Cityworks Spring 2020 Magazine Issue

A Trimble Company

Spring 2020

SOLUTIONS FOR COVID-19 5 KEYS TO COLLECTING

ACCURATE DATA TRACKING EMERGENCY RESPONSE FOR

FEMA REIMBURSEMENT CITYWORKS USERS:

FACING CHALLENGES TOGETHER Featuring: Greenwood, IN Garland, TX Great Neck Water Pollution Control District, NY Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, CA

Cityworks.com 1

SPRING 2020 | CITYWORKS MAGAZINE

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CITYWORKS MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020

Do You Know Where Your Inventory Is? Inventory Tracking is more important than ever.

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What is the cost to our budget?

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Take control of your inventory with Radley. Let’s get started today.

To learn more visit: www.radley.com/Cityworks

SPRING 2020 | CITYWORKS MAGAZINE

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THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Centricity PLL Citizen Portal A PLL Portal that fits your City.

Customize your PLL experience with your own brand, colors, user workflow, and preferences.

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CITYWORKS MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020

Contact us for a demo: Info@Centricitygis.com

CONTENTS

CONTENTS | SPRING 2020 CITYWORKS EXPERT TIPS

12 Using Cityworks to Track COVID-19 Response for FEMA Reimbursement How can your organization claim FEMA reimbursements for work done to mitigate the current pandemic?

Here’s a quick overview of COVID-19 recovery opportunities and how Cityworks can support your response.

BY DINORAH SANCHEZ, CITYWORKS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

20 FEATURE STORY

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Cityworks & ArcGIS: Solutions for COVID-19

Communities across the globe face an unprecedented challenge with the COVID-19 pandemic. Cityworks, with ArcGIS and partner tools and solutions, can help your organization quickly reprioritize field work, manage emergency response, shift to remote work environments, and respond to customer requests.

BY BECKY TAMASHASKY, CITYWORKS VICE PRESIDENT OF VISION AND PRODUCT ENGINEERING, AND CARA HASLAM, BRAD JOHNSON, DAN PUERLING, AND DINORAH SANCHEZ, CITYWORKS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS

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Cityworks PLL: Tips for Before and After Implementation

Cityworks PLL enables agencies to share information and streamline the application, inspection, and review processes to improve customer service for contractors and residents.

BY DAN PUERLING, CITYWORKS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

18 4 New Ways to Customize the Public Access App In this time of social distancing, a public-facing permitting and licensing portal is more important than ever.

Cityworks Public Access offers a valuable and customizable solution to help organizations maintain their operations in the midst of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

BY DAN PUERLING, CITYWORKS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

IN EVERY ISSUE

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45

48

Odds & Ends

News & Events

Inside the Numbers

Cityworks Users: Facing Challenges Together

Together, Cityworks clients, partners, and employees are empowering GIS to build more resilient and sustainable communities.

BY BRIAN HASLAM, CITYWORKS PRESIDENT AND CEO

SPRING 2020 | CITYWORKS MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS | SPRING 2020 BEST PRACTICES

36

Going Mobile: How One Sanitation District Modernized Its Field Operations

29

Before implementing Cityworks in 2016, the Central San operations crews worked from printed field maps.

That changed with the Cityworks mobile native app.

Here’s what we did to ensure widespread adoption of the new technology.

BY IAN MORALES, GIS ANALYST, CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA

39

Quality Assurance: 5 Keys to Collecting Accurate Data

36

Providing a few additional resources to your operations teams can go a long way to improve the quality of your data.

BY DOUGLAS DENNISTON, APPLICATION PROGRAMMER, AND MEGHAN PETERS, SENIOR BUSINESS PROCESS ANALYST, CITY OF GARLAND, TEXAS

CASE STUDIES

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

29

42 Industry Insights from Damian Spangrud

The City of Greenwood, Indiana, has been integrating commercial permits into the Indiana Secretary of State business portal. Here’s an overview of their unique multi-jurisdictional effort.

BY LINDSAY FERGUSON, CITYWORKS CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR

As director of solutions at Esri, Damian Spangrud focuses on making the science of location intelligence understandable and actionable. We asked him to share his insights on geospatial infrastructure, artificial intelligence, COVID-19, and real-time data.

Open for Business: Integrating State and Local Permitting

32

Turning Your Cityworks Inbox into a Management Dashboard

Integrating Microsoft Power BI with Cityworks can help utilities easily interpret key information about their assets.

BY CHRISTOPHER MURPHY, SUPERINTENDENT, GREAT NECK WATER POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT, NEW YORK, AND ELISA PETERS, SENIOR CONSULTANT, POWER ENGINEERS

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CITYWORKS MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020

END NOTE

46

Keeping Government Services Going

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, local governments and utilities are turning to technology at a record pace to stay connected and deliver services.

BY MATT HARMAN, CITYWORKS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

FIX IT BEFORE IT MAKES THE 5 O’CLOCK NEWS

DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU

INTRODUCING INFOASSET PLANNER

With the aging infrastructure

Using the power of Cityworks AMS to drive InfoAsset

utility teams face today, the

Planner by Innovyze, you can better respond to aging

deck is stacked against you.

infrastructure by fixing it before it breaks.

To make matters worse, your

Giving you a 3 to 1 advantage in saving money.

budget and time won’t allow you to fix everything. However, when a crisis strikes you will wish you had fixed it a month, a week, or even a day sooner.

Advisory Board Brian Haslam | President & CEO George Mastakas | Vice President, Enterprise Solutions Wayne Hill | Vice President, Client Relations Brent Wilson | Vice President, Sales Becky Tamashasky | Vice President, Vision & Product Engineering Sheldon Bagley | Vice President, Development Jed Call | Executive Director, Marketing

CITYWORKS GIS-CENTRIC CHARACTERISTICS Cityworks is an ArcGIS® pure-play, meaning we recognize the ArcGIS geodatabase as the only authoritative asset database. This translates to seven key characteristics that define our technology solutions.

Magazine Staff Jamie Armstrong | Editor Kaye Ryser | Assistant Editor Rylee Jo Ashcraft | Graphic Designer

Marketing and Communications Cindy Curletti | Marketing Manager Paige Burnhope | Marketing Coordinator

Subscriptions To subscribe, change your address, or cancel your subscription: stories@cityworks.com

Contact Us Tel: 801-523-2751 Email: stories@cityworks.com Archives available at: www.cityworks.com CITYWORKS, A TRIMBLE COMPANY 11075 South State Street, Suite 24 Sandy, UT 84070 801-523-2751 www.cityworks.com The information contained in this document is the exclusive property of Azteca Systems, LLC, a Trimble company. This 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 dba Cityworks. All requests should be sent to Attention: Contracts and Legal Services Manager, Cityworks, 11075 south State, Suite 24, Sandy, UT 84070, USA.

NO REDUNDANCY

ArcGIS is the authoritative system of record with no writing or syncing to other asset data tables.

