows the DPW to manage maintenance operations, including work orders, preventive maintenance schedules, and inventory management from anywhere.

  • Integrating a CMMS with mobile devices allows DPW staff to access and update maintenance records, receive notifications of new work orders, and record equipment readings while in the field.
  • Real-time access to information can help to reduce the time required for maintenance activities and ensure that maintenance records are accurate and up-to-date.
  • Mobile devices can be used to capture photos and videos of maintenance issues, providing a visual record that can be used to improve communication and facilitate repairs.

By using a CMMS with mobile technology, the DPW can improve maintenance efficiency, reduce costs, and extend the life of critical infrastructure and services.

Benefits 

  • Improve maintenance efficiency
  • Reduce the time required to complete maintenance tasks
  • Improve communication and collaboration between maintenance staff, supervisors, and other stakeholders
  • Better coordination and more effective decision-making
  • Real-time access to maintenance records, improving accuracy and reducing the risk of errors
  • More effectively planned and executed maintenance activities, reducing downtime and minimizing the risk of equipment failure
  • Extend the life of critical infrastructure and services
  • Streamline maintenance processes, reducing paperwork and increasing productivity
  • Improved data collection and reporting, providing insights into maintenance operations and identifying opportunities for improvement

Other Resources

Articles Library

Public Works Department Uses CMMS to Manage Assets and Make Speedy Repairs!

Water & Wastewater Maintenace Terms & Definitions Glossary


GetApp Category Leader Award for CMMS, Preventive Maintenance, Fixed Asset Management, Work Order, Fleet Maintenance, and Facility Management      #1 Rated Maintenance System for CyberSecurity      Capterra Shortlist Award for CMMS, EAM, Asset Tracking, Fixed Asset Management, Fleet Maintenance, Facility Management, Field Service Management, and Preventive Maintenance