CityofRedwoodCity,PublicWorksServices(PWS)

WorkProcessNeedsAssessment
By:RussellNarahara,ManagementAnalystII

Thepurposeofthisdocumentistoprovideanoverviewofhowfieldworkiscurrentlyassigned,tracked,
andcompletedatPWSandhowthoseworkprocessescouldbeimproved.Allopinions,observations,and
recommendations in this document are based upon my internal research. Although PWS has not yet
automateditsworkprocesses,theexistingworkprocessesprovideasolidframeworkandcommunication
toolasevidentbythegoodconditionoftheCityssystems(water,wastewater,storm,andrightofway).
WorkProcess(Background)
TheRedwoodCityPublicWorksServices(PWS)Departmentiscomprisedoffouroperatingdivisions:

RightofWayMaintenance
WaterUtilityServices
WastewaterManagementServices
Fleet&MunicipalServicesCenterManagement

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
inspectionstopreventinfrastructureand/orequipmentfailurebeforeitoccurs).
WiththeexceptionoftheFleetdivisionwhoutilizesAssetworks,acomputerizedsystemusedtoschedule
and track work completed, daily operations in the other divisions are scheduled and assigned using
Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that are printed to generate paper dailys. The printed dailys are
essentially tables/checklists that the worker uses to notate the location of assigned work, the amount of
timeworked,problemsfound,andresolutiontakenateachjobsite.During/aftereachjob,workersnotate
the work completed on their daily and at the end of the work day, submit their daily to the Public
WorksSupervisorforhisreview.Thefollowingworkday,thePublicWorksSupervisorreviewseachdaily
and proceeds to input the data into an Excel spreadsheet. After data fromeach daily is input into the
Excelspreadsheet,thedailyisfiledintoafilingcabinetforsafekeeping.
Hereisanexampleofadaily:

D RY /W E T W E A T H E R

C A N 'T LO C A T E C /O
F O LLO W
UP A C T IO N
NE E DE D?

S E V E RE
DOOR HA NGE R
D IS T RIB U T E D ?

M ILD

C IT Y S IDE CLE A R?

C AU S E (3)

C AU S E (2)

C AU S E (1)

C UT T E R S IZ E

ADDRESS

ROD - FE E T

CALL

TASKS

E ND - T IM E

CODES & CATS.

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULED SYSTEM MGMT.
SERVICE REQUEST WORK
EMERGENCY REPONSE
ADMINISTRATIVE
CIP

S T A RT - T IM E

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

R E C E IV E D C A LL

HOURS

PERSONNEL: ____________________
DATE: ___________________________
TASK: ___________________________

COMMENTS

1
Odometer Reading
Begin:

POSSIBLE CAUSES - REFERENCE NUMBER UNDER CAUSE (1) (2) (3)

1
2
3
4
5

ROOTS
GREASE
DEBRIS
DEBRIS FROM LATERALS
VANDALISM

6
7
8
9
10

ANIMAL CARCASS
CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS
MULTIPLE CAUSES
INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE
INFLOW & INFILTRATION

11
12
13
14
15

ELECTRICAL POWER FAILURE

FLOW CAPACITY DEFICIENCY
NATURAL DISASTER
BYPASS
CAUSE UNKNOWN

16 INVALID

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
reviewedbythePublicWorksSuperintendentand/orthePublicWorksDirector.Datafromthereportsare
oftenusedtofulfillreportingrequirementsasmandatedbyvariousregulatoryagencies.
WorkProcess(Problems)
Thefirstproblemwiththecurrentworkprocessisthatitisapaperbasedsystemfortrackingandmanaging
assets(water,sewer,storm,rightofwayinfrastructure).Ifdatafromthedailysarenotinputintothe
Excelspreadsheetsonaregularbasisorifdataisincorrectlytranscribed,thePublicWorksSupervisorhasto
spend a lot of time going through reams of paper. The current system creates opportunities for error
combinedwiththefactthatstaffdoesnothavequickaccesstocriticaldata.Amisfielddocumentcanleave
outvaluableinformationresultinginanegativeeffectonmaintenanceandreplacementplanning,aswell
ascreatinginaccuratereports.
Asecondproblemwiththecurrentworkprocessisthatthereistoomuchrelianceonthememorysofthe
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 dont always
sharethistypeofinformationwiththeirfellowworkersorprovidefulldetailsonthedaily.Asstaffretire
orturnover,valuableknowledgeaboutthesystemsdisappears.Thecrewsthatareleftbehindhavetore
learnthesystemthroughtrialanderror.Recurringproblemsthatcouldhavebeenpreventedbyconsulting
pastdailysisslowandcumbersomeespeciallysincetheolddailysdonotalwaysprovidethetypeof
detailsrequiredtopreventordiagnosefutureproblems.
Athirdproblemwiththecurrentworkprocesshastodowithworkgeneratedfromcustomer(i.e.Redwood
City residents) complaints. Residents that call to report a problem are assisted by the secretarys and
administrativeclerks(frontofficestaff).ReportedproblemsareloggedintoaMicrosoftAccessdatabase
bythefrontofficestaffandworkisdispatchedtotheapplicablecrewsviapager.Crewstypicallyrespond
toproblemswithinonehourandifworkingonanotherjob,normallygettothereportedproblemassoon
aspossible.Intheory,thefactthatthereportedproblemsarebeingloggedisgreat.However,theproblem
withtheprocessisthatresolutions(foreachreportedproblem)arenotenteredintotheAccessdatabase.
TheAccessdatabaseisfullofincompleterecordsthatdonotserveanyusefulpurpose.Residentsseeking
anupdatehavetoeitherwaitfortheproblemtobefixedorcallforanupdate.
AfourthproblemwiththecurrentworkprocessistheCitysGIS(geographicinformationsystem).Ifsetup
properly, GIS can provide the data management and visualization tools necessary to support daily
operationsfrommappingtodatacollectiontoanalysishelpingplan,implement,andmaintainthecritical
infrastructureoftheCity.GISiscapableofansweringquestionssuchas:

