Archive for the 'Utility Organisation' Category

Your place or mine?

Published on December 17, 2009 in Bridges & Structures, Central Government, Grounds, Highways, Local Government, Pavement Management, Property Maintenance, Refuse & Waste, Street Cleansing, Street Lighting, Street Works, Trees and Utility Organisation. 0 Comments

The topic of where software resides is creating a new choice: “your place or mine”.

Software has mainly been installed on a Customer’s own IT Infrastructure and I will refer to this as “on-premise”.  A new choice is emerging where software is available to use from a Supplier’s IT infrastructure and I will refer to this as “on-demand”, a term covering many options including “SaaS” (Software as a Service), “Hosted” and “over-the-net-in-a-browser”.
A question worth addressing at any time or just when your system is up for replacement?

A question worth addressing at any time or just when your system is up for replacement?

With the on-demand option, vendors might use phrases such as “there is no software, it is a service” and “you need to think differently, because there is no software any more”.  I think that there is, indeed, software; it is just provided in a more cost efficient model and licenced to you via a different style of contract.

Technicalities aside, what are the key issues that potential purchasers should think about if SaaS or on-demand is offered?  There are four groups of questions that must be considered and a few that might be considered:

  1. Suitability
  2. Absolute cost
  3. Availability
  4. Security

SUITABILITY

  • Don’t be distracted by the choice of on-demnd or on-premise UNTIL you have established that the software meets your business needs

ABSOLUTE COST

  • Compare all costs over a number of years
  • Look at the internal costs you might now NOT have to pay, which might include costs of IT support staff, hardware; IT departmental charges; third party software; version upgrade costs (can be up to £30k+ per year in many organisations using FM suppliers instead of in-house IT staff); reduced System administrator costs (as you no longer have 100 PCs to upgrade) and many more
  • Look at any hidden costs, such as a Departmental charge NOT reducing because of internal “rules” and extra interfacing costs
  • Include the commissioning costs if this is relevant (possibly low if an existing supplier is swapping the delivery method from on-premise to on-demand)

AVAILABILITY

  • How resilient is the proposition in terms of speed of access (e.g. when all staff are looking at the weather at 1pm on-line)
  • How is the data backed up, how often and where are backup stored?
  • How are local Maps, Local Printing and Local Corporate system interface dealt with?
  • Can people work from home, with their own variety of access bandwidths?
  • Does the Infrastructure supplier have one or many sites, where are they and how are significant incidents (floods, bombs etc) going to affect your system?
  • Will the Infrastructure supplier go bust (if this happens, you will not expect it, so best ask) and what happens that day to your system
  • How do Home workers access the system from home PCs – or is it best that this is a big NO
  • How would Field Workers upload and download data to mobile devices and what about the ones who need to do so wirelessly
  • and so on…

SECURITY

  • Where is the data stored?
  • Can ex-employees with a grudge trash the data?
  • It may matter to your organisation where the data is stored.  Find out.
  • What are the points at which the data is in the public domain, if any?
If you choose "On-Demand", choose it.

If you choose "On-Demand", choose it.

Naturally, the list of questions could go on a long time.  If I was a purchaser, being offered on-demand and on-premise, here is how I might think:

> Let’s make sure that I have evaluated this software as my best option BEFORE addressing my attention to this question (an old sales trick when getting no commitment to buy is to offer an alternative question that is a version of “so, if you did choose to buy it…which I know you have not yet done…, would you choose red or green?”)

> If this is my chosen software, then, is it cheaper to have on-demand over 1, 5 and 10 years for ME taking MY organisation’s way of counting costs to ME in MY role in MY department (if not stop right now)

> Now I am considering on-demand, how available is it compared to on-premise and what is the evidence to support that (or ask for I will insist on a trial of sorts)

> Now that I am considering on-demand and I know it is as available as on-premise (or better than on-premise), how will it interface to the systems and devices that are part of my requirement

> Now that I am OK with it technically, what data security rules should I consider and what evidence do I need (this one is pretty straightforward)

> How will the supplier develop the software’s capabilities for my vertical solution compared to how best of breed on-premise solutions are developed and what is the evidence? (I need proof that this makes financial sense to my supplier or they will either fail to develop the system as my needs change over time or go out of business)

With so many people offering on-demand as an alternative to on-premise, the need for a mutually beneficial relationship remains as does the need for me to be offered the choice: your place or mine!