FULLY CONFIGURABLE

Events

Sara Adelman | Editor

Cityworks can support any geodatabase design for your assets—including linear, dispersed, or condensed.

NON-PROPRIETARY

We build on the geodatabase with well-known and understood data structure elements. Your organization owns and fully controls its data.

ARCGIS UPDATES

Cityworks relies solely on ArcGIS feature services to update the authoritative asset data to ensure data integrity.

ARCGIS WEB MAP

Any application can access an ArcGIS web map without constraints, allowing you to find and view asset data at a glance.

The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.

TRADEMARKS: Cityworks®, Cityworks Logo, Empowering GIS, GIS Empowered, the Three Layer Map Logo, Enables the Power of Where, @cityworks.com, cityworks.com, mycityworks.com, Azteca Systems, the Azteca Systems logo and Azteca Systems products referenced herein are either trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of Azteca Systems in the United States, Canada, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Trimble® and the Trimble logo are a registered trademarks of Trimble, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Changes are periodically added to this information. Cityworks may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described herein at any time. In no event shall Cityworks and/or its respective suppliers be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence, or other tortious action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of software, documents, or failure to provide services.

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form.

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CITYWORKS MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020

SINGLE SIGN-ON

Our software supports a single sign-on identity. All associated apps will support the preferred identity storehouse— ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS.

ANALYTICS & REPORTING

Cityworks uses ArcGIS tools for data analytics and powerful visualizations to support decision-making.

SPRING 2020 | CITYWORKS MAGAZINE

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Training

EMPOWER YOUR TEAM. DRIVE RESULTS. Maximize your team’s success with Cityworks training. Whether you’re new to Cityworks or an experienced administrator, we have a training course to meet your needs. Our talented instructors offer a diverse lineup of online sessions and regional in-person classes.

Explore new Cityworks tools and functionality

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Learn efficient workflows and best practices

Access exclusive materials to support your next project

EXPLORE FULL COURSE OFFERINGS ONLINE AT MYCITYWORKS.FORCE.COM/S/TRAINING

CITYWORKS MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020

FALL 2018 15

ODDS & ENDS

ODDS & ENDS

Fun facts, poll results, and other interesting stuff

ASSET MANAGEMENT

We recently asked our customers, “At what stage of asset management is your organization?” Here’s how nearly 1,000 respondents answered.

52% Work Management 24% Exploring Options Beyond Work Management 19% Analytics 5%

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Risk Analysis

5 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT POTHOLES e’ve all had to make a clever maneuver or two to avoid a pothole in the road. Here are some fascinating facts about the pesky potholes that plague our roads.

There are an estimated

55 MILLION

potholes in the U.S. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2017 Infrastructure Report Card,

1 OUT OF EVERY 5 MILES

of highway pavement in the U.S. is in poor condition.

According to a study by AAA, between 2013 and 2018,

16 MILLION DRIVERS

across the country suffered pothole damage to their vehicles.

The same AAA study also reported that pothole damage costs U.S. drivers

FAST FACT: The Village of Great

Neck, New York, inspired the setting for the classic novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Turn to p. 32 to learn how the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District has integrated Cityworks and Microsoft Power BI to visualize data and better interpret key information about their assets.

FAST FACT: Garland, Texas, was a

filming location for the popular television show Walker, Texas Ranger. Turn to p. 39 to learn how the City of Garland Water Information Systems team is cultivating a collaborative quality assurance program.

$3 BILLION per year.

Cityworks Pavement Management allows you to track materials, costs, work history, and pavement analysis data in one central location. Visit cityworks.com/pavement-management to learn more.

“The application of GIS is limited only by the imagination of those who use it.”

—Jack Dangermond, founder of Esri SPRING 2020 | CITYWORKS MAGAZINE

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PRESIDENT’S CORNER

CITYWORKS USERS: FACING CHALLENGES TOGETHER Together, Cityworks clients, partners, and employees are empowering GIS to build more resilient and sustainable communities.

BY BRIAN HASLAM, CITYWORKS PRESIDENT AND CEO

F

or all of us, the past few months have been hard. It is a rarity when the word “all” includes the entire world. I am hopeful that, by the time you read this, the worst impacts of COVID-19 to you, your loved ones, your teams, and your community will have passed.

In an incredibly short time frame, the COVD-19 pandemic

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CITYWORKS MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020

has changed the way we all live, work, and interact. When we first heard of social distancing, few of us understood what was about to happen. It has tested our resilience individually and collectively.

At times, our emotional reserves seemed depleted. But finding ways to recharge is important.

As we consider how our Cityworks community has faced major

challenges in the past, it provides strength. Since the launch of Cityworks nearly 25 years ago, we have faced uncertainties and fears that resulted from the September 11 attack and the war that quickly followed; the 2008–2009 economic recession; catastrophic hurricanes that crippled thriving communities; devastating tornados, winter storms, floods, fires, earthquakes,

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

and other disasters that ravaged communities and entire regions and impacted critical services and infrastructure. Each event tested our resilience and forced us to re-examine how we provide and prioritize essential services.

The most incredible thing for me to witness has been your resilience serving your community. You are boots on the ground making a real impact. It is an honor that the GIS-centric approach—Cityworks with ArcGIS, and partner solutions—has been an important tool to help you in the way you are responding to your community’s needs. Time and again, no matter the situation, you rise to the challenge to help your community recover, adapt, and thrive.

EMPOWERING GIS INTELLIGENCE IN THE FIGHT In the fight to understand and contain the pandemic, GIS has been central from the beginning.

Esri has been tracking the spread of COVID-19 to help governments around the world take action.

Through the news, online resources, and social media sharing, the general population has been exposed to more ArcGIS maps and dashboards in the past month than they have probably seen in their entire lives.

In a recent video, Esri CEO Jack Dangermond highlighted how GIS intelligence is leading the pandemic response.1 “It’s organizing all the content and applications, bringing organizations . . . together to enable more systematic and uniform decision-making and response,”

Dangermond explained. “GIS provides a framework and process for this, bringing all observations [and] measurements together, analyzing them in such a way that people can understand things and communicate about them, and then respond.”

Cityworks users across the globe are standing up public portals and online dashboards to maintain business continuity and public communication. They are using GIS-centric mobile solutions to protect the health of their crews while they provide essential services. They are collaborating across jurisdictions and implementing project tracking solutions to streamline FEMA reporting. Meanwhile, GIS intelligence continues to inform leadership at every stage of the crisis in order to help the community reset with cautionary processes in place.

DISRUPTION IS OPPORTUNITY The challenges we all face today are disruptive to traditional ways of providing essential service and interacting with residents. But as we see time and time again, challenges present an opportunity to evaluate our process and change our mindset to improve how communities function.