Wherearetheshutoffvalvesthatwillisolatethewaterlineleak?
Whoarethenearestpropertyownersthatmustbenotifiedbeforeasewerrepairprojectbegins?
Whatisthedensityofservicerequestsbyneighborhood?
Howmanystreets,properties,people,andbusinesseswillbeaffectedbyastreetrepavingeffort,
andwhatarethealternatives?
Where are the problem locations (hotspots) that require preventative maintenance on a more
routinebasisinordertopreventproblemsfromoccurring?

Unfortunately, the Citys GIS provided little information about an asset other than its location and
characteristics.Additionally,theCitysGISisnotstoredinonedatabase.Instead,GISfilesarestoredon
different machines so it is hard to tell old file versions from new file versions. As a result, information
aboutanassetisoftenoutdated.

WorkProcess(Solution)
Toretainandefficientlyorganizeassetdataandmaintenanceworkcompleted,PWSshouldimplementa
maintenancemanagementsystem(MMS).Onceimplemented,theMMSwill:

MapworkorderstospecificassetsusingGIS.
Provide PWS with a geographical context to query historic work orders and learn about actions
takeninthepasttopreventfutureproblems.
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,booksofmaps,orrelyonemployeesmemory.
Improvecustomerservice(servicerequestswillremainopenuntilresolved).
Retainassetinformation(informationwontbelostwhenstaffleave).
Plan PM programs more efficiently (reports will show areas of the City that require more
maintenance).AsPMworkincreases,thenumberofproblemsshoulddecreasebecauseassetsare
beingproperlymaintained.
Monitormaintenancecosts
Helpwithliabilityissues(detailednotesaredateandtimestampedandcannotbealtered).

NextSteps(Task1UpdatetheCitysGIS)
AfterresearchinghowotherpublicagenciesimplementedtheirMMS,PWSrealizedthatafullyfunctioning
MMSrequiredahealthyGIS.WhenGISisintegratedwithanMMS,automatedprocesseswillenablePWS
to provide incident maps, optimize job routing for field crews, and perform jurisdictional overlay and
proximityanalysesforcustomerandbusinessnotification.Withregardtoassetmanagement,ahealthyGIS
willenablePWStoconduct,track,andmaintainvaluableabovegroundandundergroundinventories.Field
crewswillinspect,verify,andupdatetheconditionofassetsatthejobsite.Managerscanrunqueriesto
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
resourcesmoreeffectively,allocatefundsbylocation,communicateproblems,andprovidefeedbacktothe
residentwhoreportedtheproblem.Finally,animprovedGISwouldnotonlyhelptheMMSprojectbutalso
improve internal communication between PWS and other City departments by providing realtime
updatestoallandservingasthecentralrepositoryforalldata.Bystoringdatainoneplace,thenewGIS
wouldeliminateredundancieswhilestreamliningprocessesandoperations.
In March 2009, PWS served as project manager to rebuild the Citys GIS. Teaming with Farallon
Geographics,aGISconsultantbasedinSanFrancisco,theprojectwascompletedinNovember2009.Here
aresomeofthegoalsoftheGISprojectandtheirresults:

GOAL: Initially, the database will store GIS data for Public Works Services (water system, sewer
system,andstormsystemdata)andthePlanningDepartment(streetcenterlinesandparcelsdata).

RESULT:TheGISdatabasestoresGISdataforthewater,sewer,andstormsystemsaswell
asstreetcenterlineandparcels.Inaddition,everyassetnowhasauniqueIDthatwillallow
MMSsoftwaresuchasinfraMaptorelateinformation(suchasaworkorder)tothatunique
ID(ex:aspecificfirehydrant).

GOAL:Thenewgeodatabasewillhelpeliminatecertainworkflowsandimproveefficiency.
RESULT:Inthepast,addinginfrastructureimprovementstotheGISwasamanualprocess.
KevinDawdy(GISAnalystinB.I.T.)wouldmanuallyenteruptotenattributes(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
controlsthathelpmaintaintheGISdatasaccuracy.Forinstance,theGISdatabasecan
nowmakecertainahydrantisconnectedtoaservicelineormakecertainasewerlateral
endsinacleanout.

GOAL: The new database will run off Microsoft SQL Server; providing realtime information to a
multitude of users and eliminating the need to store GIS data on separate machines each with
differentfileversions.
RESULT: Redwood City now has a shared GIS database running on Microsoft SQL Server.
TheGISdatabaseisnowconsideredarelationaldatabaseframework.Thismeansthatit
cansharedatawithothersoftwareonthesameplatform.Forexample,wecouldtiethe
GIS database with water consumption from our billing system since it also resides in a
relationaldatabaseframework(MicrosoftSQLServer).Thiswouldallowausertoviewthe
waterconsumptionforspecificparcelswithinourGIS.
TheGISdatabasenowrunsofthefollowing(new)technologies:

MicrosoftSQLServer2008RedwoodCityhadbeenrunningMicrosoftSQLServer
version 2005 before this project. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 delivers
comprehensive spatial support that will enable City staff to seamlessly consume,
use, and extend locationbased data through spatialenabled applications which
ultimately helps end users make better decisions. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 will
allowalargervarietyofapplicationstoaccessthenewGISdatabase.

ArcGISServerStandard,EnterpriseEdition,version9.3enablesstafftodistribute
maps, models, and tools throughout the City more efficiently than before the
project(whenGISdatawasnotcentralized;differentfileversionsexisted).

Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) 2009, SQL Server Edition enables staff to
quicklytranslate,transform,integrateanddistributeGISdata.

NextSteps(Task2SearchforanMMSsolution)
AftertheGISproject,PWShasevaluatedapproximatelyadozenMMSsolutions.
PWSislookingforasoftwaresolutionthathasthefollowingcharacteristics:

WindowsbasedandrunsonSQLServer;providesacustomerserviceandinspectionmodule,andis
flexible enough to meet the needs of a growing organization facing new and more stringent
regulations.
Tracksandmanagesallassets,resources,andstafftime.
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
howmuchtimeandmoneywespend.
Centralizesinformationandprovideaneffectivewaytocommunicatebetweendifferentdivisions
withinPWS.Staffshouldbeabletoevaluatethestatusofworkinprogressoutinthefieldaswell
astheconditionofassetsaccuratelyandquickly.
AllowsPWStopersonalizefields,comments,andreportstomeetourspecificneeds.Weshould
nothavetocompletelychangethewaywework.
Preventativemaintenanceschedulesshouldalsobecreatedandmaintainedbythenewsoftware.
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 uptodate.
Preventativemaintenanceschedulesshouldproduceconsistentandaccuratetodolistsbasedon
existingdata.Forexample,ageneralcheckofthesystemormanualreplacementofcriticalparts
needstobescheduledeverythreemonths,sixmonths,oratanyotherspecifiedinterval.
Helptoforecastfuturepersonnelandmaterialneedsbytrackingthelifecyclesofcomponents.

NextSteps(Task3PresenttheMMSsolutiontothenewPWSDirector)
Duetothescopeoftheproject,PWSdidnotmoveforwardwiththeselectionofanMMSaftertheoldPWS
Director,LarryBarwacz,lefttheorganization.PWSplanstoprovideanindepthoverviewofvariousMMS
solutionstothenewPWSDirector.
TheonlynotableMMSsolutionthatisincludedinthisbinderisfieldsoftwarecalledInfraMapcreatedby
a company called iWater (www.iwater.org) based in Irvine, CA. InfraMaps 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 nonstop questions. In comparison, during other
softwaredemonstrations,veryfewquestionswereaskedbythefieldcrews.
Attached you will find a product overview for infraMap software along with product sheets for field
computers (Panasonic H1) recommended by iWater. Please note that infraMap software is a field
solutionandifimplemented,itwouldneedtotietoassetmanagementsoftwarethatwouldprovideallof
the cost analysis, reports, and other high level functions. As a standalone product, infraMap does not
providecostanalysisorreportingfunctionality.