Do you manage assets or provide services?

Published on October 31, 2009 in Bridges & Structures, Central Government, Grounds, Highways, Local Government, Pavement Management, Property Maintenance, Refuse & Waste, Street Cleansing, Street Lighting, Street Works, Trees and Utility Organisation. 0 Comments
Millau Bridge, Tarn Valley, Southern France

Millau Bridge, Tarn Valley, Southern France

Employees in Local, Regional and Central Government Agencies, their partners and a plethora of stakeholders turn up for work each day and do their part in the “Value Chain” of Public Infrastructure Maintenance.  Some inspect assets, others make difficult decisions about expenditure based on limited funds and resources.  Yet others are skilled tradespeople and craftspeople who actually do the jobs that repair, install or decommission assets.

Are these people experts in Maintenance Management?  Are the assets themselves actually important?  Or is the Service the thing of importance?

Looking at Refuse collection services, the publicly owned refuse bin is not that which one normally focuses on as an employee in a Municipal Cleansing and Waste work group; the service is what draws delivery staff attention – is it timely, effective, cost effective?

When we look at other assets, we might be drawn to other conclusions.  A Bridge Engineer will definitely focus their working efforts on the Condition of components of a Bridge in the context of failure of the whole Asset.  With catastrophic consequences, Bridge failure is the correct focus yet one may ask if all it does is provides a service, as part of a Highway…whose function is to facilitate the efficient movement of citizens between various buildings.  Some Bridges are destinations, with intrinsic beauty and statuesque appeal such as the Millau Bridge in Southern France or the Fehman Belt Bridge in the Baltic Sea.

Even beautiful assets have function, the ambition of the designer or commissioning body had the vision to make something with intrinsic beauty, adding a secondary function of making a statement about that part of the world, turning “it” into a destination or, more likely, providing function within the context of a beautiful area. 

...you affect the lives of citizens in a profound way

...you affect the lives of citizens in a profound way

Back to the people…Assets are key to providing services?  Perhaps.  If so, consider the process of maintaining the road.  It needs to be available in perpetuity, in the best condition that supports the transport requirements of the day and unavailable for the least amount of time.  People have developed science to predict the best time to do the least amount of work to keep the road available and this science can be flexed for differing budgets and differing desired road conditions (Pavement Management).  The people who carry out this “science” are called Pavement Engineers and they care about the asset; their managers and policy makers care about the service.  In consultation with “Government” about Public funds and sometimes with citizens (in a democracy) about desired quality, they set out the rules and parameters for the Engineers to conduct their Asset Maintenance Science.

Now to the staff involved in “event driven maintenance”.  There are many aspects of Street Based Asset Maintenance in which Events drive most of the remedial actions.  Examples include Graffiti removal, many types of property repair, Street Lamp replacements, clearing fly tipping, providing a Bulky Household collection, clearing a fallen tree…none of which would ever happen without their event…amusing thought, perhaps, clearing a fallen tree that isn’t there yet?  “Event Driven Maintenance” could be a topic in a University course and, indeed, tomes have been written about this aspect of Infrastructure Maintenance, but it is really all about providing a service to citizens so that they enjoy a great built environment.

Manage assets or provide services? The TEAM has a profound effect on the lives of its citizens.

Manage assets or provide services? The TEAM has a profound effect on the lives of its citizens.

I went to one of the big Business Analyst firms the other day and the Director of Public Infrastructure and I mused about how most citizens hardly notice the well maintained Public assets that ARE Britain, or New Zealand, or Melbourne and so on.  Citizens visit other parts of the world and notice that Refuse in (perhaps) The Gambia is collected every month, when a large truck goes along the main streets and most refuse on the street is collected and thrown into the back of large trucks by intimidating crews; children are kept away and cars are parked off of the route whilst domestic refuse and unwanted items are put out into the now empty street.  You would not be asking for the Bin to be a different shape, which colour should be used for recyclables or whether it had an ID chip but you might be asking for weekly collections as a start point! 

So we are focused back on the service. 

My conclusions is that TEAMS provide services to citizens.  Within the team, Engineers and Scientists practise aspects of the appropriate Asset Maintenance Management techniques. Others within the team make decisions levels of service to balance public funds with citizen demands.

On a purely personal note, I observe that those involved in all aspects of Managing public assets and providing public services affect our lives much more than we usually think about…until we are confronted with very different levels of service or public assets that are clearly in a very different condition.  Oh, and by the way, the public would like to hardly notice your 24/7/365 efforts, but want to feel really good about where they live.

To answer my own question “Do you manage assets or provide services?”, I choose an answer with an added observation: Your team does both and, in so doing, you have a profound effect on all of the citizens you serve.

Confirm v9 launched on time

Published on October 8, 2009 in Bridges & Structures, Central Government, Grounds, Highways, Local Government, Pavement Management, Property Maintenance, Refuse & Waste, Street Cleansing, Street Lighting, Street Works, Trees, Utility Organisation and v9.0 Roadmap. 0 Comments
October 5th, 2009 on time

Launch on time, version 9

Confirm v9 was launched on Monday 5th October, at 10.00 a.m. and the launch event was a webinar to existing users.  The webinar was recorded and can be viewed by any users on demand.  If you would like to see the recording, simply contact your Account Manager or myself for the link.

We will be holding eight on-line live webinars every Tuesday starting 13th october at 10.00 a.m. UK time demonstrating specific area of the Product and highlighting the version 9 updates.  All users will have received an email this morning (Thursday 8th October) with details of how to register for the webinar.  Once again, if you would like to attend please use the normal contacts.

The webinar method for the launch has received much praise with comments such as “it allows us to see the launch and demonstrations from our desk and means that, in these times of relatively low staff numbers, we don’t miss out” (my paraphrasing).

I hope to see our users at Tuesday’s first product demonstration webinar, which focuses on Confirm Mobile – lots of new capabilities with v9 – and Jonathan Mynott is presenting.  Why not register now?

Dashboard driven for the first time in v9 – Stunning!

Published on September 25, 2009 in Bridges & Structures, Central Government, Grounds, Highways, Local Government, Pavement Management, Property Maintenance, Refuse & Waste, Street Cleansing, Street Lighting, Street Works, Trees and Utility Organisation. 0 Comments
Stunning functionality

Dashboard driven for the first time in version 9

Confirm has, up until now, been able to be menu driven, map driven or even mobile driven, depending on the user’s role.  Version 9 introduces a series of enhancements and some of them allow the system, for the first time, to be dashboard driven.  Confirm users will be receiving an email this coming week that will show them how to register for the forthcoming webinars, where version 9 will be demonstrated.

I set Confirm up to be Dashboard driven for the first time on Friday and it felt like one of those “Victory in mine” moments (…Family Guy – it’s Stewie’s catch phrase…still puzzled, google it or search on YouTube).

Confirm v9 Webinar dates available

Published on September 20, 2009 in Bridges & Structures, Central Government, Grounds, Highways, Local Government, Pavement Management, Property Maintenance, Refuse & Waste, Street Cleansing, Street Lighting, Street Works, Trees and Utility Organisation. 0 Comments
Confirm - going like a train since November 1997

Confirm - going like a train since November 1997

With Confirm v9 being launched on October 5th, the webinar dates are published for the first time on our “downloads” page.  Have a look, using the TABs at the top of this page.

We have so much in 2009 in v9 that 9 webinars are needed.  Each will be 45 minutes long. We are using Webex and those who have registered will receive an email, then click on a “link” 5 minutes before the webinar is due to begin. 

For users who have not used this capability before, it may be an idea to have a word with your IT department to check that your PC will be OK and, of course, make sure you can be by a telephone.

In the next two weeks, all Confirm users will be receiving an email from Pitney Bowes Business Insight with details of the launch webinars and how to register.  The webinars will show the new functionality in the context of their domain and Confirm’s configurable workflows…a “contextual style” rather than listing each enhancement and letting users work it out for themselves. 

We are hoping that most Confirm users will be able to view the enhancements rather than what happened in previous years when only those who attended “launch events” got to see them and ask questions.

This week’s picture?  Locomotive 999 in the Museum of Science and Industry.  Confirm’s “Industry” is Government and “Science” - well, there are ten “Profession based Industries” that have developed the science of managing public infrastructure assets and our users are involved with all of them: Roads, Bridges, Lighting, Street Works, PMS, Property Maintenance, Horticulture, Arboriculture, Cleansing and Waste.  

Confirm, of course, can deal with any permutation of them…going like a train since November 1997!

Pure Gold 999 – Confirm v9

Published on September 13, 2009 in Bridges & Structures, Central Government, Grounds, Highways, Local Government, Pavement Management, Property Maintenance, Refuse & Waste, Street Cleansing, Street Lighting, Street Works, Trees, Utility Organisation and v9.0 Roadmap. 0 Comments
Confirm v9 is being launched on October 5th 2009 with 9 webinars: Pure Gold!

Confirm v9 is being launched on October 5th 2009 with 9 webinars: Pure Gold!

They say that pure Gold is .999 and I have been looking at the first draft of the What’s new in Confirm v9 document.  It’s 20 pages with no pictures and screen-shots, reflecting the amount of development that has gone into the 2009 version.

Dividing the enhancements into categories is quite difficult – what categories should be used.  I have decided to focus on the business benefit that is accrued to our users and potential users.  The launch Webex seminars (which will be recorded, so don’t worry of you miss one, you can play it back on demand) will bring out the enhancements in the context of what Confirm can now do for your business.

The categories that seem to ring (another golden reference) true at the moment are:

1. User ideas that have been turned into Confirm enhancements

2. Ideas that have arisen when Users have tested preliminary versions of enhancements and our developers have followed the software into the field; a sort of “now I see the new functionality, it would also be an idea if it could also do x or y or z”.  I call these User Centred Design (UCD) ideas.

3. Technology updates (it now works with Oracle 11 or MapInfo v10 and so on).

4. New module (some of which also will include ideas in Category 2)

The v9 enhancements are spread across all 10 domains that Confirm covers: Highways/Roads; Structures/Bridges; Street Lighting; PMS; Street Works; Property Maintenance; Grounds; Trees; Street Cleaning and Refuse/Waste.

We recognise the “pure Gold” attitude of Confirm users who ultimately bring more efficient public services to citizens.  Citizens really want the “provision” part to be invisible, but so efficient that they never see it.  For example, Citizens want perfect roads, all of the time and no traffic jams; they want Parks to play in with perfect grass, beautiful flowers, clean seats, empty bins and safe play areas for the young citizens and no mowers in sight; they want the streets that they use to be clean, well light and safe without tripping over Mechanical Street Sweepers.

We will keep our focus in the days leading up to the launch, showing how your organisation will benefit in playing its part in the Value chain.

And this week’s picture?  Part of “pure gold” – .999 percent pure and as pure as possible.

IT systems and OT systems

Published on August 11, 2009 in Bridges & Structures, Central Government, Highways, Local Government, Property Maintenance, Street Lighting and Utility Organisation. 0 Comments Tags: .

With the recent Street Lighting conference focusing on self monitoring and remotely controlled lighting followed by the publication on 10 August by the Gartner report titled “The Value of IT and OT Integration” are we starting to see the emergence of a new cashable efficiency area? 

Large scale Government procurements of IT systems in our space are starting to “float” the idea of self monitoring assets (e.g. in tunnels and property) to reduce the overall cost of maintenance.

OT systems refer to “Operational Technology” systems, meaning “systems” that run assets or the service delivery process that it the purpose of the asset.  They can work in either direction – turning down or up the street lighting at various times of the day or sending warnings when an asset is about to fail.  OT systems often include software linked to sensors.  The outputs can often point to web pages that in turn make data available to IT systems but most often produce outputs that are proprietary.  Caution might be an idea if you are in the market anytime soon.

Integration between OT and IT systems not requiring operator presence might be the “ideal”, but there are at least two critical questions:

1. What process or processes is/are triggered by what output(s) from the sensor

2. Can the OT and IT systems be integrated and how robust are they (the definition of robust might be: quick to implement; low cost to implement; break hardly ever and reliable)

Depending on the OT system, outputs might vary from “Inspect me, I might be failing” to “Get someone out here to fix or replace me, right now”.  An amusing thought, perhaps, but think of closing a tunnel just to inspect the lights…in a busy city…and it suddenly starts to sound quite the cost saving point of view.  Think about a very high street lamp column on a busy roundabout where traffic flows are busy 20 hours a day…making more sense yet?

Where our Confirm system sits in this equation will evolve.  The first integration of IT and OT happened around 1997 with a Confirm in CyberJaya (Malaysia) and a series of building Self Monitoring sensors (lifts, lighting circuits and the like).  What happens in future, will we find out together?  Will it be led by a few projects?  Will legislation lead the way – reducing Carbon Footprint in the Street Lighting department is an obvious one, but what if a new report shows how a new breed of self monitoring assets can enable Inspectors to be re-purposed to operational staff?

It would be great to hear some stories of how your IT and OT systems integrate…or not.  Please email me or post a comment.  If there are common threads, maybe the Confirm users will lead the way…stranger things have happened (Confirm was the first product of our type in the field with hand held computers in 1994 and currently have over 3,040 Confirm mobile modules working every day, “out there”).

What’s your view, what’s your story?

Self Monitoring Assets

Published on June 18, 2009 in Highways, Local Government, Street Lighting and Utility Organisation. 0 Comments Tags: .
Self monitoring assets may be the way to go. Will they be a good investment? How long before they provide a return on your investment?

Self monitoring assets may be the way to go. Will they be a good investment? How long before they provide a return on your investment?

I was at the Lighting Conference in The Hotel Russell, London on Wednesday 17 June 2009.  One of the most talked about topics was self monitoring Lighting Assets.  There are several companies around that provide Street Lighting Assets with self monitoring equipment – one types uses WIMAC868 and another sends signals via the existing cable network.

Either way, Confirm (in its present form) can interact with these “alerts” in order to create an “inspection”, “defect” or “job”.  The system can also send email alerts to staff to ensure that they are aware of the existence of the “signals”.  Imagine, a Street Light that tells you that it is about to fail – replace expensive parts at the optimum time to maximise their life rather than bulk change (which is the prevalent “least worst” method).

If you feel that you might be interested in discussing Confirm’s little known and little talked about capabilities in the Self Monitoring Asset arena, then please post a comment, contact your Account Manager/Account Director or send me an email (dominic.mcneills@pb.com).  Should Confirm be providing user configurable interfaces?  Will you be spending to save?  Is your focus more on reduction of crime and social engineering (e.g. turning the lights to 50% power at 10pm to signal to the younger “kids” to go home) than cost savings?

Pitney Bowes Business Insight is now the Sole Provider of SQA Award for Road Works Administration

Published on June 15, 2009 in Highways, Local Government, Street Works and Utility Organisation. 0 Comments Tags: .

Pitney Bowes Business Insight is now an approved Scottish Qualifications Authority Training Centre.  In association with Scottish Qualifications Authority we are now able to offer a fully accredited customised course in RoadWorks Administration (SQA Award No. G8LG 04), which is a Scottish Government Owned Award.

 

The following 6 units will make up the award (NB:  all six units are required to receive the full SQA Record of Achievement).

·         SQA Unit F20J 04  - Legislation

·         SQA Unit F20E 04 – Training

·         SQA Unit F20F 04 – Safety and Inspections

·         SQA Unit F20G 04 – Co-ordination

·         SQA Unit F20H 04 – Finance

·         SQA Unit F20K 04 – Notice and Registrations

Who should attend?
This course is open to managers, planners, designers, operatives and anyone who is involved with Road and Street Works process within Roads Authorities, Statutory Undertakers, Utility Companies and Sub-Contractors.

Where will these courses take place?
We will Endeavour to hold these training courses on customer site

What are the costs?
The course has a daily rate of £995 charged per organisation – places available from min 1 to max of 6.
NB: (If travel is required then expenses will be charged in addition to the daily rate).

To sign up and receive further details please contact Daryn Magee, Scottish Account Director
Tel: 01753 848200 or email: daryn.magee@pb.com

 

I was asked: “…so, what exactly is Confirm?”

Published on June 5, 2009 in Bridges & Structures, Central Government, Grounds, Highways, Local Government, Pavement Management, Property Maintenance, Refuse & Waste, Street Cleansing, Street Lighting, Street Works, Trees and Utility Organisation. 0 Comments Tags: .

Recognise the question?  Ever wanted a little help explaining it?  This is one of the most frequent questions we are asked and I thought, as I am in the middle of preparing to meet our copywriters to get the next generation of Confirm flyers produced, I might share my source document with you.  Download, file it, even read it!  It may help you not have to re-invent the wheel next time there is a re-shuffle (timely today, politics fans) and the new boss taps the door and asks, ever so politely: “So, what exactly is Confirm – no more than  400 words, please?”  What is Confirm?

NB: you will see a professional verion of this appearing by the end of June in the Downloads section.