At the Cityworks user conference in December, Kristen Cox spoke to us about the theory of constraints.2 Whether we are working during a pandemic or in a time of economic abundance, every organization has a chokepoint in its process. It is tempting to throw more money, technology, training, or planning at the problem. But the

chokepoint presents an opportunity to think deeply and explore new ideas.

In this issue of Cityworks Magazine, you will see several examples of how Cityworks users have identified chokepoints in their processes and implemented solutions using the GIS-centric tools already available to them, such as Cityworks and ArcGIS. The City of Greenwood, for example, collaborated with the State of Indiana to simplify redundancy in their business permitting workflows (p.

29). The City of Garland, Texas, eliminated the need for constant data monitoring by empowering end users and leveraging existing technologies (p. 39). Countless communities used cloud-hosted technologies and mobile devices to seamlessly shift to remote work environments (p. 20).

We have yet to fully see all that will unfold in the wake of this pandemic, but one thing is clear: GIS intelligence can help us identify constraints, explore new ideas, and reprioritize accordingly.

As Cityworks users, we are facing challenges together. By sharing with and supporting each other, we can better serve the communities where we live and help them to move forward to build a more resilient and sustainable future.

Watch the video at youtu.be/wF4uD4VkZrM

1

Watch Kristen Cox’s full talk at youtube.com/cityworks

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CITYWORKS EXPERT TIPS

USING CITYWORKS TO TRACK EMERGENCY RESPONSE FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT How can your organization claim FEMA reimbursements for work done to mitigate the current pandemic? Here’s a quick overview of COVID-19 recovery opportunities and how Cityworks can support your response.

BY DINORAH SANCHEZ, CITYWORKS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

W

hen it comes to FEMA reporting with Cityworks, there are three keys for success: documentation, incorporating the workflow into daily operations and annual emergency exercises, and visualizing the data in ArcGIS analytics tools with Cityworks eURLs

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CITYWORKS MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020

and Analytics templates. Applying these concepts to the COVID-19 pandemic and interagency response is vital.

States have escalated from emergency declarations to major disaster declarations. The federal declaration opens the opportunity for

FEMA’s public assistance (PA) grants, which reimburse up to 75 percent of costs associated with emergency work. Your organization is responsible for the other 25 percent. You can also request expedited funding to receive half of the estimated and eligible costs upfront.

CITYWORKS EXPERT TIPS

FEMA defines emergency work as “work that must be performed to reduce or eliminate an immediate threat to life, protect public health and safety, and to protect improved property that is significantly threatened due to disasters or emergencies declared by the President.” Funding is limited to Category B emergency work, which could include overtime costs, distribution of food and other consumables, and emergency operation center (EOC) costs.

In addition to PA grants, other federal government funding sources include Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Small Business Administration, Housing and Urban Development, and the recent legislation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Regardless of which program you target, the key to successful funding requests is documenting work activities, costs, and explanations of why such actions were taken. The Cityworks core functionality supports compiling work activities and associated equipment, labor, and materials and rolling it up within Project Manager.

With the help of Cityworks and ArcGIS solutions for COVID-19, communities can use the platform to capture EOC and response operations. Whether you are using Cityworks AMS, Cityworks PLL, the Public Access portal, Storeroom, eURLs or Cityworks Analytics, each activity creates documentation that will support costs and actions.

For example, if you are in charge of testing sites, you can easily implement the work order and inspections templates to track

observations and costs and then roll them up in Project Manager or analyze them in Dashboards and Cityworks Analytics. And don’t forget core Cityworks functionality such as attachments and labor rates (like overtime) that ease the documentation process while enabling location intelligence. Any relevant documents or directives from local public health officials would be critical to attach at the project or work activity level.

Thinking of other ways to deploy Cityworks for the COVID-19 response? What about managing distribution sites in your community and the associated costs? Or what about tracking and managing volunteers and donations? Our

donation templates can assist in tracking donation requests and inventory, all while capturing costs and acknowledgement, which can help reduce the 25 percent non-federal cost share.

Once you’re accurately tracking all this data within a project, it’s easy to expand its use for citizen engagement. You can invite your residents to submit service requests and report on current activity through an ArcGIS Hub powered by Cityworks eURLs. By combining people, business procedures, and technology, your organization can leverage valuable funding opportunities to support your community. To learn more, visit fema.gov/coronavirus.

3 Tips for Streamlining Reporting with Cityworks As COVID-19 spreads, municipalities find themselves grappling with an increased need for FEMA reimbursements to support emergency response and recovery. Here are three tips for streamlining the FEMA reporting process with Cityworks.

1. Make the workflows familiar. One key preparation step is to embed your emergency workflows into your daily operations. Are your staff comfortable generating service requests, work orders, or inspections? Are they familiar with the process of capturing comments, costs, pictures, and attachments?

Even if the answer to these questions is yes, make sure to incorporate documentation collection as part of your annual emergency exercises so everyone understands his or her role and the importance of the documentation unit.

2. Capture data during the event. Capturing associated event costs is crucial to requesting FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) grants. While some organizations have internal costs for equipment, FEMA reimburses according to its own fee schedule at the time of the event. The Cityworks local government templates database, available online at MyCityworks.force.com, includes the latest FEMA schedule rates. By using accurate FEMA rates during an event activation, you can rest assured your organization will be in compliance.

3. Visualize event data. The data you collect during an event can have incredible value beyond FEMA reporting. With the help of Cityworks and ArcGIS, you can reinvest it to inform both your operations and your community.

For example, event layers can help keep field staff informed while Cityworks eURLs can extend your information into Esri tools such as Operations Dashboard and WebApp Builder.

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CITYWORKS EXPERT TIPS

CITYWORKS PLL: TIPS FOR BEFORE AND AFTER IMPLEMENTATION Cityworks PLL gives agencies direct control over permitting, licensing, and land processes. It also enables agencies to share information and streamline the application, inspection, and review processes to improve customer service for contractors and residents.

BY DAN PUERLING, CITYWORKS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

C

ityworks PLL brings a new level of accountability and efficiency to community development by allowing you to accurately track permits, planning, and development every step of the way. Whether you’re working with building permits, business licenses, or even pet licenses, here are some helpful tips to make implementing and using PLL a great experience.

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CITYWORKS MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION 1. Involve all end users in the information-gathering process.

Sometimes implementations are undertaken by administrators, business partners, and a select few end users. When the implementation goes “live,” not all user needs have been met, and they now need to be accounted for in modified

iterations. This can delay user acceptance and lead to inaccurate or incomplete workflows.

2. Thoroughly document workflow before implementation.

It can be tempting to start building out PLL without identifying touchpoints within the software for various groups or identifying duplicate processes before they’re

CITYWORKS EXPERT TIPS

implemented. That’s why it’s vital that, once stakeholders are identified, all of the staff draw out the workflows they plan to implement.

You will need to know not only everything that happens in the “real world” over the entire lifespan of a permit but also exactly how all those steps are going to fit into PLL. Are they going to be tasks?

Task results? Case data? Conditions? Violations? You get the idea.

3. Communicate. Maintain a clear line of open communication between all parties. Even if something seems minor, make a point of discussing it with stakeholders and the implementation team.

4. Test environments. It may seem obvious, but clients and business partners need to thoroughly establish testing environments in parallel to the production environment. It is also critically important to involve every user group in testing. They may catch something you missed.

5. Plan for admin training. Far and away, the most important step is PLL administrator training. At least one admin from each client site, and every business partner employee, should take the PLL admin training hosted by Cityworks before installing PLL. Cityworks training courses provide a realistic look at how detailed PLL functionality can be for an organization.

6. Take time to train end users.

For some end users, PLL is the first piece of software they will be extensively using. If an end user has trouble with basic tasks such as logging in to a computer, a

new software platform can seem overwhelming. With that in mind, I recommend that organizations plan to offer potential end users some training on basic computer skills, as well as on the software itself.

7. Stay current with the version specifications. Plenty of environ-

Naming Conventions in PLL An important part of PLL is ensuring that your naming conventions are simple and logical. Here are some recommended prefixes: • Residential items: R-code • Commercial items: C-code • Engineering items: E-code • Zoning items: Z-code • Development items: D-code Following this convention will simplify searching for and adding items.

ments use old browser versions or old SQL versions, or they run on machines with not enough space.

This can be the source of common issues with deployment, so the specifications must be followed.

AFTER IMPLEMENTATION 1. Database triggers are not supported, so only use them when necessary. Because we did not write the triggers, we don’t know how they will behave and can’t be responsible for them. An alternative may exist within the UI itself or with webhooks. Webhooks allow for more supported functionality that a trigger would otherwise account for. For instance, if a trigger was used to assign a task based on a specific case status, that can now be accomplished with webhooks, which would be supported. If triggers are to be used, be sure to inspect and update them appropriately prior to a Cityworks upgrade.

If an issue is encountered (e.g., an error creating cases, an error

SPRING 2020 | CITYWORKS MAGAZINE

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CITYWORKS EXPERT TIPS

Cityworks publishes installation guides, documents what’s new and issues addressed in each release, and provides white papers and case studies to inspire your next project.

adding assets, etc.), temporarily disable the trigger and see if the issue persists.

2. Research and test customization options to ensure that they meet expectations. If XML customizations are to be used, inquire about techniques and solutions on MyCityworks.force.com, specifically in the forums.

When using custom data tables, be sure to read through the help documentation for the custom data builder. And if custom fees are being considered, make an effort to simplify them. Custom fees function best when using one or two “IF”, “AND,” and “OR” functions.

Be sure to use the “Validate” button on the Fee Setup page. I also highly recommend following the examples and configuration steps.

Customizations may be necessary. By using the documentation and Cityworks community, along with sound testing, they can be successfully deployed.

3. Do not import data directly into the database unless absolutely necessary. When moving to

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PLL, most clients need to retain the information stored in the previous software. With this data, they may attempt to fit a square peg into a round hole and force the data into the PLL database. Directly importing data into the database is not the recommended method. If data import is absolutely necessary, be sure to run through several iterations within a test environment.

If an issue is encountered, determine if the issue is limited to only imported records. If so, review the import process to see if anything was missed.

Because historic data can too easily become corrupt due to the manner in which it was imported, manually creating cases is the only supported method. Additionally, any and all edits should be done through the UI when possible.

While it may be “easier” to make changes directly through the database, one mistake can ruin the entire system.

4. Take advantage of resources.

There are plenty of resources on MyCityworks.force.com, and they aren’t limited to help documents.

5. Manage expectations. Don’t expect PLL to be up and running perfectly in a couple of days. PLL is an extensive application with a lot of moving parts. Depending on the number of workflows, departments, etc., the process from purchase to going live can be lengthy and not without a few hiccups along the way. But rest assured that clients will be able to make changes much more quickly after the bulk of the implementation is completed.

Cityworks PLL is a powerful solution that provides a hefty return on investment. Everyone should be aware that it’s going to be a winding road to get to that point, but in the end, it’s well worth the time and effort.

Need to brush up on Cityworks PLL? Whether you’re new to Cityworks or an experienced administrator, we have a training course to meet your needs. To check out this year’s training calendar, log into MyCityworks.force.com and click the Training tab to find a training course that works with your schedule.

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Find out more at: energy.trimble.com/augmented-reality-for-utilities

The future is in your hands with Augmented Reality TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS

CITYWORKS EXPERT TIPS

4 NEW WAYS TO CUSTOMIZE THE PUBLIC ACCESS APP In this time of social distancing, a public-facing permitting and licensing portal is more important than ever. Cityworks Public Access offers a valuable and customizable solution to help organizations maintain their operations in the midst of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

BY DAN PUERLING, CITYWORKS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

F

ront-end, public-facing permitting and licensing solutions help a community run more efficiently by eliminating paperwork and streamlining the permitting and inspection processes.

By providing a public portal to Cityworks PLL workflows, Public Access empowers residents and contractors to apply for logins, submit and view PLL work activ-

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CITYWORKS MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020

ities, generate reports, schedule inspections, and pay fees from the flexible interface. This functionality is possible out of the box and can now be customized to perfectly suit your community’s needs and preferences. Here are four new customization options.

Did you know?

Public Access can be configured to use either Paypal or Authorize.Net as the payment gateway.

CITYWORKS EXPERT TIPS

1. Public Access 5.0, compatible with Cityworks 15.5 releases, allows administrators to customize Public Access directly from the website. Gone are the days when any customization to the Public Access website required customization of the site files themselves (XML or JavaScript).

The administrator now has the ability to easily access the “Admin” customization section from their user menu.

2. Within the Public Access website, administrators can now add, delete, or edit any of the tabs that display on the landing page of the website. Whether searching for new residential construction permits, a zoning permit, or a commercial alterations permit, Public Access can help users quickly find what they are looking for. And by adding a filter, administrators can control which permits display on each tab within the landing page to ensure that all appropriate information is available.

3. Administrators can now customize colors throughout the website. For example, perhaps your customers have complained

4. Messages are customizable as well. Are you receiving feedback that certain instructions, prompts, or other messages on the website are difficult to understand? With Public Access, you can easily customize the language to

You can even add in a “Have a nice day, y’all!” if you would like. The possibilities are endless.

guide your users through every step of the process.

that certain text is too hard to read or the “Submit” button is difficult to locate. Anything can easily be changed to a different color. The “Colors” tab contains hundreds of color options to support any needs or preferences.

For step-by-step instructions to implement any of these customizations, clients can log in to MyCityworks.force.com and search for “A Guide to Public Access Customization.” Don’t have access to the MyCityworks customer community? Go to MyCityworks.force.com, click on “Request an Account,” and enter the required information. Once your customer account has been approved, you will have access to thousands of articles, videos, white papers, discussion forums, and other resources to help you fully utilize your Cityworks solutions.

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CITYWORKS & ARCGIS:

SOLUTIONS FOR COVID-19

It’s our collective responsibility to ensure worker safety and protect customer well-being while delivering essential services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Cityworks, with ArcGIS and partner tools and solutions, can help your organization reprioritize field work, manage emergency response, shift to remote work environments, and respond to customer requests.

BY BECKY TAMASHASKY, CITYWORKS VICE PRESIDENT OF VISION AND PRODUCT ENGINEERING, AND CARA HASLAM, BRAD JOHNSON, DAN PUERLING, AND DINORAH SANCHEZ, CITYWORKS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS

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t Cityworks, we understand how important it is for you to ensure worker safety during this pandemic. Your customers rely on continued service and accurate information, and your field crews work on the front lines of community resilience. Yet social distancing policies and work-fromhome strategies are uncharted territory for many organizations.

Together, Cityworks and ArcGIS offer a comprehensive solution that can help your organization respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergency events quickly and effectively.

A GIS-CENTRIC SOLUTION Cityworks is a GIS-centric application built on the Esri ArcGIS platform, and our COVID-19

solution uses technology that’s included in both Esri’s Coronavirus Response Solution and Esri’s Coronavirus Business Continuity Solution. Different components of Cityworks functionality can be used to expand that tool set. For example, Cityworks Storeroom enables the tracking and issuance of personal protective equipment (PPE). The Cityworks Public Access Portal allows organizations to maintain their business operations while also practicing social distancing. Cityworks Respond and the mobile native apps support field operations.

The Cityworks COVID-19 solution is cloud-hosted in Cityworks Online—a secure system with all the functionality of our on-premises solution. Cityworks Online can be

deployed rapidly, and all updates and maintenance are performed

by Cityworks experts. This alleviates the burden of technology maintenance for your organization, allowing you to focus on the critical tasks at hand.

Here is an overview of the Cityworks COVID-19 solution and how it can be utilized in a typical workflow.

Keep in mind that it isn’t a requirement to implement everything shown. We understand that each organization’s needs are unique, so consider this a menu offering with several options to choose from.

MANAGING TEST SITES, PERMITS, AND INSPECTIONS Paired with the Esri solution, Cityworks can help manage COVID-19 data, facility closures, and

Cityworks GIS-centric, cloud-hosted solution to fight COVID-19.

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test site management. Cityworks can help manage closures of schools and other public places, collected in the Esri solution, as PLL cases or work orders. The Esri solution also offers functionality

sure both organizations approve the proposed plan. From there, a construction permit can be issued.

The workflow includes a construction review to ensure that the built environment matches what was

In Auburn, Alabama, the city’s Inspections Services Department was using Cityworks PLL, but office staff couldn’t access their enterprise cashiering system from home. The city worked with Timmons Group to quickly give remote staff access to Timmons Group PLL Portal. This allowed customers to make payments through the customized web portal and also gave remote staff the ability to easily process payments over the phone.

emergency delivery driver registration, allowing furloughed or retired drivers to deliver emergency goods.

The templates include an emergency health care professional registration, as well as a community development block grant application to apply for funds to combat the health crisis. The Public Access website is easily configured and empowers the public to remain involved without increasing the odds of spreading the disease.

ASSESSING HEALTH RISK geared toward managing and locating testing sites, which can be linked to Cityworks work activities to regulate construction and management of those testing sites.

The Testing Sites Locator within the Esri solution allows citizens to locate COVID-19 testing facilities.

A citizen accesses the application, enters an address, and by adjusting the radius can find any testing facilities in the area.

These facilities are designated within the Testing Sites Manager.

After a location is deemed acceptable for a testing site, a testing site can be created. Depending on the municipality or state regulations, the facility may have to meet certain construction and health permit reviews, which are initiated in the Cityworks Public Access portal and managed by a Cityworks PLL case.

This allows the process to be carried out digitally and enables social distancing protocols.

To ensure that the testing site meets any necessary regulations, the case workflow in our solution contains a thorough review process. There are reviews at both the health department and state department levels to make

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approved within the plan. After the construction review, a temporary health permit can be issued—a critical step in the workflow.

First, this is where requirements on conditions are enforced.

The health permit cannot be issued if there isn’t proper medical equipment on site, adequate law enforcement present, and testing tents the proper distance apart. If those conditions are not completed, the workflow is designed to prevent health permit issuance.

The Cityworks Public Access portal is another example of how Cityworks extends the Esri solution.

Using Public Access, citizens can complete permitting, licensing, and inspection tasks online and without any physical contact.

The Cityworks COVID-19 solution includes applications for

With new testing sites come some potential problems. For example, how do you ensure social distancing practices are being followed? Can patients be pre-screened online to ensure that your limited resources are dedicated to those who are most at risk? Cityworks Public Access can help solve these problems.

The workflow begins when a potential patient logs into the COVID-19 risk assessment Public Access site. They create a case and fill out the necessary information, including their current symptoms.

There are also options to share other pertinent information such as age, health history, and whether or not the person has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus. Within

Before the pandemic, the City of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, was already using Public Access. It has allowed customers to continue to submit engineering-related permits to city staff in an online environment. Through the online permit submittal process and functionality of automating task notifications for the city’s internal work process, it has allowed staff to continue to conduct business in the city’s ongoing effort to maintain social distancing practices while still allowing customers to continue work within the city with the proper permits.

Disaster Preparation with Cityworks AMS Want to learn more about using Cityworks to track your organization’s preparations and response to a natural disaster? Log into MyCityworks.force.com and click on the Training tab to register for Disaster Preparation with Cityworks AMS. In this training course, you will:

• Discover how to create projects and associate work orders and /or service requests to them.

• Explore how to create inbox tabs to organize a project and its work activities.

• Apply saved searches in the project inbox as charts, maps, lists, etc.

• Experience eURL displayed as a web map in ArcGIS Online.

Offered on May 5, June 2, June 29, July 28, and August 25.

the Cityworks dashboard, health professionals can open the case and view the information entered by the patient.

After reviewing the data, they make their assessment in the workflow. If a particular patient has been assessed as high risk for having contracted COVID-19, then the health professional selects “high risk” as the assessment in

the workflow, and it automatically updates with a new task. A notification is sent to the patient informing them that they are high risk and requesting that they schedule a test via the COVID-19 Public Access site.

In Public Access, the patient can now use the scheduling tool.

This helps prevent people from coming to the testing site without

an appointment or having to wait long periods of time, thereby reducing unnecessary exposure to others.

TRACKING OPERATIONS FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT One main purpose of the Cityworks COVID-19 response is tracking and facilitating operations as they relate to federal funding opportunities. With Project Manager, Cityworks users can track emergency-related work such as managing testing and distribution sites, donations, and PPE or other material inventories.

The COVID-19 project is preconfigured in the cloud solution and is set as the default project for all Cityworks AMS solution templates such as service requests, work orders, and inspections, with any associated costs rolling up to the overall project budget. This

Temporary health center PLL case.

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We recently asked our customers how COVID-19 has impacted their organizations. Here is how nearly 150 respondents answered.

How is COVID-19 impacting your operations? (Check all that apply.)

26% We are maintaining business as usual 64% We have shifted our focus to work deemed essential 4%

We have shifted our focus to emergency activities only

26% Other 0

10

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40

50

60

70

80

How is COVID-19 impacting your staff? (Check all that apply.)

88% Office staff are working from home 44% Field crews receive and complete all their work digitally 8%

7%

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60

80

100

We don’t have remote work systems in place yet, but we are implementing them now We are not implementing any changes in employee work environment

39% Other

How is COVID-19 impacting your customer interaction?

(Check all that apply.)

16% We are maintaining business as usual 91% All customer interactions happen online or by telephone 2%

We don’t have online systems in place yet, but we are implementing them now

5%

Customer interactions are currently on hold

15% Other

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0

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80

100

makes it easy to review project activities, attach related documents, and visualize the data.

The COVID-19 project dashboards in Respond or the Office inbox are intended to provide a complete view of the pandemic response, including the testing and distribution sites, related inspections, and even managing donations and volunteers.

Cityworks Project Manager also makes it easy to complete FEMA forms such as the ICS Form 214 activity log by translating project data through Crystal Reports. Our solution templates and project are intended to capture the what, where, when, and how much of your response efforts, which will be required for federal funding requests.

MANAGING TESTING SITES Whether the community is responsible for managing COVID-19 testing sites or just wants to enable reporting, AMS templates can capture the data in both Cityworks Office and Respond. We recommend using Respond because it works well on both a tablet and computer and it’s easy to customize the end user experience using Style.

Once the testing site asset is created in Esri’s solution, the layer can be used as a service in Cityworks and the asset can be attached to work orders and inspections. The testing site creation work order has multiple child inspections being generated. The child inspections track the number of tests performed each day, number of test kits onsite, and more.

Additionally, fields from the initial testing site in Esri’s solution carry over to custom fields in Cityworks.

The user can then access the related inspection, which will already have the asset associated with the activity. The observations section can be updated as the user prefers.

The inspection includes Site Observations and Testing Report panels that are each composed of critical fields to inform future planning. For example, the inspector can enter what the expected attendance to the testing site may be and later capture the actual turnout, which can then be reviewed in Cityworks Analytics to help adapt operations to meet actual needs.

Another detail to capture may be which other organizations are participating at the testing site, such as nonprofits, hospitals, counties, and states. The daily maximum allotment of testing kits followed by the number of used kits can also be documented.

MANAGING DISTRIBUTION SITES Many communities are setting up and managing distribution sites for hand sanitizer, meals, and other necessities. We took a similar approach to the Testing Site work order, where the work order serves as the parent to the related daily inspections.

The work order and related inspection edit pages are configured to minimize visible fields and expanded panels while providing

The City of Shoreline, Washington, is working with King County to convert a soccer field to a field hospital with approximately 200 beds. The city created a Cityworks project to track work related to the COVID-19 response, including clearing the field, preparing the emergency hospital, and deep-cleaning efforts at various campuses around town. Cityworks is one of the tools the city is utilizing to track hard and soft expenses to submit for FEMA reimbursement.

necessary information. Users can configure observations such as daily attendance, collaborating entities, and opening and closing counts for items like meals or sanitizing products (although this can also be managed in Storeroom as material). All of this data will be useful to track patterns, site needs, and modify operations if necessary.

MANAGING DONATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS Donations and volunteer hours qualify for reimbursement under FEMA Public Assistance programs—so long as they are documented correctly. One way to facilitate the process is to use the Donation Intake service request to capture donor information, what is intended, and how the request was received. In order to track volunteers, create a “Donation Volunteer” employee with no login information and configure the labor rate to be the national average, which is currently $25.43. Then, as labor hours are entered for each volunteer, the cost will tally.

Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, is using Cityworks Storeroom to track their cleaning supply inventory and any essential goods received from FEMA or strategic stockpile supplies. The city set up a COVID-19 project in all domains to track work activities that occur beyond normal job responsibilities as part of their COVID-19 response.

Meanwhile, the Donation Acceptance inspection can be used to further document the donor’s sector; what is being donated; estimated quantities, value, and availability; and even use the electronic signature functionality to have the donor sign off on the donation.

DOCUMENTING RESPONSE EFFORTS We included four additional templates in our solution to help document the work being done in the emergency operations center (EOC) and other operations associated with the pandemic. These templates are: • EOC/Incident—General Planning • Facilities Cleaning • Incident Response—General • Location Closure/Opening— Prep Each work order is intended to provide a simple approach to document other work being done. The closure/opening work order was based on feedback from Cityworks users who are closing parks or other facilities and must post signs or set barricades to prevent entry or use.

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Douglas County, Nebraska, Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS.

VISUALIZING AND ANALYZING DATA Using ArcGIS Insights, Cityworks Analytics provides an out-of-thebox workbook with maps, charts, and tables to help users visualize and analyze COVID-19 response data within Cityworks. For example, users can view total tests, total confirmations, recoveries, and locations—all indispensable data to identify community hotspots and make operational adjustments. The COVID-19 workbook has individual tabs for each of the solution areas such as the PLL cases, testing and

Douglas County, Nebraska, is using Esri’s Crowdsource Reporter together with Cityworks to manage and route COVID-19 citizen requests.

They are also using Esri Dashboards and ArcGIS Hub to share COVID-19 information with public.

distribution sites, inventory management, and donations.

Users can also analyze tasks in review and the results of those tasks. They can be displayed by day or by month as well as by who is completing each task. Maps will also show where inspections are taking place. As users select from either a map or a chart, they can

The City of Weston, Florida, has been using a Cityworks project to track all work related to COVID-19. This includes the regular cleaning of facilities, playgrounds, parks, and other public areas, as well as activities that qualify for state and federal reimbursement.

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quickly and easily view distribution sites, testing sites, and donation sites. They can also get a count of which type of inspections are being done and pull the inspection results into various types of charts.

Tracking costs, equipment, labor, materials, and donations is an important aspect of any COVID-19 response. That’s why within Cityworks Analytics we provide a page that allows users to monitor their Cityworks Storeroom inventory data. In Storeroom, users can track the cost, type, and quantity of items received or issued.

As noted with the testing and

distribution site templates, the data displays where those are occurring, evaluate the expected and actual attendance, activity breakdown, and observation results.

Additionally, the placement of the sites can be evaluated using the drive time views such as estimating proximity. The work orders and inspections can also be interpreted by workload distribution, ELM costs, and custom field data, all of which provide greater detail into operational awareness.

Managing donations is further enhanced by displaying the location of donors, quantities, and donation types. Both the donation intake requests and acceptance inspections can be evaluated including the data captured in the observations. But the most

valuable information is the donation tallies both for quantity and estimated value.

The power behind Cityworks Analytics is not only the data itself but also the ability to share it with the rest of your organization, and there is no better way than serving it up in Cityworks. The workbook can be added to the Cityworks Inbox and shared with users.

Cityworks is dedicated to helping communities respond to, recover from, and prepare for emergency events. Whether or not you are a current customer, we will assist you in implementing the Cityworks COVID-19 solutions quickly and seamlessly. For more information, visit cityworks.com/covid-19 or email info@cityworks.com.

In Missouri, Independence Power & Light (IPL) employees were able to adapt to a remote workforce in a matter of hours with the help of Cityworks and VPN access. Most remote users are able to complete their Cityworks-related activities just as they would if they were in the office. During the early stages of the outbreak, IPL embedded several COVID-19 surveillance dashboards into a custom “Coronavirus� tab within Cityworks to help the general manager and city manager monitor the ever-changing situation. The dashboards track confirmed cases, recovered cases, and deaths at a country, state, and county level.

Cityworks and ArcGIS solutions for COVID-19.

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SOLUTIONS FROM OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS The Cityworks Partner Network is a community of businesses who expand the GIS-centric platform by connecting critical business functions. Here are just a few of the partner solutions that support COVID-19 response. For additional offerings, visit cityworks.com/covid-19.

AECOM

GISINC

During an emergency, your organization needs to prioritize work and communicate jobsite conditions.

AECOM can help configure Cityworks to manage essential services, communicate safety precautions, and support operations. AECOM can also create custom reports and dashboards to support real-time decision making. Visit aecom.com or email matthew.cieri@aecom.com.

Want to learn more about Esri’s Coronavirus Response Solution and Coronavirus Business Continuity Solution? GISinc created an on-demand training series to help you get started. Learn more about this and other helpful resources at GISinc’s Coronavirus Response Hub: coronavirus-gisi.hub.arcgis.com.

CENTRICITY GIS

POWER Engineers can provide business continuity support by externalizing Cityworks, setting up mobile and workforce management solutions, and implementing dashboards for monitoring and reporting. POWER’s visualization tools can simplify communication, enhance understanding and help projects remain efficient and on schedule. Contact Bill.Hoisington@powereng.com.

The Centricity PLL Citizen Portal provides a customizable interface for case templates while removing the need for face-to-face interactions. The solution provides instant messaging within Public Access; supports locked and versioned attachments; automates workflow management; and allowes users to attach multiple asset types to each case. Contact info@CentricityGIS.com.

GEODECISIONS Communication with employees and residents is critical for emergency response and recovery.

GeoDecisions can help you build custom map solutions; implement the Notify mass communication solution; create a community engagement site using ArcGIS Hub; and deploy Esri’s emergency management operations services. Visit geodecisions.com/covid-19-services.

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POWER ENGINEERS

SAFE SOFTWARE (FME) Safe Software wants to ensure that the people keeping our communities safe can do so without software licensing limitations. Anyone working on projects related to COVID-19 is eligible for free FME Desktop and FME Server licenses, valid at least through September 2020. Safe Software is also offering free support for COVID-19 research and projects. Contact info@safe.com.

SEECLICKFIX When you think of citizen request management, you probably think of potholes—not pandemics. The flexibility of SeeClickFix allows staff to manage customer inquiries coming in from Facebook, phone calls, website, and mobile apps while working remotely. To support your COVID-19 response, SeeClickFix is now free for 90 days. Visit civicplus.com/scf90.

TIMMONS GROUP With offices closed across the country, managing over-the-counter permit applications is impossible.

Timmons Group will digitize your 10 highest-volume workflows into Cityworks PLL and Public Access and integrate with point-of-sale applications such as PayPal and Authorize.net. This simple, turnkey solution is deployed with Cityworks Online. Email louis.garcia@timmons.com.

NEARMAP Nearmap provides organizations with crystal clear eye-in-the-sky imagery to support decision-making and enhance ArcGIS mapping tools.

The Nearmap portfolio of high-resolution aerial imaging is now available free of charge to government agencies and health officials for COVID-19 relief efforts. Visit view.nearmap.com/gov-offer.

CASE STUDY

GREENWOOD, INDIANA

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: INTEGRATING STATE AND LOCAL PERMIT SOLUTIONS The City of Greenwood, Indiana, has been integrating commercial permits into the Indiana Secretary of State business portal. Here’s an overview of their unique multi-jurisdictional effort to more efficiently serve their residents.

Pop. Served: 56,545 Depts. Using Cityworks: Building Services, Community Development Services, Code Enforcement, Finance, Fleet, Fire, Sanitation, Stormwater, Street, Wastewater Treatment, Permits Staff Using Cityworks: 200 User Since: 2016

BY LINDSAY FERGUSON, CITYWORKS CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR

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s an organization, the City of Greenwood, Indiana, continually strives to embrace technology and offer online capabilities to its staff and customers.

These efforts align with the city’s overarching vision of progress and community improvement— an endeavor further instilled by Mayor Mark Myers. His initiatives

have included supporting economic development through local business growth and expanding technology solutions to streamline city processes.

At the state level, Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson had the vision for a unified state and municipal business compliance solution. The foresight of

both government leaders and the hard work and dedication of their championing teams culminated in a one-of-a-kind integration between Greenwood’s permitting software, Cityworks PLL, and the state’s business management system, INBiz.

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CASE STUDY

THE OPPORTUNITY Since Mayor Myers took office in 2012, he has made a push to bring more city business tasks and processes online. In 2017, the city began using Cityworks PLL—permits, licensing, and land—in its building department. By the end of that year, every city building permit was being managed through Cityworks.

“Greenwood was looking for a way to streamline our commercial permitting process and at the same time improve the customer experience,” explained Tom Maggard, GIS technician at the City of Greenwood. “Basically, we wanted to make it easier for citizens to do business in our community.”

During this same time, the Indiana Secretary of State’s office was recognizing the need for a combined state and municipal business management solution.

The state’s homegrown program, INBiz, provides an online portal for

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business owners to register and manage business requirements, ensuring compliance with state laws and regulations.

“Our users expressed interest in a one-stop solution for state and municipal compliance processes,” explained Lindsey Mayes, INBiz Program Management Office Director at the Indiana Secretary of State’s office. “That feedback spurred this conversation.”

A mutual business partner of Greenwood and the state department recognized the entity’s shared goals in striving for improved user experience. Through this contact, Maggard was introduced to colleagues at the Secretary of State’s office, and discussions began.

THE SOLUTION All parties were optimistic that the integration was not only attainable but would also be the solution that both organizations were looking for.

“Cityworks’ flexibility and built-in API capabilities allow for a nice, easy flow of the data that may not always be inherent with other similar software solutions,” said Maggard, who spearheaded the project. “In turn, INBiz is also very flexible as it was basically built from the ground up.”

In addition to aligned organizational goals, the Secretary of State’s office felt Greenwood was an ideal city to work with on many levels.

“This was something Secretary Lawson felt very strongly about doing, and it was an easy decision to partner with Greenwood,” said Mayes.

“Mayor Myers is highly respected in the state, and his priorities clearly aligned with what we had in mind for the project.”

In May 2018, the two organizations created a detailed integration plan. Early on, they determined that further assistance was needed to carry out the technicalities of the integration. Greenwood reached out to Woolpert, Inc., a Cityworks business partner, to focus on the back end of Cityworks while the state teamed up with PPC International to support INBiz. The integration team met on a regular basis and, after a few months, the scope of the project was in place. Although it was possible to bring all permits on at once, the team decided to start with three permits: commercial site plan, new commercial building, and commercial addition.

In February 2019, the team began developing software environments, configuring APIs, customizing the PLL portal and message alerts, and more. After testing and deployment, the team achieved its targeted go-live date of August 2019. Ultimately, the information and processes of both systems were merged to function as one.

CASE STUDY

THE RESULTS Customers can now initiate a Greenwood business permit application in INBiz, allowing them to leverage INBiz user information in a streamlined environment.

Greenwood still houses all of the business permit data, but INBiz provides a familiar online interface for customers made possible through Cityworks APIs. Additionally, the solution shows users exactly where they are in the process of compliance.

“Instead of asking why certain inspections haven’t been done, for example, customers can use the system to see where they are in the process. Now, they have increased understanding and can ask more pointed, productive questions,” said Maggard.

In his recent 2020 State of the City address, Mayor Myers spoke about pride and progress, and he said of the integration, “In 2019, Greenwood became the first municipality in Indiana to partner with the Secretary of State’s office to integrate local permitting into INBiz—a solution to streamline our permitting processes with the state’s online portal that serves as a one-stop resource for individuals starting, managing, and growing their businesses. We plan to continue adding online permits throughout 2020.”

On the state end, the results speak for themselves. “Our goal from the beginning was strictly to streamline processes and improve the user experience, and that has certainly happened,” Mayes said.

The Secretary of State’s office

has experienced increased interest in the solution from other municipalities throughout the state. “The benefits and flexibility of Cityworks is apparent, and the cities are starting to see what’s really possible.”

The project also facilitated the breakdown of barriers between city and state government. Business owners and citizens can see that both levels of government are working together to benefit the same people.

“It’s easy to forget that the state government is only as strong as cities are,” said Mayes. “If we can help make it easier for business owners to do business in our cities, that makes our cities stronger, our state stronger—it all connects.”

Greenwood’s customized PLL portal.

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CASE STUDY

TURNING YOUR CITYWORKS INBOX INTO A MANAGEMENT DASHBOARD Integrating Microsoft Power BI with Cityworks can help utilities easily interpret key information about their assets.

GREAT NECK WATER POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT, NEW YORK Pop. Served: 25,000 Depts. Using Cityworks: Sewer Collections, Wastewater Treatment Staff Using Cityworks: 10 User Since: 2012

BY CHRISTOPHER MURPHY, SUPERINTENDENT, GREAT NECK WATER POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT, AND ELISA PETERS, SENIOR CONSULTANT, POWER ENGINEERS

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n the area of Long Island known for inspiring the setting in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby, the Village of Great Neck, New York, is surrounded by scenic views from its two nearby bays. The primary objective of the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District (GNWPCD) is to protect the region’s bay environment. After more than a century of operations,

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GNWPCD is one of the most environmentally advanced wastewater treatment plants in the state.

The sewer utility is also ahead of the curve when it comes to data.

GNWPCD has been collecting Cityworks data since 2012 and added GraniteNet closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection data just a few years later. More recently, the utility began ongoing GIS data

improvements using Esri’s Collector for ArcGIS integrated with a Trimble R2 GPS external receiver.

Although GNWPCD was generating a considerable amount of information, they still needed to make it useful for decision-making.

The sewer utility needed a solution to help them achieve a greater return on investment and incorporate data into their capital planning.

CASE STUDY

SETTING THE STAGE GNWPCD consulted with POWER Engineers to develop a customized solution for visualizing their data within the Cityworks platform.

Cityworks users can choose from several business intelligence (BI) solutions—from third-party integrations supported through Cityworks APIs to the analytical tools developed by Cityworks in conjunction with ArcGIS Insights.

Since Microsoft Office 365 was already being used throughout GNWPCD, this platform provided a logical starting point. Through a free trial of Microsoft Power BI, the project team quickly discovered that charts and graphs could be embedded directly into the Cityworks Inbox. Realizing the potential of Power BI, they went to work on the full implementation. With help from POWER Engineers, GNWPCD installed the Office 365 add-in and authored several Cityworks dashboards, each containing the new stunning visuals.

The team of consultants also helped configure a data gateway to provide the utility with a permanent connection to the Cityworks and GraniteNet databases. Power BI data is not truly “real time.”

Rather, the gateway enables a refresh of the data according to a user-specified schedule.

The POWER Engineers team collaborated with GNWPCD to ensure that each of the newly created visuals within the dashboards was providing the maximum benefit possible for the sewer utility. This was done through various interactive demonstrations with the utility. Once a consensus was met on the functionality of the new

dashboards, the platform was deployed through the Cityworks AMS Inbox so it would appear seamless to its end users.

POWERFUL DASHBOARDS From conception to completion, the project took just three months.

Already, the integration of Power BI with Cityworks has proven to be beneficial for the sewer utility.

The GNWPCD team can now easily visualize data in their Cityworks Inbox, reducing the number of saved searches needed to view similar information. For example, instead of selecting a few different criteria in a work order search, Power BI allows for interactive and simultaneous filtering on multiple visuals at once. The “table” type visual also allows users to directly open a work order from the filtered lists.

By viewing data in customized and easy-to-digest visuals, the utility is saving valuable time.

One of the dashboards allows the GNWPCD team to simultaneously view work orders for different areas, helping the utility to efficiently balance work order distribution among their employ-

ees. The dashboard makes it easy to determine who has too many work orders assigned and who has too few with a clearly labeled and color-coded chart embedded directly into the inbox.

POWER Engineers helped the sewer utility create another dashboard to display their GraniteNet CCTV inspection data. Processing up to 5.3 million gallons of wastewater each day, a key initiative for GNWPCD is to have the ability to easily interpret condition data on their sewer lines. With the integrated Power BI dashboard, the utility can easily interpret their GraniteNet condition data collected from their extensive network of pipes.

For example, the team can view which pipes have the worst NASSCO Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PACP®) condition score, how condition varies across different pipe diameters and materials, and which pipes would be good candidates for lining versus point repair or replacement. