InPrint Spring 2011

Cityworks

Spring 2011

ÂŽ

InPrint

Empowering GIS for Asset Management, Permitting, and LicensingTM... and more!

In this Issue: Cityworks: AMS, PLL, and More!

Deploying Cityworks Server PLL with AMS ... Why Not??

The Evolution of Cityworks Development

... and more!

S p r i n g 2 011

C ityworks

InPri n t

E mpowering GIS for Ass e t M a n a g e m e n t, P e r m i t ti ng , and L i c e n s i n g T M ...and more!

Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc. 11075 South State Street, Suite 24 Sandy, UT 84070 801-523-2751 www.cityworks.com

Edit or in C hie f: Tom Paliz zi

E xe c ut ive B oar d:

Edit or: Kaye Ryser

Brian Haslam , Pre sident & C EO George Mast akas , E xe cutive Dire c tor, Enterpris e S olutions Wayne Hill , E xe cutive Dire c tor, Client & Information S er vice s C arl Hor ton, E xe cutive Dire c tor, S of t ware Development Tom Paliz zi , E xe cutive Dire c tor, S ale s & Marketing Steve Thomas , E xe cutive Manager, Cus tomer Supp or t

A s s oc iate Edit or: Linds ay Ferguson Te c hnic al Edit or: Karen Thomas Edit orial Inquirie s: Kaye Ryser,

k r yser@cit y work s.com Graphic De signe r: Shannan B agley Adve r t ising: Kaye Ryser

S u b s c r i p t i o n In q u i r i e s :

H ow t o Re a c h U s :

To c h a n g e yo u r a d d r e s s o r

w w w.c i t y wo r k s .c o m/m e d i a / In P r i n t . a s px

c a n c e l yo u r s u b s c r i p t i o n,

Te l: 8 01-52 3 -2751

p l e a s e c o n t a c t:

Em a i l: i n f o @ c i t y wo r k s .c o m

i n p r i nt @ c i t y wo r k s .c o m

InPrint

Inside this Issue

FEATURES 4

President’s Corner – Cityworks: AMS, PLL, and

CITYWORKS SPOTLIGHT 24

More!

6

Cityworks Utilized for Managing Natural Resources/Forestry at Minnetonka, MN

8 10

Newport News, VA: A Showcase Cityworks Site Longview, TX: The Benefits of Cityworks GIS-Centric Enterprise Solution

12

Northern Region Spotlight – Evanston, IL; Omaha, NE; and Port Angeles, WA

USER INFORMATION 28

Tips & Tricks – The New Inbox

30

Cityworks Campus

32

Customer Support Intensifying Efforts to Achieve Goals

Delaware City, OH, Experiences the Benefits of Cityworks Server PLL

14

City of Racine, WI, Improves Efficiency in Code Enforcement Case Management

16

Deploying Cityworks Server PLL with AMS ...

Why Not??

20

CITYWORKS NEWS 18

Cityworks User Conference 2011

27

Partner Listing

33

Cityworks Software Developer, James Oliphant,

Building Relationships Matters as Much as the

Places Third in Esri Challenge

Technology 33

SOFTWARE 22

Esri Awards Bryan Chadwick Technical Certifications

34

The Evolution of Cityworks Development

Cityworks Phil Mogavero Joins Westland in Charity Hockey Game

35

Welcome Four New Employees!

Copyright © Azteca Systems, Inc. 2011 All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

The information contained in this document is the exclusive property of Azteca Systems, Inc. The work is protected under United States copyright law and other international copyright treaties and conventions. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as expressly permitted in writing by Azteca Systems, Inc. All requests should be sent to Attention: Cityworks InPrint, Azteca Systems, Inc., 11075 South State Street, #24, Sandy, UT 84070. The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.

Spring 2011

Azteca Systems, Cityworks, and Powered by Esri are registered trademarks; Cityworks Desktop, Cityworks Anywhere, Cityworks Server, GIS Empowered by Cityworks, and Empowering GIS for Asset Management, Permitting, and Licensing are trademarks of Azteca Systems, Inc.; and www.mycityworks.com, www.gocityworks.com, www.cityworks. com, www.azteca.com, @azteca.com, and @cityworks.com are service marks of Azteca Systems, Inc. The names of other companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

3

President’s Corner

Cityworks: AMS, PLL, and More!

By Brian L. Haslam, President & CEO, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

Azteca Systems is built on the foundation of GIS-centricity. We are often asked to explain our highest priority development goal. The answer is always the same—to maximize Esri software technology for our clients’ asset management needs. This does not imply Cityworks is less committed to enhancing our overall asset management capabilities. Cityworks not only compares favorably to any other major system but significantly surpasses most. Our development priority supports our view that the best way to manage assets is leveraging Esri’s GIS. Today the term asset management has broad meaning and applies to many things. Enter “asset management” into any search engine and the dominant results will be links to personal financial planning websites for tracking cash or “liquid assets.” Cityworks asset management provides software tools for public assets—water and wastewater, treatment plants, streets and highways, parks and trees, electrical, building and land permitting, licensing, code enforcement, etc.—for sustaining livable communities.

Cityworks provides unique flexibility and adaptability to meet an organization’s specific needs. Throughout the U.S., Canada, and in

other areas around the world, Cityworks is used in a wide variety of ways. The software is producing superb results through conventional and innovative approaches, sometimes even in ways not anticipated by us. In addition, more and more clients are expanding their Cityworks implementations once they experience its benefits firsthand and realize how easily it can be deployed enterprise-wide to fill their needs.

In 2008 Azteca Systems announced the release of Cityworks Server PLL (Permits, Licensing, and Land), an asset management solution for managing community development, which is also GIS-centric. Combining Cityworks Server PLL with Cityworks AMS makes an effective solution to manage virtually all public assets.

To illustrate the flexible nature of Cityworks, the chart lists a breakdown of organizations, departments, divisions, and/or areas in which Cityworks is currently being utilized by our community of over 400 users, including some details of assets or procedures Cityworks manages within those areas. Since Cityworks adaptable interface lends itself to integrate with outside applications with ease, many users have also integrated Cityworks with third-party applications to provide effective, sophisticated solutions.

Of course, additional third-party GIS-centric applications, which utilize the GIS as the asset database, can be used with Cityworks without integration, including GPS, automated vehicle location, field data collection, and others.

Most certainly there are more uses of Cityworks too numerous to list here. However, this compilation gives a good idea of the assortment of ways Cityworks clients are utilizing the program, and why we say “Empowering GIS for Asset Management, Permitting, Licensing™ … and more!”

With the expanding use of Cityworks and its hosts of creative users, the variety of ways and purposes for which it is utilized are sure to grow. As more organizations discover

4

Cityworks and its adaptable nature, this list will continue to expand in ways we cannot foresee. Each organization has an individual story about how and why Cityworks works for them and their own variation on how they use the system, but each has one thing in common—their organization is GIS-centric and values leveraging their investment in Esri GIS for managing public assets. I’m pleased to report that our GIS-centric approach has gained broad acceptance as a best practice that works.

Cityworks is the original and leading system for managing public assets, interwoven and seamlessly integrated with Esri GIS. cw

C i t y w o rks AMS — Cityworks U ti l i ti e s Water – distribution, treatment, meters, storage/reservoir Wastewater – collection, treatment, water distribution Stormwater Backflow prevention Electric – distribution, plant, transmission Gas – distribution Cable Fiber optics Telecommunications Other Uses Parks & Recreation Call centers Customer service Airport Marina Engineering Forestry Cemetery Police department Fire department Fleet Mobile Landfill Emergency management and response FEMA reporting

InPrint

Cityworks Client Use

De s ktop, Anywhere, and Se r v e r

C i t y w o r ks P L L ( P e r m i tt i n g , Licensing, and Land)

P ublic Works Buildings/facilities Streets – potholes, resurfacing, sweeping, snow removal, pavement markings Street lighting Street trees Traffic – signals, signs Parking meters Mowing/landscaping Sanitation Vegetation management

Permitting License renewals Code enforcement Land development Plan reviews Inspections Fee calculations and collection Issuance Application routing Tasks

C i tyworks Add-ons

Workflow Management tracking and signoff

Cityworks Storeroom – Inventory management, materials, suppliers, transactions, requisitions, audits, reports Equipment Manager CCTV Interface for PACP Pavement Management Interface

Abatement Hearings

C i t y w o r ks I n te grations

Pavement Management – MicroPAVER CCTV – Flexidata, CUES, WinCan, Cobra Technologies, I.T.pipes Modeling – MWH Soft, Riva Online Financial – HTE, JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, Great Plains, SAP, Harris, Oracle, Lawson, Banner, Microsoft Dynamics, Cogsdale, Munis, Peachtree, eGov Mobile/field – iWater, Go! Sync, 311 – CitySourced, SeeClickFix, Motorola Customer Information System (CIS) – Harris, HTE Utility Locating – Dig-Smart Document Management – OnBase Construction Design – ArcFM Emergency Operations – WebEOC SCADA – Wonderware, Siemens Call Center – Motorola CRM, GovQA AVL – CompassCom Fuel – Petrovend, GasBoy Dashboard – OnPoint, SharePoint

Cityworks Metrics API Cityworks Service Request API Cityworks Work Order API Document Management API Cityworks AVL API

Spring 2011

5

Features

Cityworks Utilized for Managing Natural Resources/Forestry at Minnetonka, Minnesota

By Emily Ball, City Forester & ISA Certified Arborist, City of Minnetonka Public Works Department; and Lindsay Ferguson, PR & Marketing, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

The Natural Resources Division at the City of Minnetonka, Minnesota, is utilizing

C i t y w o r ks : A G I S - C e n tr i c S o l u ti o n

Cityworks to manage their tree care program with fantastic results. From

The Division’s old system was not geographically based and worked with

tracking City trees and forestry-related assets to assisting in the Shade Tree

electronic records/descriptions of tree issues along with associated addresses.

Disease Control Program, the Division has put Cityworks to work and is reaping

To find a tree in the field, staff had to pull paper files and reference a map

the benefits of the system.

that was sketched by a field inspector. Additional attachments and/or records had to be attached to the paper copy. This meant that only one person could

Previous to Cityworks, Minnetonka’s Natural Resources Division was using

work with a paper file at a time, and if a paper copy was lost or misplaced, all

an out-of-date computer program that was no longer supported by its

attachments including the map would be lost as well.

manufacturer. The City was concerned the program would crash, resulting in the loss of valuable data. Additionally, the Division felt it was important to

Other divisions within the City were already utilizing Esri’s ArcGIS and were

keep more accurate, detailed records of work-related information, which the old

very pleased with its functionality. Having seen the capabilities of GIS, Natural

system couldn’t handle. Meanwhile, the City was facing a crisis where a non-

Resources foresaw the benefits that could result from a GIS-integrated system

native invasive insect, the Emerald Ash Borer, was found in the state and had

and hoped to find a new, computerized solution that would interface with

already killed over 25 million trees in neighboring Michigan alone.

ArcGIS. The Division also wanted a program that could store extra documents

With the insect less than 20 miles away from Minnetonka’s border, plans accelerated for a new and improved system that could meet tree tracking and removal needs as well as help manage tree issues that could be brought on by the insects. The City wanted a robust yet easy-to-use system that could handle a large increase in tree work orders if a situation such as an insect outbreak was to occur.

associated with work orders and clearly track field and office tasks for work order completion.

After researching various CMMS programs, the City discovered Cityworks and determined it could meet the needs of the Natural Resources Division as well as provide many other advanced benefits with its GIS-centric capabilities. Some benefits of Cityworks as a GIS-centric solution to the Division include: • Links between parcel layers with service requests and/or work orders.

• Tracking individual tree data, such as species and diameter.

• Attaching multiple trees per work order or per property.

• Maps with stored data, making it easier to recheck problem sites and reference historical data.

• Viewing a map of the city to see where tree events are happening, such as tree problem areas and storm damage.

Minnetonka also visited existing Cityworks customers in the area. The City’s contractor SEH® (Short Elliot Hendrickson, Inc.) arranged a meeting with the nearby City of Coon Rapids. Minnetonka was very impressed with Coon Rapids’ system and asked them to assist in the setup of their system. An intergovernmental agreement was formulated and the City essentially hired Coon Rapids for the expertise they had to offer. Minnetonka’s project success is largely due to the partnership between the cities and the knowledge key individuals at Coon Rapids, such as Cindy Hintze and Chris Jensen, were willing to share.

C i t y w o r ks f o r Na tu r a l R e s o u r c e s The Natural Resources Division uses Cityworks to track virtually all forestryrelated work. The Division has found processes much easier with Cityworks, as it provides one, unified framework for all data. Each year the Division requires 1300 – 2900 trees for removal throughout the City on private and public properties. Cityworks has been a remarkable tool enabling the City to effectively track this information along with all the details associated with the actual work.

Winter Tree Inspection

6

InPrint

Currently, all tree inspections are initiated as service requests. When follow-

work order. If not, the work order remains open and the City will track it until

up work is needed, a work order is created. There are several service request

it’s complete.

types, ranging from Diseased Elm Tree inspections to Sightline Pruning and Stump Grinding requests. The Cityworks service request process provides

Since the tree program relies heavily on seasonal employees to conduct most

efficient tracking of requests in the system and assigns them based on current

tree inspections, having a clear chain of tasks on each type of project within

staffing. It also helps ensure that resident requests don’t fall through the

Cityworks helps to ensure each step is being completed.

cracks.

B e n e f i ts o f th e S y s te m The Cityworks work order system allows the Division to determine who has

By providing a more comprehensive framework, Cityworks has allowed the

been assigned responsibility for work (from a contractor to a City crew or a

Division to track and update Forestry service requests and work orders more

resident homeowner) and when it should be completed. Forestry currently

effectively than ever. The features of the program, especially the ability to task

uses nine types of work orders, such as storm damage or diseased Elm

work, have made it easier to find relevant information more quickly. The GIS/

removal, with slightly different tasks for each. Tasks include anything from

mapping capabilities allow staff to see exactly where work has taken place or

when an initial inspection occurred (and by whom) to when a letter was mailed

needs to occur.

from the office. Additionally, the tasks feature helps assign dates for work completion. With high volumes of phone calls from residents for site visits,

The Natural Resources Division anticipates positive outcomes will continue

Cityworks makes it easy to retrieve information helping the Division provide

to escalate as staff becomes more accustomed to using the program and

good customer service.

streamlining certain processes. In 2011, the Division hopes to use Cityworks more for budget tracking. Along with Natural Resources, other divisions

D i seased Tree Program

within Public Works are currently in the processes of implementing Cityworks,

The City initiated a Shade Tree Disease Control Program guided by an

including Engineering, Utilities, Streets, and Parks.

ordinance in the City code, first established in 1974. The intent of the program is to manage tree diseases on private and public property in order to prevent

A b o u t M i n n e to n k a

epidemic-level outbreaks. In 2010, there were 741 work orders for diseased

Located in Hennepin County just eight miles west of Minneapolis, Minnetonka

trees. Cityworks tracks the work orders and all associated details, making it

is a suburban community of 51,451 residents, making it the 19th largest city

possible for the City to effectively complete work.

in Minnesota. Minnetonka is proud of its reputation as a city that preserves its natural resources. Residents can enjoy 49 community parks, more than 81

Cityworks has enabled the City to carry out multiple tasks associated with the

miles of maintained sidewalks and trails, and more than 1000 acres of public

program, resulting in operating in a more effective and efficient manner. For

open space, as well as natural scenery that includes mature trees, wetlands, and prairies. cw

example, throughout the summer, tree inspectors scout the city street by street searching for diseased trees. Inspectors utilize Cityworks service requests to follow up on diseased trees and problem areas. The system assists in the process of residents calling for inspections to diagnose/verify tree disease and tracking treatments to control disease spread.

As part of the program, the City is also preparing to manage the Emerald Ash Borer insect outbreak utilizing Cityworks. Due to differences in detection and treatments, the insects will be managed differently than tree diseases have been. The Division anticipates the addition of Emerald Ash Borer to the program will significantly increase the number of resident service requests and work orders for removals or treatments. Using Cityworks, the City is prepared to take action in this regard in order to protect public safety as trees die.

With the current program (or you could say, with the current diseases), if an inspector finds a tree that needs to be removed on private property, a work order is created. Tree inspectors conduct compliance rechecks regularly and return to each site when the time period lapses. If the tree and wood have been disposed of properly, the City will mark the record complete and close the

Spring 2011

7

Newport News, Virginia: A Showcase Cityworks Site

By Tim DeSalvo, Asset Management Division Administrator, Newport News; and Lindsay Ferguson, PR & Marketing, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

In the late 1990s, the City of Newport News, Virginia, Public Works Department had an asset/maintenance management system that wasn’t producing the results they needed. Work orders were in paper form and typed out by secretaries. Data entry was cumbersome at best and presented specific challenges for users trying to derive results from their input. Increasing pressure to meet the GASB 34 requirements loomed with no funding and unrealistic due dates.

On top of all this, Newport News was faced with the daunting challenge of bringing the City’s Public Works Department’s information technology into the new century. The Department began to realize they needed to face their issues head-on and find an asset management system that fit their needs and was consistent with their overall IT strategy. Through an open RPF process, they discovered Cityworks.

The City was initially drawn to Cityworks because of its GIS-centric capabilities.

As they learned more about the software, they identified many other features and reporting capabilities that would be a good fit for what the Department and the City needed. Azteca Systems also displayed a partnership quality that would continually work to help Newport News achieve their immediate, as well as ongoing, goals. Making reporting easier and less restrictive was a key component they were looking for in a new system. Cityworks quickly proved it could decrease the Department’s dependency on the time-consuming and paper-intensive external reporting process of the legacy, mainframe system—a difficult task that could only be done by select staff.

(for creation/maintenance of employee labor rates), and City Financial Accounting System (for the transmission of the Department’s Cityworks costs to be expensed against the operating budget). In addition, the City reengineered their business processes to support a new Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) program centered on Cityworks.

Through the summer of 2004, use of Cityworks expanded as they implemented into buildings maintained by Public Works. The Department adopted the change in workflow processes exceptionally well and worked to create checks and balances for their staff’s service requests and work orders, achieving superb responsiveness and closure.

R e s u l ts Newport News experienced outstanding results with Cityworks from the onset.

Tim DeSalvo, Asset Management Division Administrator, explains, “Immediately upon implementation, we had everything we wanted and so much more.

We went from having approximately 250 programs on the mainframe to a miraculous point where everyone, at their desktop, could do their own reports —a big time saver for me.”

DeSalvo continues: “It was wonderful to know the information was now at our staff’s fingertips. When we implemented Cityworks, we had then and still have today, a modest staff to support this significant enterprise system. Inasmuch as Cityworks provides the ability for individual users to perform much of their own reporting, for example, it frees me up to do other important functions. It’s marvelous that when something was done in the GIS, it would immediately appear in Cityworks.”

Newport News is experiencing many Citywide successes as a result of Cityworks. Storeroom Annual Physical Inventory has greatly improved as Crystal Reports are now easily generated. Information from these reports is provided to the administration, enabling them to create their own inventory sheets and to work much more independently with inventory data. In addition, End of Fiscal Year Processing has been enhanced, resulting in much smoother transitions into the new fiscal year. Before Cityworks, the City relied solely on the Division Administrator to generate mainframe reports. With Cityworks, the task is now dispersed, saving management valuable time as many of the users can generate more specific reports to review key performance measures.

I m plementation Newport News began their implementation of Cityworks in the Public Works Department in June of 2004. In the first phase, they experienced a smooth transition to the ArcSDE geodatabase. A flexible Cityworks database structure was developed that could be continually modified and updated to support the Department’s asset maintenance and GASB 34 reporting needs. Three interfaces were created to essential legacy systems: the Purchase Requisition System (for storeroom requisitions), Payroll/Human Resources Management

8

InPrint

C i t yworks Expansion The Building Services Division has been using Cityworks from the beginning of its implementation. David L. Sinclair, Building Services Administrator, summarizes, “We use Cityworks for all phases and work assignments in the Division, including custodial, HVAC, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and so on. Work orders are generated not just from a reactive standpoint, but also from the proactive standpoint to where we generate upwards of 50 cyclical work orders a month. These cyclical work orders are used for different areas, notably the HVAC and custodial services work.”

In the Streets Maintenance Division, Kenneth Holloway comments, “We use Cityworks to track all roadway history. We’re able to choose an asset, research it, find past maintenance work and bills associated with it, and make maintenance decisions based on that info. We basically use Cityworks the same way with concrete work. Over the years, our goal was to reconstruct streets to bring them up to current standards, and Cityworks has helped us meet that goal.” departments, including Codes Compliance, Mayor’s Office, City Manager, City Clerk, Management & Legislative Affairs, and Community Relations.

“With respect to the future, the sky is the limit,” states DeSalvo. “We’re really excited about the implementation of Cityworks Server AMS. I want everyone to have at their fingertips the very things they need to do their job.”

For more on their Cityworks user story, view the Newport News Cityworks Video Spotlight at: http://www.cityworks.com/media/spotlight.aspx.

The Streets Division generates work orders and information on materials, such as how many loads of solid waste is delivered to the landfill. This information is tracked and utilized for a variety of purposes. For example, the data shows how many cubic yards are brought into the compost facility, which in turn is reported to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

A b o u t Ne w p o r t Ne w s The City of Newport News, Virginia, is located in the southwestern end of the Virginia Peninsula on the north shore of the James River. The city supports rich history dating back to 1619 when the area was included in one of four corporations of the Virginia Company of London. In its early years, Newport News was primarily a farming and fishing village until the coming of the railroad and shipyard development in the late 1800s when it became an official city.

Today Newport News is home to 180,000 residents and is an industrial center growing in affluence and significance as a major metropolitan area in the Hampton Roads region. cw

“Cityworks is paramount to tracking a number of revenue-generating features we use every day,” explains Amy K. Gray, Assistant Administrator of the Solid Waste Division. “We use it to track work orders, labor, equipment costs, and to assist in diverting waste from the landfill to elongate its life. Without Cityworks helping us track all of those things, it would be very labor-intensive. There are times I wonder what it would do to our budgets having to hire additional people to track the work that Cityworks does for us.”

Beyond the original Cityworks implementation, the City has since expanded use throughout the organization. The Engineering Department’s operations are all managed with Cityworks. Service requests are available in several

Spring 2011

9

Longview, Texas: The Benefits of Cityworks GIS-Centric Enterprise Solution

By Laura Carr, GIS Project Manager, NTB Associates; and Justin Cure, GIS Manager, City of Longview

The City of Longview, Texas, recently implemented Cityworks and is already experiencing substantial benefits with the system. Longview first implemented Cityworks in their Public Works Department (Water, Sewer, Streets, Traffic, and Drainage Divisions) and soon after expanded to Parks, Buildings/Facilities, Warehouse, and Wastewater Treatment Plant. The many positive outcomes resulting from Cityworks include increased GIS capabilities, better reporting, time and cost savings, and improved communication throughout the enterprise.

Moreover, staff are very enthusiastic with the results and future potential of the system.

actually a part of the GIS. That is what really drove me towards Cityworks.”

T h e Move to Cityworks Before Cityworks, the City had a noncommercial, homegrown work order management system consisting of five different databases through which work was tracked. Two of the databases were Microsoft FoxPro and the others were individual Microsoft Access databases. The system had been in use for years and contained about 450,000 work orders. Work history and information on assets were there, but the system was very basic and didn’t integrate with GIS. The City’s Assistant Director of Public Works, Rolin McPhee, expressed his concern that their databases were outdated and unable to efficiently meet their growing needs. Longview needed another solution.

“The ease that users are able to perform tasks in the system like adding work orders, changing information such as employee or material information, and the ability to change data was also a big determining point in our choosing Cityworks,” added Cure. “We didn’t see those abilities in every system.”

McPhee approached the City’s GIS Manager, Justin Cure, to discuss the possibilities of a new work order management system. He was more than aware of the benefits that a GIS-integrated work order management system could provide the City.

“Truthfully, I wanted something that interfaced very well with GIS,” states Cure.

“We have an enterprise GIS at the City and use it in almost every division.

I wanted a work order management system that could integrate well with and take advantage of our GIS. We began searching for a solution and kept running into Cityworks. The thing we found very impressive about Cityworks and different from other systems is that it doesn’t just integrate with GIS, it is

Justin Cure recognized Cityworks as a solution that fit the City’s GIS enterprise strategy and an opportunity to boost GIS to a new level. He illustrated these points to Rolin McPhee and others at the City, and they caught the vision of what Cityworks could mean for their organization. In addition to the inherent GIS capabilities, decision makers were also drawn to Cityworks by other strong points of the system such as its easy-to-use interface and customizable, flexible nature.

I m p l e m e n ta ti o n In early 2010, Longview made the decision to purchase a Cityworks Enterprise License Agreement (ELA), which provides enterprise-wide Cityworks asset management and permitting solutions within a tiered, affordable pricing schedule. The City began their Cityworks implementation in the Public Works Department across five divisions including Water, Sewer, Streets, Traffic, and Drainage.

Azteca Systems’ business partner, NTB Associates, initiated a weeklong kickoff effort with Longview and met with virtually everyone in Public Works to discuss their needs and aspirations for Cityworks. From setting objectives and goals with supervisors and managers to identifying end user details, NTBA gathered information about day-to-day activities and overall needs. They saw trends in what individuals were wanting and took that information to configure a Cityworks database that would function exactly that way.

Longview’s experience with their previous work order management system provided a good foundation for them to start. Staff was able to pinpoint what capabilities and tools they wanted in their new system. In addition, NTBA was able to input 99% of the 450,000 work orders that had been in Longview’s previous system into Cityworks, enabling directors to access data from 12 years back and look up history on individual assets.

Following the configuration process, NTBA conducted a week of end user training. NTBA also provided an additional week of onsite support, which proved to be most beneficial. With Longview staff trained and familiar with the workings of the system, NTBA staff was able to sit down with City users while actually working in Cityworks and assist with issues as they arose.

“Implementation wouldn’t have been as successful if not for that hands-on week NTBA provided,” recalls Cure. “Questions were answered and a lot of confidence was built. Going into an entirely new system can be daunting, but NTBA alleviated any nervousness our staff had. The onsite support was especially beneficial. The one-on-one time gave them a chance to flush out any questions they had and get direct, thorough answers.”

10

InPrint

T h e Go-Live Longview’s go-live date went very smoothly, and Cityworks was immediately effective. The quick success they experienced was clearly the result of NTBA and the City working together very well, the staff’s willingness to be involved, and Cityworks intuitive, user-friendly interface.

The initial implementation was primarily focused at the desktop. The City also had an ELA with Esri and wanted to leverage the capabilities of using ArcGIS and Cityworks Desktop together. Management could forsee the benefits of using the Desktop version of Cityworks as a means to increase the use of GIS. Cityworks was expanded to manage work within the Parks Department, which includes all park and building maintenance. The City then deployed Cityworks Storeroom in their warehouse. The Wastewater Treatment Plant also did away with their old system and implemented Cityworks.

Time and Cost Savings “Cityworks has saved us a lot of time with work delegation and has increased our communication,” explains Cure. “Previous to Cityworks, management would have to individually seek out supervisors and report work that needed to be carried out. Now they simply enter tasks into Cityworks and supervisors automatically know what work needs to be handled. Because of this, supervisors have a way to clearly track work being performed and the completion of that work. These capabilities have produced time savings and resulted in increased communication and efficiency of our overall processes.”

With accurate information on labor costs, the City is able to compare costs, resulting in better management decisions and overall cost savings. For example, before Cityworks, it was difficult for the Parks Division to determine costs. Cityworks provided them a place to manage and retrieve cost information, making expense data easily available to support research and comparison for actions and procedures. When comparing costs to prepare a baseball field for an upcoming tournament, the information provided in Cityworks showed the Division had not been charging enough in tournament fees to cover their costs. The City now has cost information readily available enabling them to save in many areas like they have in the Parks Division, resulting in significant overall savings.

Wastewater Treatment Plant

G I S Capabilities Finding a system that integrated with GIS was an important consideration to Longview. This requirement proved to be a key aspect of the City’s success.

With the click of a button, staff are able to geographically locate an asset and factor in important details about its location including its relationship to other City assets, surroundings, and overall location. Visualizing the asset in the GIS, staff can see its history, work performed, associated costs, and open service requests and work orders. The benefits the City has experienced from these GIS capabilities have resulted in more effective and efficient work management.

R e porting Before utilizing Cityworks, supervisors would go into meetings with updates on what was going on in their divisions working only from memory. With Cityworks, supervisors now bring reports of work that has been completed in their areas, making staff and supervisors more aware of work that has been completed and management more knowledgeable about what is going on in the City.

Spring 2011

E n te r p r i s e S o l u t i o n Cityworks has enabled the City to manage multiple divisions and departments through a central database and share information across the organization.

With their Cityworks ELA, the City has access to the entire Cityworks suite of products and plans to grow their usage to other applications. Longview looks at Cityworks as an evolving process that will continue to expand throughout the City. “Because of Cityworks enterprise-wide capabilities as well as our purchase of the Cityworks ELA, when discussing the areas in which Cityworks can and will be expanded throughout the City, the sky is the limit,” says Cure.

F u tu re The City will soon be implementing Cityworks Server PLL (Permits, Licensing, and Land) in the Development Services Department to handle all planning, zoning, building, code enforcement, development, and environmental health.

With the positive outcomes and benefits the City has experienced from Cityworks and its GIS capabilities, the City looks forward to future benefits they will reap with the system as they continue to expand the program as their enterprise management solution. cw

11

Delaware City, Ohio, Experiences the Benefits of Cityworks Server PLL

By Lindsay Ferguson, PR & Marketing, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

The City of Delaware, Ohio, utilizes Cityworks Server PLL (Permits, Licensing, and Land) to manage permitting and code enforcement, providing them numerous improvements including significant timesaving benefits. The City’s Public Utilities is achieving the same great results with Cityworks Server AMS for traditional asset and work management. With Cityworks as their crossdepartmental application, Delaware is reaping the benefits of their GIS-centric enterprise solution.

sent to finance each day took an hour or more to generate and reconcile and was somewhat disorganized. Now this report takes literally only a few minutes and is correct every time. Monthly reports that took the better part of a day to complete using many data sources now take just minutes from a single source.

Finding case history and other relevant actions on a property that required hours of searching paper files and was nearly impossible is now not only possible, but quick and easy to perform from the desktop.”

Before using Cityworks, Delaware worked from a paper-based system supported by Microsoft Access and Excel. With databases of information going back a number of years, the City’s number one requirement was to ensure that the software program they chose integrated seamlessly with ArcGIS. Delaware discovered Cityworks and realized it provided exactly what they wanted for GIS integration and much more. Cityworks was implemented to manage business processes across several departments and to provide a single place where all their information could reside and be shared.

City staff has embraced the program. The Department has seen overall efficiency gains, and information is easily accessible to every staff member.

Staff can view all the steps of a given permit type in one centralized location.

The Cityworks workflow engine neatly organizes the tasks required for a given permit, case, or project. Bypassing what would have been piles of difficultto-organize-and-manage paperwork, the program provides a central location for this data, all in an easy-to-use, web-based interface. Furthermore, the Department has enhanced communication as the capabilities of Cityworks Server PLL facilitate a much more team-oriented approach to work and problem solving while also increasing accountability.

C i t yworks Server PLL As one of the first sites to deploy Cityworks Server PLL, the City of Delaware is pleased with the many improvements to their work processes. The Planning & Community Development Department uses Cityworks PLL to manage all building permits, inspections, code enforcement cases, development applications, and approvals, as well as engineering construction processes.

Taking advantage of the flexible and customizable nature of Cityworks, 88 unique templates were configured by the City. Each template contains data that supports the specific permit or case type, such as tasks, inspections, fees, conditions, and pertinent custom data fields.

Comparing the former permitting system to Cityworks, Dave Efland, Director of Planning & Community Development, states, “It is literally like moving from the dark ages to the enlightenment trying to describe the difference between pre-Cityworks and post-Cityworks. Before Cityworks, our daily pay-in report

Cityworks Server PLL

12

In addition, Cityworks Server PLL provides an automated system to calculate permitting fees. For example, after house plans are submitted to the City, they are queued for extensive review. Plan reviewers now input the information they gather during the review into the system which automatically calculates permit fees, making this process more organized and efficient.

Code enforcement processes have greatly improved due to Cityworks Server PLL. Utilizing Cityworks searches, event layers, and reports, the status of permits, cases, and applications is available to both staff and citizens in a visual way. The ability to view and select a code enforcement case in Cityworks puts the information at the staff’s fingertips, as well as being able to easily look at the GIS and see where code enforcement issues lie within the City.

Efland says, “In relation to code enforcement, with Cityworks PLL, we can see hot spots and cool spots within the system.

Based on that information, we can readjust our resources, which are very limited, to attack the problem areas that we want to attack.”

C i t y w o r ks S e r v e r A MS The Delaware Public Utilities Department has also seen substantial improvements to work processes and timesaving measures utilizing Cityworks Server AMS for asset and work management. Brad Stanton, Director of Public Utilities, explains, “Some of the greatest benefits we have seen from Cityworks have been the streamlining of our work and the increased efficiency of our staff. The more efficient our staff is the more work we are able to accomplish.

Whether it’s a preventive or maintenance issue, a repair, or an installation, the work is just more efficient, and we’re able to document it better.

For example, before Cityworks, if we had a water

InPrint

Office Staff Using Cityworks

mind that it will continue to do so down the road and that we will find more and more ways to utilize the program.”

For more on Delaware’s Cityworks user story, view the Delaware Cityworks Video Spotlight at: http://www.cityworks.com/media/spotlight.aspx.

main break, we were out in the field trying to figure out what valve to turn off to isolate the main break. Using Cityworks, we now know exactly where we need to go to isolate a water main repair effort.”

The water treatment plant uses Cityworks for preventive maintenance.

Managers assign specific tasks to staff members and include what equipment items are needed to perform the task along with any other pertinent details, all tracked within Cityworks. Cityworks is also utilized for water tower inspections.

Ohio EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) requires a weekly inspection to ensure vandalism has not been done to the towers or their surrounding areas.

Public Utilities use work orders to track this information and document that the required inspections have been performed.

About Delaware The City of Delaware, located about 30 miles north of downtown Columbus, Ohio’s state capital, is the seat of Delaware County. As an independent community, Delaware retains its small-town qualities while benefiting from northward growth from the Columbus region. Delaware County has been the state’s fastest growing county for more than a decade and is among the top-20 fastest growing, wealthiest, and most educated areas in the nation. cw

In addition, Cityworks has been very beneficial to the City Finance Director as the departments are now able to provide actual dollar numbers on assets and work performed tracked in Cityworks. When setting annual budgets, they are able to see real numbers instead of just estimates, which is very beneficial to budget planning.

E f f iciency Gains Utilizing Cityworks Server PLL and AMS has provided Delaware with a unified system to use throughout the organization for many purposes, producing everything the City wanted in a GIS application and more. Dave Efland summarizes, “Cityworks provides Delaware with a system where we can input data and analyze it in a meaningful way to help improve processes.

The program has provided efficiency gains in many areas, and there is no doubt in my

Spring 2011

Fire Hydrant Maintenance

13

City of Racine, Wisconsin, Improves Efficiency in Code Enforcement Case Management

By Thierno Ndao, Developer-Database Administrator, City of Racine; and Lindsay Ferguson, PR & Marketing, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

At the City of Racine, Cityworks Server PLL (Permits, Licensing, and Land) and Cityworks Server AMS (Asset Management Solution) have become an integral component of the daily operations in the City’s Public Works and Code Enforcement Departments. The City recently went “live” with Cityworks PLL to manage the code enforcement violations within the City. Code enforcement officers for the City have reported an array of benefits resulting in a considerable return on investment (ROI) in terms of time savings and efficiency in managing their case loads. Racine is pleased with the outcome of implementing Cityworks PLL in addition to their existing Cityworks AMS implementation and anticipates further results as they continue to grow with the product and learn the features of PLL. The Building Department uses Cityworks Server PLL for the Unified Neighborhood Inspection Team (UNIT) code enforcement. The UNIT consists of five officers, each managing a geographic area of the city. Inspectors access Cityworks PLL via air cards on tablet PCs that allow them to enter data and create cases while in the field. PLL has benefited the City in three major areas: application support, business integration, and workflow.

A p plication Support The old client-based application system the Building Department used before Cityworks PLL was developed using Visual Basic 2003 and SQL Server 2000.

This system became progressively more difficult to maintain and needed to be completely rewritten. Switching from the previous system to the web-based Cityworks has improved and simplified application support throughout the department. IT staff no longer need to update each and every department computer when making changes, saving the City valuable time and resources.

In addition, the City no longer manages a separate homegrown application.

Thus, application and programming hurdles, like software incompatibility issues, don’t cost the City the time and effort it takes to develop and manage their own application.

B u s i n e s s I n te g r a ti o n The ability of Cityworks to integrate seamlessly with Racine’s GIS has been a major benefit. PLL takes advantage of the City’s GIS infrastructure data, providing the ability to utilize the GIS framework with code enforcement issues and points of interest. In addition to GIS benefits, the open nature of the software has allowed the department to customize and integrate Cityworks with assessor and finance software.

Violation notices and reinspection letters generated from cases that are attached to parcels within the GIS reflect the current parcel ownership or tenant information directly from the GIS. The assessor’s information on each parcel is stored in the GIS, saving the City the time and effort involved in replicating the assessor data across multiple systems.

As part of the implementation, IT staff from Racine worked with their Cityworks Project Manager to develop a custom, web-based invoicing process that integrates Cityworks Server PLL with the finance software. This integration has enabled automation of tasks, such as invoice request processing, resulting in substantial time savings. Before Cityworks, each invoice request took an average of 3–5 minutes to process manually. Now the process consists of two simple clicks, taking just a few seconds per invoice. Running a report takes less than one minute where before it was much more time-consuming. These improvements have resulted in substantial gains in time and data accuracy.

So far, over 1700 invoice requests have been processed using the Cityworks invoice request integration.

Workflow The built in workflow of Cityworks Server PLL has enabled the City to better manage processes and have an improved overview of day-to-day operations.

All case-related documents can be directly attached to cases, resulting in streamlined complaint processing and overall case management.

Reporting and case management processes have also become much more efficient as a result of Cityworks PLL. All documents submitted by property owners related to their cases can be attached directly to the case, eliminating paperwork that used to be sent between the Street Maintenance & Building Divisions and the office of the Commissioner of Public Works. The new system provides a much more organized, efficient, and eco-friendly process.

“The combination of Cityworks Server PLL and AMS has given us one central location to manage DPW (Department of Public Works) processes,” states Brian Dechant, Building Department Unified Neighborhood Inspection Team (UNIT) at Racine. “Cityworks PLL has been very helpful in expediting our code enforcement and invoicing procedures, providing us great ROI benefits. We look forward to the implementation of business licensing and building permits into our program in the near future which will enhance our processes even more.”

14

InPrint

A b out Racine The City of Racine, Wisconsin, is located on the shores of Lake Michigan, about 30 miles south of Milwaukee and 60 miles north of Chicago, Illinois. Racine is the fifth largest city in Wisconsin with approximately 82,000 residents.

The community is known for its unique lakefront zoo, Frank Lloyd Wright creations, and the Wind Point Lighthouse that inspires many artists. Racine has historically been a center for Danish-American culture. Kringles (a thin, delicate Danish pastry) are an important part of Racine’s cultural identity as several local bakeries make and ship hundreds of thousands of Kringles each year. Downtown Racine is home to the stunning Racine Art Museum and the Racine Heritage Museum. cw

Field Inspection

®

The Trusted Integrator for Sustainable Solutions

Unlock your organization’s intelligence

AUTHORIZED BUSINESS PARTNER

Integrate your data Integrate your IT systems Integrate your workflow Integrate your business

Cityworks Server AMS implementation Map-based operations dashboards Sustainable asset management programs

Spring 2011

Contact Weston Solutions, Inc. Cityworks@westonsolutions.com (916) 865-2704

Deploying Cityworks Server PLL with AMS … Why Not??

By Matt Harman, Project Manager, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

Nearly 425 organizations currently use Cityworks as their asset management solution. Each day, literally thousands of users log in to Cityworks to record the day’s activities. Looking at Cityworks through this lens is remarkable. It’s not just an application – it’s an industry. I often refer to this as the “Cityworks Economy” which is simply meant to summarize all the impact that Cityworks has across multiple types of organizations and individuals throughout the world.

The great thing about the Cityworks economy is it is growing and, as with all economies, growth is good.

One Cityworks product that continues to generate interest within our user community is Cityworks Server PLL (Permits, Licensing, and Land). Over the past few years, several organizations have adopted Cityworks PLL. The year 2010 was indeed a strong year for PLL. Ten organizations chose Cityworks PLL, bringing the total from 7 at the end of 2009 to 17 at the end of 2010.

Although a relatively new product, Cityworks PLL has proven to be an efficient and productive solution for those who’ve deployed it. The majority of these organizations were current Cityworks AMS users. They found that adding PLL to their current Cityworks AMS solution was both cost-effective and simply “made sense” considering the advantages of one enterprise product versus piecing together two or more systems.

Indeed, there are many benefits of deploying Cityworks Server PLL and Cityworks Server AMS together in the same web application and database.

These two products, working together, provide an enterprise solution designed to manage the complex business processes and workflows that span across local government agencies.

As the Project Manager over the majority of Cityworks Server PLL implementations and several Cityworks AMS Server and Desktop implementations, I have seen how organizations achieve a greater return on investment (ROI) by using both Cityworks Server AMS and PLL. The benefits of one system versus multiple systems can be divided into three categories depending on the perspective of the Cityworks user: 1. Core end user processes and workflow 2. Reporting and other higher level benefits 3. IT departments P r ocesses and Workflow Core end user processes are the day-to-day activities Cityworks manages.

For asset management, these include service requests, work orders, and inspections. For permitting and licensing, they are permits, inspections, cases, planning and zoning activities, etc. All of these activities can be stored, managed, and tracked in the same Cityworks application. This provides an organization and its end users a single place to go for “all things” with one login. Take a look at some specific examples: • Public works, streets, and water crews or supervisors use work orders to manage the preventive and reactive maintenance of their assets.

• Supervisors and administrators track maintenance and asset management costs on the work orders.

• Call takers log calls and complaints routing them to the appropriate department or person via service requests.

16

• Planners manage development applications, projects, and permits.

• Building departments manage permits and inspections.

• Engineers track City-sponsored or privately funded construction projects with associated bonding and inspection requirements.

• Code enforcement officers manage cases and violations.

• Licensing clerks track business licenses and renewals.

Cityworks AMS and PLL manage all of the above, and, if needed, any of these items can be linked to one another within the system. That’s right … the workflow of a given process may span both AMS and PLL! I’m often asked, “Why would a user need to create a work order from a permit or vice versa?” While the majority of core end user processes in asset and permit/case management may not require the need to jump back and forth from a work order to a permit, there are certain events on a permit or case that may require creating a work order, or certain work orders may need a permit.

For example, code enforcement cases often require public works crews to abate past due violations such as weed overgrowth or snow removal. In this case, creating a work order could be incorporated in the workflow of that code enforcement case, and a link established between the two.

A residential construction permit may use a service request to request a water meter installation associated to a newly constructed home. Even more, the service request would ultimately be associated to a work order performed by the water department. All three of these items would be linked together and accessible from each application.

Service requests can be used to log violation complaints or even requests for permit applications. That service request would be routed to the appropriate user and a case or permit may be created as a result.

These are just a few typical examples. (Examples of how an organization might also incorporate GIS edits, invoicing, legal, warranty inspections, bonding, and other financial tracking within the workflow will be covered in a future article!) The point is that organizations using PLL along with AMS have the option to leverage both systems should a given workflow require it. This promotes greater communication across departments and increases overall efficiency as Cityworks tracks the multiple events in a single web application and database.

H i g h e r L e v e l B e n e f i ts Deploying both AMS and PLL adds significant ROI at a higher level. From this perspective, the ROI is really a return on efficiency or productivity. Using the Cityworks solution enables access to a wide variety of activities that Cityworks manages. A key advantage of deploying both Cityworks AMS and PLL together is the ability to share information. Within Cityworks, it is very simple and quick to pull the data together through the use of event layers, inbox, searching, and reporting. As such, planners can view open work orders that may affect a particular project. Public works staff can view new permits or development applications coming down the pipeline. City administrators can export a report that combines expenditures from AMS and revenues from PLL. Cityworks takes

InPrint

all of this information and empowers its various users with what is important to them. Literally, within seconds, users can access information that impacts their responsibilities.

City administrative staff, council members, planning commission members, and others can be given a login to the system and access the Inbox, Dashboard, or custom reports that summarize everything happening within the city all in one place. No interfaces needed, Cityworks stores it all. In addition, Cityworks tracks a good portion of the financial information of an organization—all expenditures (labor, material, and equipment costs for work order activities) as well as revenue from permit fees, application fees, and code enforcement invoicing. This can help simplify monthly and yearly reporting because the data is all stored in Cityworks rather than pieced together with multiple systems.

will continue to feature more and more interactivity between PLL and AMS. While both AMS and PLL can stand alone as an efficient solution for their specific audiences, organizations that utilize both systems enjoy a greater return on investment and efficiency through better communication, combining workflows, leveraging GIS, reporting, and IT savings. We encourage our current Cityworks AMS organizations (Desktop, Server, or Anywhere) interested in a permitting system to contact us to see how Cityworks Server PLL can improve your organization’s use of Cityworks. Matt Harman mharman@ cityworks.com cw

At the core of both systems is Cityworks GIS-centric approach to asset and community development management. The organization’s GIS is an integral part of the application. Both Cityworks Server AMS and PLL standardize around the GIS features and spatial data. Information from the GIS can be imported directly into Cityworks via attached work orders and permits/cases. The map viewer allows users to visually track activities occurring throughout the various departments. This eliminates the need to replicate data—in particular parcel and assessor data—across two (or more) systems, which saves time and effort for many staff members.

I T Department Savings Another significant advantage of one system is the savings for the organization’s IT department. Two (or more) systems result in two sets of system requirements, which may require unique hardware and software components. As a web-based system, Cityworks is one application with one database that can handle the entire gamut with one set of system requirements. This results in fewer software updates, fewer applications to support, less user training, less dedicated hardware to purchase, less time managing interfaces between different systems, fewer vendors to contract and work with, and so on. “Less” in all of these categories saves an organization and its IT staff a lot of time, money, and headaches.  Also, many agencies that run multiple systems encounter incompatibility issues where one application doesn’t yet support a third-party system (e.g., ArcGIS, MS Office, Windows, etc.), but the other system requires it in order to upgrade.

Thus, many times an organization gets “stuck” on older software. Using one system like Cityworks reduces this problem if not eliminating it altogether.

This in turn streamlines upgrades and allows users to take advantage of new features sooner.

S u mmary Cityworks is unique in its ability to share information easily and efficiently across multiple departments and disciplines in local governments. It is currently the only GIS-centric-certified system that provides this “out of the box.” From its first release, our user base has provided dozens of request and ideas to further integrate the two products. These organizations have “caught the vision” and experienced the advantages of one fully integrated solution versus piecing together different products. Cityworks 2011 and future releases

Spring 2011

Cityworks Server AMS and PLL work seamlessly together, leveraging Esri’s ArcGIS Server.

17

Ci

t yw Con

fe

ks r o ce ren

201

1

mic cono ing e mains u in t n ny re ite co desp ur compa t a h t O t repor ort. year. ud to the past and supp o r p , s in ce am User ser ell. I ive growth confiden orks ier event rks U w w o ll y w it a d y C u sit ue Cit prem new 2011 ds yo ontin ed po Dear t the nce is the to gather ge fin ms realiz nd your c a a s s s u u ere me ste ua to join Conf for yo to yo e this ca Sy o you ur User portunity t I hop ns, Azte g, thanks n io O at . op itio stron l invit Utah le for able cond eligib e y and rsona . George, an invalu hips. h e w lt p o a y n t s is he m as lation ve it h in S rs are tend . Ple to ex 6th – 18t We belie portant re s use port fees k e r k o li 1 yw y. ld im up y I wou ence, Ma communit and build le, Cit om). and s ossib l update yworks.c s er s p f t k r n c e o o u c it a d w C n hout annu er@c enda ur pro e City as wit gain and ur att based on ions (krys for th ation on o w o t y I e . t ak ns op tah us a al inform s to m registratio gistration ge, U 0 will join e Municip h t r r o o f e f e G e e r 1 g r ug . r c t 0 r u o o n r 2 S u e o go in Ge s th d in onfer uss y inuin r. St. ting flight s held o attende a a e Cont mentary c er to disc w y c s li d this rence u wh onne comp t Kaye Ry confe ose of yo y to atten w offers c r u o c it h a o t e n cont portu and n hope rst tim d the the fi ess. We ve the op er facility s a atten w a c g r r h c o t a l u la il e s n , y w io great Last le to d-new decis tion a ere unab to a bran your in r w ques d ide ops who move Angeles. cons orksh y w ll those recently s u d f o n re rt nd L ns a to ca Airpo ke City a sessio k you e s a iv a t L I c king tru nts Salt cons cision ma leme y e b t n d a e rt ate rtners dd ucts impo de: nt cre drive goo our prod siness pa e ship m n A few ence inclu bu t of viro lation elp n d n e h r e n r e e o a r f m t g , u p o in con ideas users evelo alue learn laxed ique ience and e future d orks staff, and v tain a re g n n u o e r in h a nd din ityw • Th xpe ce t depe r buil e to m fluen red e een C . We , we striv re to foste s • Sha input to in ion betw s e e in a r ss oals r bus in siz • You ble discu , of ou adrupled le. Our g tions. e a n ence lu o t a •V onfer here is ners e has qu accessib reate solu r C o r c e t e s c is nc ow if rks U staff are th nfere , and itywo let me kn ships gh the co here our problems C n 1 io 1 t e 0 Rela u. Thou onment w s, solve the 2 Pleas o a ir ttend ou there. a o with y ndly env hange ide t y f you c rie one o rage and f ships, ex ncou and every y. n e io s t a m rela each Syste u in M zteca pe to see lp see yo A t a e o us rely h o to h All of since we can d e w ore and ing m anyth com ards, rks. st reg m ywo e t i m c r . sla Wa . www com L. Ha s, Inc 4 | rks. ywo Brian ent / CEO a System , #2 t t i e c e c Str fo@ Presid rks | Azte l: in tate mai o th S e w u y | o it S 4 C 075 .373

r Use

D St.

M

23 | 11 01.5 nc. x: 8 s, I a m f e yst 51 | ca S 3.27 Azte 1.52 0 8 tel:

InPrint

Dixie Center George, Utah

May 16 - 18, 2011

Training Workshops

nli o ter s i eg R *

n

t ea

w

. ww

ork w y cit

1 c1 u m/ o s. c

Vendor Hall User Feedback 5K Fun Run/Walk Technical Sessions Welcome Reception User Appreciation Dinner Cityworks Doctor’s Office

Spring 2011

Pre-Conference Training May 14 & 15, 2011

Brian Haslam was accorded the honor of speaking at the annual Esri Business Partner Conference, in Palm Springs, California, on March 6, 2011. Below are his comments.

B u i l ding Relationships Ma tt e r s a s M u c h a s th e T e c h n o l o g y M y 2 4 Year Association with Esri Tec h n o l o g y

By Brian Haslam, President & CEO, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

When I first met Josh Lewis, I was excited to hear about his ideas for improving communication between partners and Esri. My perspective goes back to when I began my GIS career. Twenty-four years ago, I was asked to select a GIS for the University of Utah. I chose ARC/INFO for many reasons, but I have always valued that Esri provides tools – such as AML (Arc Macro Language) – that empowered the end user to design and create solutions.

In 1995, I made the decision to design and create Cityworks.

The pillars of the Cityworks business model have not changed.

• We are a GIS software company.

• We develop exclusively for Esri technology.

• We are customer and partner support focused.

• We operate financially within our means.

The Cityworks GIS-centric approach is to leverage as much as possible a local government’s investment in Esri technology.

This approach resonates with many organizations. Every Cityworks users is an Esri GIS user. However, this makes us particularly sensitive to changes in Esri technology. It is critical that we stay in alignment. Prior to the new partner program, the only way to stay in alignment was to attend Esri conferences and maintain good relationships with Esri staff.

Sometimes we received good information and sometimes not.

Sometimes we made good decisions, sometimes not, and sometimes we just got lucky.

Cityworks Employees with Degrees from the University of Utah, Department of Geographry

At first, Cityworks was designed as an ArcView extension using Avenue and Visual Basic. The design decisions were

20

InPrint

simple because the GIS platform and technology options available to us were limited.

Then along came ArcGIS 8 and the geodatabase—and support for SQL databases. We loved what we saw, but knew it would require a painful rewrite of Cityworks, and we had a lot of design decisions. We had to choose from different development environments, Esri GIS platforms, databases, and other related technology. Gratefully, we had several years to plan and design for these changes.

Fast forward to today: It seems we no longer have “a few years” to plan and design. There is always a new technology to consider. Add to this, our clients want us to release almost simultaneously with Esri new releases.

This is a significant challenge for Cityworks.

Let me give you one example. When we first heard about ArcGIS Server (probably at this conference), we loved it and began as soon as possible to design and develop for it. Early on, we discovered a serious map redraw issue. We needed to talk to Esri core-level programmers, but that was nearly impossible. It took months, but eventually our Esri friends on the inside pried open that door, and we were able to resolve the problem quickly.

However, it took a lot of time and delayed our release causing client dissatisfaction.

We can no longer rely on the old ways. Technology is changing too rapidly. We need a better way, and we have that way with the Partner Program Technology Review Workshop. Last fall we participated in our first. It was arranged and organized by our Esri partner representative who understands our plans and goals—and our questions and concerns. A workshop was organized with core-level developers and product release managers who listened to our plan design and answered our questions. It was well worth the effort and time.

I can honestly say that in the last 24 years the Technology Review Workshop is the single most important communication we have had with Esri regarding technology. It is critical for our success.

More importantly, we know we can be a better GIS software company and provide better products and solutions to our common clients and partners with Esri. cw

Spring 2011

21

Software

The Evolution of Cityworks Development

By Carl Horton, Executive Director of Product Development, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

The last two years have seen the entire Cityworks suite of products evolve substantially, with focus coming from two directions – technological and functional enhancements. Technological improvements primarily consider trends in the software industry as a whole, while functional enhancements follow industry-related trends. Technology has moved from a purely desktop application – client/server model – to a mixed platform of thin (desktop) browser clients, mobile clients, and traditional desktop applications.

Due to a number of technical and user needs, Azteca Systems made a significant investment to maintain application cross-compatibility across these diverging platform environments. In addition to supporting new user platforms like Microsoft Silverlight, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), GPS, and the latest releases of Esri’s ArcGIS, web service integration is now a stable element of the software. In the last two years, we completely rewrote our core browser engine to support Silverlight, enhancing the user experience in interacting with the GIS. We also added significant capabilities for integration through a variety of web services, such as the creation of service requests and work orders to open up new avenues for customer-specific points-of-entry into the system.

From a functional perspective, Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) in local government changed direction with more focus on life cycle management.

At the same time, we saw increased awareness of the importance of the geodatabase as the asset repository along with the demand for customizable user environments and close integration of external data to/from external sources (GPS, agency websites, financial systems, reporting software, and others).

Cityworks Server’s InBox provides a perfect template to a variety of integration points with other business systems, such as reporting, charting, and tracking EAM data. We recently fine-tuned the ability to completely customize the user experience in Cityworks Server AMS, including the layout of menus, forms, themes, required fields, custom data fields, etc. Beyond traditional work activities, the increased awareness of life cycle management also brings new capabilities to Cityworks, including condition assessment with a variety of industry-standard models.

standing foundation for ongoing support from their contributing manufacturers and ourselves.

C i t y w o r ks A n y w h e r e Our most significant technology investment for the coming year is the redevelopment of Cityworks Anywhere. This entails a complete rewrite of the current application to enable sharing the same underlying business logic, ArcGIS map display, and database transaction libraries as our Server applications.

Some of the more interesting aspects of the new application are a completely customizable user interface using XAML editing tools like Microsoft Expression, an architecture that supports standardized third-party plug-ins, GIS-display support for network and mobile users, and the ability to create a local version of the Cityworks and GIS databases for disconnected field use. Our focus is to increase its overall GIS capabilities and equip small footprint mobile environments, such as cell phones and other handheld devices.

Esri Development Azteca is also heavily involved in Esri’s development process with a number of products. In 2010, Azteca Systems became an Esri Platinum Partner. Our inclusion in this highest level of the Esri Partner Network provides us with constant updates and insights into new development efforts and live interaction with Esri developers.

Through this relationship, we are working closely with Esri’s ArcGIS Engine group to develop a new product targeting mobile users in disconnected and connected network environments. We provide input on key functionality as well as testing pre-beta software. We also participate in all regular beta programs for ArcGIS Server, Desktop, and other related applications. Our involvement gives us the ability to not only incorporate new functionality faster but to offer our input into its development.

Cityworks Server PLL Azteca Systems invested significant resources into the continued development of Cityworks Server PLL (Permitting, Licensing, and Land). Its GIS capabilities use the same code set as our AMS software, providing identical user experiences in both applications as well as a large variety of new enhancements and business licensing.

In general, our plan is to continue with technological enhancements for the current model of mixed platforms. While it is very difficult to conceive the future of technology beyond one year, we remain fully committed to keeping our research and development up with the current standards. As a general rule, we do not attempt to develop for every new technology. Instead, we focus on researching those that seem to offer our clients the greatest benefit with a long2011 — Dashboard

22

InPrint

M o bile Us e Since its inception, mobile use of Cityworks has been a prominent element of our software design. DataPump, the tool used to create a locally replicated database for field users, is still a critical component in many Cityworks installations. Recent additions to the mobile products line include the web app solutions, Cityworks Server AMS/PLL, and Cityworks Mobile. Server requires a network connection and provides access via a web browser; Mobile is a web app designed to work on small-screen devices, such as iPhones and BlackBerrys.

While Server provides full access to the system, Mobile has limited functionality because of its smaller display. Although this may limit field users on specific tasks, the Mobile application framework is very flexible, allowing it to be easily extended and expanded. From a functional perspective, Mobile application development shifts the focus from providing a complete field replacement for Cityworks to a smaller, task-specific web application where the user can quickly browse to a predefined list of work activities or permits for inspection in the field.

Cityworks has a high priority research and development initiative for crossplatform mobile applications for Apple iOS, BlackBerry, or Android. We anticipate building on recently developed mobile frameworks to increase the number of applications and mobile functionality to incorporate inherent mapping capabilities and GPS. Through a partnership with Freeance Mobile, we will be supporting a BlackBerry application for Cityworks users within the year. This application, written specifically for the BlackBerry, will utilize Freeance Mobile, ArcGIS Server, and Cityworks work management capabilities; require no public URLs; and incorporate additional security features provided by Freeance.

Scheduling Efforts are currently underway to enhance the existing scheduling capabilities in Cityworks. These include various combinations, such as scheduling projected/actual start/finish dates, proposed versus actual work activities, individual subtasks, and inspections, along with emailing scheduled activities. We recently introduced the capability to view and edit scheduled activities in various calendar formats. We expect to follow with an open integration calendaring capability using an ICS feed. The new calendar integration brings popular calendaring services (Google Calendar, Lotus Notes, Outlook, etc.) directly into Cityworks, allowing users to see their calendars and any shared calendars.

R e p o r ti n g Cityworks has a long tradition for supporting powerful, built-in searching and reporting tools, along with the ability to couple those with third-party reporting tools like Crystal Reports. Cityworks Server’s Inbox is an enterprise-wide, usercustomizable reporting tool. In our last release of Cityworks 2010.1, Inbox was significantly enhanced to include easier viewing of multiple saved reports at one time in both chart and grid formats. (See “The New InBox” p. 28.) This is particularly useful in dynamic situations where up-to-the-minute reports are needed. Another enhancement to the Cityworks built-in reporting engine is the ability to integrate with Crystal Reports, so users can perform complicated queries and pass those results to Crystal for enhanced formatting.

In addition to continued development of the built-in reporting engine and Crystal Reports integration, Cityworks will soon include new time-enabled data in ArcGIS 10. Visualizing how data changes over time provides opportunities for powerful, more in-depth analysis by creating animations or recreating individual points in time. This functionality will support the analytical reporting tools for asset life cycle management.

A s s e t L i f e C y c l e An a l y s i s While not strictly confined to the reporting sphere, the asset life cycle analysis capabilities are significant tools that will be useful in the long-term development of infrastructure maintenance and capital planning.

These tools include condition assessment reporting, maintenance scores, map visualization of critical condition scores, and time-series visualization of condition and maintenance scoring. The data used for many of these tools will also be available to third-party modeling software, such as Riva and MWH Soft, designed to support strategic long-range physical asset planning.

2011 Silverlight Interface — Work order

Spring 2011

C o n ti n u i n g E f f o r ts Our development team continues to pursue several avenues to enable our customers with the technology they need to manage daily operations, make good decisions, and use their resources in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Azteca Systems remains focused on developing management solutions with the clients’ needs in mind. cw

23

Cityworks Spotlight – Northern Region

City of Evanston, Illinois, User Spotlight — Q&A With Amanda Ault, GIS Analyst, City of Evanston

Q : What led Evanston to implement Cityworks?

A: Evanston’s Utilities Department staff had a need to track work activities on water and sewer assets in a GIS-based asset management system (AMS).

In 2004, the City migrated to Cityworks from a previous rudimentary asset management system because we recognized that Cityworks GIS-centric capabilities both met our immediate needs and offered new possibilities for asset management.

Q: How is Cityworks being utilized at the City?

A: In addition to its original implementation in 2004 to track work on water and sewer assets, the Utilities Department began utilizing the service request portion of the software in 2008 in response to a desire to record customer requests in a centralized location.

The Department is currently using Cityworks

Improvement Plan) funding, and given us a

2011 through three initiatives. First, a citywide

Desktop to track over 100 work activities and

centralized repository of work history to assist

CRM system, GovQA, is scheduled to go live

their associated costs. Additionally, nearly

the Department in applying for stimulus funds

on March 1. For the first time, all customer

50 types of customer calls are tracked in the

and FEMA reimbursements. Most recently, main

requests and questions coming into the City

service request portion of Cityworks.

break data acquired through Cityworks has

will be stored in a centralized database. It

assisted in long-term planning for water main

is important, however, for departments who

replacement.

already use Cityworks to continue business

Q: What benefits have been realized by Evanston because of Cityworks?

A: Our investment in Cityworks has shown

as usual, so we will be integrating Cityworks The implementation of the service request

service requests with GovQA through the

many benefits over the years. To name a

function within the Water and Sewer Division

Cityworks API. Second, we plan to implement

few cost-saving measures, Cityworks has

in 2008 has also resulted in many benefits,

work order tracking in the Public Works

given us a means to efficiently produce data

including improved customer service through

Department’s Streets & Sanitation Division via

for our Annual Reports, been instrumental

enabling call takers to give consistent responses

a revised “jumpstart” program with Azteca’s

in finding areas most in need of CIP (Capital

to citizens while also providing them with call

implementation services. Third, we plan to

history. In addition, the Utilities service

migrate to Cityworks Server AMS in order to

request templates are being used to

better manage the increased user base and

help implement a new centralized

potentially enable data entry in the field.

Customer Request Management (CRM) system at the City.

Q: What is your overall take on Cityworks?

The success of Cityworks in the Utilities

A: We are very excited to be expanding the

Department has sparked a citywide

benefits that the Utilities Department is realizing

interest in expanding its use to other

to other departments in the City and to be

departments.

migrating to Server AMS. I personally have been impressed by the evolution of Cityworks

Q: What are the City’s future

and with the knowledge and response time of

plans for Cityworks?

the support staff in the four short years that I’ve been working with it. cw

A: The City of Evanston has plans to grow Cityworks use substantially in

24

InPrint

Omaha, Nebraska, User Spotlight — Q&A With Steve Cacioppo, GIS Analyst, City of Omaha/Douglas County

OPW Construction Division uses Cityworks

multiple departments on a single work order

to track their sidewalk snow removal and

management system makes communication

driveway/sidewalk repair operations. Cityworks

easier and more effective. Productivity has

County during the spring of 2005. The County

was the perfect solution for them as they rely

increased with the use of Cityworks and GIS.

Engineer was looking for a tool to help with

heavily on GIS parcel data when creating work

Field inspectors can view the map with their

GASB (Government Accounting Standards Board)

orders. Cityworks GIS-centric architecture

assigned work orders, cutting down on driving

accounting standards. They started tracking all of

made it a natural fit for the Construction

time.

their assets, equipment, labor, and materials using

Division.

Q: What led to the implementation of Cityworks at the City of Omaha?

A: Cityworks was originally implemented in Douglas

Some specific improvements we have seen

Cityworks. Having all of this data in one central location made it easy to retrieve information and

OPW Stormwater Division was our first

include:

analyze it using various reports.

implementation of Cityworks Server AMS. They

• Increased productivity

wanted to use Cityworks, but they needed a

• Better use of available resources

The City of Omaha Public Works Department saw

field solution. We considered using DataPump

• Providing management a “big picture” of

what the Douglas County Engineer was doing with

to enable the inspectors to view and create

Cityworks and liked the result. However, the City of

work orders in the field, but they really needed

• Tracking labor, material, and equipment costs

Omaha was facing a little different scenario before

a real-time solution. Cityworks Server AMS was

• Better communication between City and

deciding to utilize Cityworks. Various departments

a great solution for their application. It was

throughout the City were using different work

also appealing because end users could display

order management systems, none of which used

the GIS data without needing a desktop version

GIS to help track assets. In the spring of 2007,

of ArcGIS software, thus saving money in the

two divisions of Omaha Public Works, Street

long run.

what is going on in the city

County departments • Greatly enhanced reporting capabilities Q: What benefits has the City experienced specifically due to Cityworks Server AMS?

Maintenance and Sewer Maintenance, started using Cityworks to simply track work orders on

OPW Traffic Division is one of the newer

A: Cityworks Server AMS affords us these benefits:

City-owned assets. Both divisions were very

Cityworks implementations for the City of

pleased with the results of the system. Since

Omaha. The Traffic Division will be tracking

then, Cityworks has really taken off to become

labor, equipment, and materials for all of their

• Ability to edit data through the interface

an enterprise solution for both the City and the

assets. Signs are their most intensive assets to

• All GIS edits and work orders are available to

County.

track, with over 250,000 signs in the city alone.

• No need for Desktop ArcGIS, resulting in money savings for the departments

any Cityworks user in real time

The Division will also be using Cityworks to help

• No need for DataPump

Q: How is Cityworks utilized at the City?

manage parking meters, traffic signals, and

• Don’t have to be connected to the local

A: Cityworks is used by many different

pavement markings.

network to access the data

departments and divisions throughout the City.

Omaha Parks & Recreation Department

Q: What are the future plans for Cityworks?

Omaha Public Works (OPW) Sewer

utilizes Cityworks with an implementation

Maintenance uses Cityworks for all sewer

and workflow very similar to that of OPW

repairs. In 2010, they created over 1200

Construction to respond to trash, weed, and/

the City of Omaha and Douglas County. We

cyclical work orders for preventive maintenance.

or tree issues. The public calls the Parks

would really like to see a true mobile solution

Department with a complaint, which is logged

for Cityworks. Every year we have more

OPW Street Maintenance originally

as a service request. The Department then

inspectors ask us if they can have Cityworks on

implemented Cityworks to track work on roads.

dispatches an inspector to assess the situation

their smart phones. We really see Cityworks

Most of the work orders created early on were

via Inspection work orders. The inspector

playing a bigger part in the day-to-day workflow

simply for potholes. Street Maintenance now

determines if any work needs to be done, and if

for our field inspectors. We envision a mobile

uses Cityworks to track all labor, equipment,

work is needed, he will create a work order.

app that would allow a field inspector to capture the 3 or 4 pieces of information they need

and materials. Cityworks also plays a key role for the department when it comes to managing the various utility cuts on paved streets. Street Maintenance plans on migrating to Cityworks Server AMS in 2011.

A: Cityworks has been growing every year for both

Q: What benefits has the City experienced due to Cityworks?

from the field and have it update the Cityworks database in real time. cw

A: Cityworks has benefited the City in numerous ways. The obvious benefit is with work order and asset management. Having

Spring 2011

25

Port Angeles, Washington, User Spotlight — Q&A With Bill Hale, GIS Tech, City of Port Angeles

Q: What led Port Angeles to implement Cityworks?

A: Before implementing Cityworks, Port Angeles had

the Division uses Cityworks for pump and water quality preventive and general system

Q: What future plans does Port Angeles have for Cityworks?

maintenance with superb results. For the

A: Port Angeles is expanding our use of Cityworks

just constructed a new $30 million water treatment

Stormwater Utility Division, Cityworks has

throughout 2011 and plans to further that

plant associated with the federal government’s

provided reporting and permitting support in

usage throughout the organization in the near

removal of the Elwha Dam and expanded our

compliance with state and federal requirements

future. The Street Department is scheduled to

water and wastewater utilities into the urban

related to the City’s NPDES permit. Utilizing

go online with Cityworks by this summer, and

growth area. Federal and state requirements

Cityworks for this has saved the City valuable

we will fully bring the Wastewater Utility online

related to the City’s NPDES (National Pollutant

time and resources. For the water treatment

before fall of 2011. The wastewater treatment

Discharge Elimination System) permit dictated the

plant, Cityworks provides a comprehensive work

plant is planning to be completely online by the

establishment of a new stormwater utility. The

history to determine preventive maintenance at

fall of 2012. Once all the water divisions are

City’s old work order system was proprietary and

the plant.

fully up and running with Cityworks, we plan to bring the Electric Utility on board. cw

did not link to the GIS. Port Angeles was in need of a system that was GIS-integrated and would help manage our growing infrastructure. We discovered Cityworks and were confident it could meet our needs of a GIS-based AMS system. In 2010, we began our Cityworks implementation across our water and stormwater divisions.

Q: How is Cityworks utilized at the City?

A: Cityworks is used by the Public Works Department to manage all of the City’s water and stormwater services. Specifically, the department utilizes Cityworks for maintenance management in the water treatment plant, Water Utility Division, and Stormwater Utility Division. Between maintaining the drinking water system to the collection of stormwater received from residential, commercial, and industrial uses, Cityworks provides a system by which to collect and store all the data on the assets and maintenance associated with these areas. Now that the initial rollouts in water distribution/production and water treatment plants are complete, more will fall in line in the near future.

Q: What type of benefits has Port Angeles’ Water Division realized due to Cityworks?

A: Port Angeles has seen many positive results and timesaving measures due to our Cityworks usage. For example, Cityworks provides the Water Utility Division statistics to target old water main replacements during our annual water main replacement project. In addition, maintenance processes have improved as

26

InPrint

Implementation Partners PLATINUM

BRONZE

• POWER Engineers

• Burns & McDonnell

• Woolpert

• CH2M Hill, Inc. • Civic Engineering and

GOLD

Information Technologies

• Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH)

• North Arrow Technologies

• Timmons Group

• NTB Associates • PACE Engineers, Inc.

SILVER

• Strand Associates, Inc.

• Jones Edmunds & Associates

• VESTRA Resources, Inc.

• Motorola

• Westin Engineering

• Rolta US

• Weston Solutions For a complete list of Implementation Member Partners, see www.cityworks.com.

International Distribution Partners

Spring 2011

• ESRI Canada

• ESRI Israel (Systematics)

• ESRI Costa Rica (Geotecnologias)

• ESRI S-GROUP Sverige AB, Sweden

27

T i p s & Tr i c k s

The New Inbox

By Steven Sushka, Customer Support Representative, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

The Inbox changed in Cityworks 2010.1 Server AMS and PLL to include domain and user tabs as well as graphed charts, allowing another level of organization and display. Administrators and users can now group information into different tabs rather than scrolling down one window to view all of the Inbox information.

U p g r a d i n g t o t h e Ne w I n b o x No special action is required for existing Cityworks 2010 Server users to upgrade to the new 2010.1 format. All existing Cityworks 2010 domain and user inboxes will be automatically converted to Cityworks 2010.1 domain and user panels respectively within a single domain tab named “Main.”

Note: Cityworks 4.5 Server users upgrading to either 2010 or 2010.1 should consult with their Customer Support Representative before upgrading, as additional information, and possibly assistance, will be needed.

C r e a ti n g T a b s Both administrators and users can create new tabs by clicking on the Add (+) icon to the right of the “Main” tab and then clicking on the appropriate tab button.

Note: User inboxes are login-specific. However, the Cityworks administrator may add domain tabs to display information to all users in the domain. Only administrators will see the domain-level options.

Multiple tabs can be created per domain and user, multiple panels can be included within each tab, and then each panel can have multiple information containers called widgets to display saved searches, weather, notes, HTML, and charts. Furthermore, a user panel can be added to a domain tab and not just a user tab.

Once a new tab is created, the tab can be renamed and panels configured within it by clicking on the gear icon on the tab.

C r e a ti n g P a n e l s To create a new panel, simply click the New Panel button within the Tab Editor. Once the new panel is created, it can be renamed and columns added by pressing the Panel Edit Icon to the far right of the panel name.

28

InPrint

A d ding Widgets To add an information container or widget within a panel, simply click on the gear icon under the panel name.

Ne w C h a r t W i d g e t A new chart widget allows users to display saved search results in a dashboard-style display using line, column, pie, bar, or spline graphs based on different types of analyses, such as count, count by week/month/year, or sum.

Select the type of information from the New Widget dropdown, and click Add to insert the information container into the panel.

Once the widget is added to the panel, the contents to be displayed can be edited by clicking on the gear icon to the far right of the widget name.

The ability to adjust the container height and number of rows shown within certain containers is also now available, adding yet another level of customization.

Spring 2011

Summary The new Cityworks 2010.1 Server Inbox provides organizations with a lot more flexibility to customize and better organize and display important information in the most relevant and helpful way at both a domain and user level.

More Info To view a demonstration of the new Inbox functionality, please visit MyCityworks.com/Videos/HelpVideos/2011.1/Inbox2010.1. cw

29

User Information

By John Jarnagin, Educational Services Manager, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

The Cityworks Training Department finished off 2010 with Cityworks Desktop Administration training at our corporate offices in Sandy, Utah, December 6–8, 2010 and began the new year with a Cityworks Server Administration training on January 18–21, 2011.

Pre-conference training courses will be held at the Dixie Center in St. George, Utah. Classes fill quickly and are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Pre-conference training registration cutoff date – April 22, 2011 Pre-conference training must be paid for in advance by end-of-day APRIL 22, 2011. Failure to pay in advance will result in cancelled course reservation.

Cost – $1,195.00 Cost includes use of a computer during the training, all related training documents, and a certificate of completion.

C o u r s e D e s c r i p ti o n s

(Pictured above) Cityworks Desktop Administration attendees were from the City of College Station, TX; the City of Westland, MI; and Cityworks staff.

(Pictured above) Cityworks Server Administration attendees were from Burns and McDonnell (Kansas City, MO), CDM (Cambridge, MA), Spatial Wave (Laguna Hills, CA), and Cityworks staff.

2 0 11 Cityworks User Co n f e r e n c e P r e - C o n f e r e n c e T r a i n i n g The pre-conference training courses provide a great way to learn more about Cityworks in a ”hands-on” working environment. In these sessions, you will work with your own installation of Cityworks, have the opportunity to ask specific questions, and discuss real-world applications of Cityworks, while working through detailed training guides.

30

Cityworks Server PLL Administration This course caters to Azteca Systems Business Partners and City Administrative staff who are responsible for the ongoing setup and management of Cityworks Server PLL (Permits, Licensing, and Land) and who have not had previous Cityworks PLL administration training. The course will cover the configuration of Cityworks PLL permits and cases including user management, permit/ case template configuration, workflow setup, fee configuration, custom case data fields, and basic reporting using Crystal Reports. Attendees will also be instructed on the integration points between Cityworks Server AMS and PLL as well as how Cityworks PLL utilizes the GIS. Throughout the course, Azteca’s training staff will share example workflows and data from existing clients as well as best business practices in Cityworks PLL configuration.

Cityworks Server AMS Migration This course covers the complete installation, configuration, and implementation of Cityworks 2010 Server AMS when migrating from Cityworks Desktop to Cityworks Server AMS. This training includes the best practices for configuring the SQL Server 2008 relational database (roles, logins, and users), ODBC, using Cityworks Database Manager to upgrade to the Cityworks Server database format, map services, IIS (Internet Information Services), and the creation of the Cityworks Server website. Instruction will also be given on the components within Cityworks Designer for service request templates, work orders templates, security, permissions, and basic configuration required for Cityworks Server. This course will also focus on the Cityworks Server interface: Inbox, map, service requests, work orders, inspections, crews, etc. This training is key for Cityworks Desktop users who plan on migrating or who have recently migrated from Cityworks Desktop to the Cityworks Server AMS product.

Cityworks Core Configuration Using Designer This course teaches core configuration functionality within Cityworks Designer specific to Cityworks Desktop. Start from ground zero to create a SQL Server 2008 database and configure the related role, logins, users, and

InPrint

permissions. Build an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) connection, and work with Cityworks Database Manager to build the database table structure for Cityworks. Next, create a new Cityworks domain, define the domain, domain administrator, domain groups, assign employees to these groups, and assign permissions. Learn how to customize dropdown menus, custom fields, and custom field templates. Understand how to create service request, work order, and inspection templates, and how to configure Cityworks to interact directly with the geodatabase. Work in the Cityworks Desktop environment to understand how tasks performed in Cityworks Designer impact Cityworks Desktop.

ABC’s of Cityworks Server AMS The focus of this course is on administrative Cityworks Server AMS tasks performed in the Cityworks Server environment as well as the Cityworks Server interface. This training will cover the following topics: Cityworks Server AMS Inbox configuration, user account configuration, map publishing, and equipment/labor/materials as it relates to crews in Cityworks Server AMS. Other related course content will demonstrate Cityworks Server dashboard setup and Crystal report publishing capabilities. At least half of the course time will be spent examining the Cityworks Server AMS user interface. Attendees will become very familiar with creating and searching service requests, work orders, inspections, and other related functionality found in Cityworks Server AMS. Cityworks Reporting The focus of this course is on producing concise summary reports of many kinds using the Cityworks Report Engine and Crystal Reports version 2008.

Cityworks Report Engine training will cover the following topics: ad-hoc reports, predefined reports, and budget reports. Topics related to Crystal Reports encompass understanding the basics, becoming familiar with toolbars and their basic functionality, building reports using the Standard Report Wizard, and creating reports from scratch. Attendees will become familiar with the Cityworks table structure as they review database table/field relationships listed on existing database diagrams and work through some cause-and-effect exercises on this topic. Several exercises will allow training attendees to examine how Crystal generates reports on the different joins that exist within this software. The last half of this training will consist of attendees building several Crystal Reports, each report building upon one another and becoming more complex throughout the training.

For more information and to register for pre conference training, please visit: http://registerat.com/reg/cityworks2011/training.shtml If you are an Azteca Systems business partner and want to know which training courses fill your annual training requirement, feel free to call me or send me an email at jjarnagin@cityworks.com.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the Cityworks User Conference this year! cw

Spring 2011

Customer Support Intensifying Efforts to Achieve Goals

By Steve Thomas, Executive Manager, Customer Support, Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

We at Azteca Systems continue to dedicate ourselves to high-quality customer support. For this InPrint, we are happy to welcome a new analyst to our department and report on our customer satisfaction surveys.

Daniel Strong, who joined Azteca Systems on February 1, 2010 as a tester in the Development Department, moved to the Client Services Department in December 2010. He serves as an analyst for both the Customer Support Group and Client Relations. With a bachelor’s degree in geography and a GIS certificate, he has expanded his practical knowledge with nearly a year of testing primarily in Cityworks Server AMS. His expertise and experience in this area provide a great resource for us.

Azteca determined another analyst in customer support could help us achieve our goal to provide quick resolutions for issues that are reported to us. Our customer support reps test and research to a certain extent while they respond to customer emails or calls.

However, some issues are difficult to repeat or replicate due to their random behavior or the uniqueness of the

client’s environment, which may not be possible for them to replicate. The problems requiring additional research are passed on to our analysts. The additional analyst permits each CSR to respond quickly to their clients as well as expand their knowledge of Cityworks functionality and demonstrates how seriously Azteca takes customer support.

At the beginning of 2011, we started sending surveys to track customer satisfaction. Each week we randomly email a survey link to one client from each support region who contacted us. We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to respond. The intent of this short survey is to determine the quality of your customer support experience, including how easy or difficult it is to contact a customer support rep, the type of information or resolution provided, and a rating of your experience.

Our goal is to provide the best customer support in the industry and the feedback we’ve received from you indicates that we are successful at achieving that goal. cw

“Greg Walters has been very, very helpful in our endeavors, whether it is an upgrade or just a question. As a small city, we aren’t always able to have experts on staff, but Greg always points us in the right direction, whether it is the education we need, documents we should read, or something he can simply answer for us.

I can’t emphasize enough how important a customer representative is to the success of a product. His knowledge and willingness to go above and beyond has transformed me into a loyal Cityworks customer….”

– Diane Horn, Tech Support Manager, The City of Lake Forest, IL

S u p p o r t R e gions

Customer Support Direct Phone #

801.990.1888 32

InPrint

Cityworks News

Cityworks Software Developer, James Oliphant, Places Third in Esri Challenge

James Oliphant, Cityworks Software Developer, placed third in the “Light up the Night Challenge” coding competition at the 2011 Esri Developers Summit recently held in Palm Springs, CA. His application for ancestral mapping earned him a Windows Phone (donated by Microsoft) at the awards luncheon on Thursday, March 10. Congratulations James! cw

This map shows birth locations in the United States for his wife’s family tree. It includes deceased ancestors to newborn nieces/nephews. James extracted over 200 U.S. locations from a GEDCOM file containing over 5000 ancestral entries. Then he removed duplicate U.S. locations and used Esri’s online U.S. locator service to find Lat/Lon coordinates.

The geocoded points are then displayed on the map along with a list of each location. The user can turn clustering on and off and select a location in the list to recenter the map.

Esri Awards Bryan Chadwick Technical Certifications Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc. is proud to announce that Bryan Chadwick, GIS Support Manager, has been awarded Esri Technical Certifications in the Enterprise Geodatabase Management Associate and Enterprise Administration Associate tracks. Esri Technical Certifications recognize superior skill levels utilizing Esri’s software for geographic information systems (GIS).

This accomplishment demonstrates the overall dedication of Cityworks employees to cultivate their GIS knowledge and further the industry-leading professional expertise of our staff.

Find out more about Esri Technical Certification at www.esri.com/certification. cw

To earn Esri Technical Certifications, candidates have to successfully pass examinations that assess knowledge and skills developed through years of experience as GIS professionals. Since Esri launched the program within the past year, Bryan is among the first to earn this honor.

Spring 2011

33

Cityworks Phil Mogavero Joins Westland in Charity Hockey Game Cityworks | Azteca Systems’ Phil Mogavero, Sr. Account Manager of our Northeast Region, was recently invited to join the City of Westland’s Wild Wings hockey team at a charitable exhibition game on March 12, 2011. Phil has been playing hockey competitively for years and was honored to take part in this worthwhile event. Westland, Michigan, is a Cityworks client in Phil’s region.

“Hockey Night at Westland” featured the Wild Wings against the Detroit Red Wings Alumni team composed of former NHL stars. Though the Red Wing Alumni won, all proceeds from this very popular and well attended event stay in the city and directly benefit residents of Westland. This year marks the second annual fundraiser with proceeds going to fund improvements at the Mike Modano Ice Arena, including remodeling the locker rooms and replacing six heaters over the stands. cw

Phil Mogavero, Cityworks



City of Westland Police Chief Alan Ramsden



Mayor William Wild, City of Westland 34

 InPrint

Welcome Four New Employees!

H u nter Hardman

Ni c k O r w i n

S te v e n B i l l s

Hunter is a part-time employee in documentation, who was hired in the fall of 2010. He is a student at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) where he is majoring in architecture.

He writes Quick Start Guides, tests documentation and virtual machines (VMs), and researches various topics.

Nick joined our documentation

Steven started with Azteca on December 6, 2010, as a testing analyst. Since they test all of the new functionality, he has already had experience with many Cityworks products, especially Cityworks Server AMS/PLL and the APIs. He was born in Sacramento, CA, and lived in the Greater Sacramento Area all of his life except while attending college.

Hunter is an avid athlete. All four years of high school, he played center for the ice hockey team and was JV captain during his undefeated, junior year. While playing, Hunter broke his clavicle (collar bone) with an aggressive open ice hit to an opponent (collision). He also played baseball for a super league team, where he broke his wrist tagging an opponent out.

staff on December 16, 2010. He graduated in 2001 with a BA in philosophy from Bloomsburg University, PA, where he focused on the philosophy of mind and language. After graduation, Nick returned home to Utah hoping to find a job teaching. Instead, he found a job as a bellman for a hotel delivering luggage and valet parking. He found he loved serving others and dedicated himself to the idea of exceeding hotel service standards. Ten years later when Nick left the hospitality industry, he did so as the operations manager, overseeing the daily operations at a resort hotel.

Nick loves to fish, read National Geographic, and go

Hunter is also a musician who plays piano, drums, and guitar (self-taught). His musical taste varies from classical to punk, but he most enjoys playing punk music for his friends and family.

Born in Sandy, Utah, Hunter moved to Draper at age 2 where he still lives. Interesting fact: Hunter loves to travel. One of his favorite destinations is Azores, Portugal, because of the volcanoes and black sand beaches. He has also been to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico; and Iloilo, Philippines. cw

to amusement parks. He claims the smartest and easiest thing he’s ever done was to marry. Nick and Laura met each other while working at a resort in Park City. He managed the hotel food outlets, and she was a front desk agent. Their instant friendship soon resulted in a secret trip to Las Vegas to elope.

Interesting fact: Nick is an identical twin. Nick and his twin, Ben, worked together as bellmen for three years, where everyone seemed to enjoy having twin bellmen deliver luggage to their rooms. cw

In 2007 Steven graduated with his BS in GIS from BYU, UT, and received his MS in GIS from the University of Redlands, CA, in 2009. He worked part-time as a GIS intern for the City of Rocklin, CA, during 2008, where he did data collection and mapping projects. The City had no other GIS employees the year he worked there, but with the downturn of the economy, they were letting people go when he graduated.

While Steven enjoys cooking and barbecuing, his biggest hobby is music – both listening to and talking about it. He likes many different kinds of music, but his favorite is progressive rock. He plays guitar. Interesting fact: Even though he is not Mexican, he took a new course offered by the music department and played in a mariachi band during his last semester at BYU. The 12 students performed a couple of shows on campus. cw

Reece Hanzo n Reece joined Azteca Systems as a technical writer on March 14, 2011. He graduated from BYU, Utah, in 2009 with a BA in communications, with an emphasis in print journalism and new media, and a minor in editing.

Before joining Azteca, Reece worked as a marketing copywriter and an XML editor.

Reece was born in Ft. Collins, Colorado. He has also lived in Henderson, Nevada; Broomfield, Colorado; several areas near Lima, Peru; and Provo, Utah before moving to Sandy, where he currently resides with his wife, Haley. Haley graduated in English, so they are both “word nerds.”

They’ll soon be celebrating their third anniversary.

Interesting tidbit: Reece began writing at an early age, motivated by his love of reading and his desire to create stories of his own. He has

Cityworks | Azteca main office – north building

written a science fiction/fantasy book (and has several more in the works) and hopes to get it published soon. Reece also enjoys hiking, camping, rappelling, cycling, watching football and hockey, and playing some video games. cw

Spring 2011

35

11075 S. State Street, Ste. 24 Sandy, UT 84070

If you have received this newsletter in error, please call 801-523-2751 or email kryser@cityworks.com.

S K R O W Y T I C

ÂŽ

lic Ass b u P c i ntr GIS-Ce

.com tyworks i c . w w w tions | u l Empowering GIS for o S t n e m e g a Asset Management, Permitting, et Man

and Licensing TM...and more!

InPrint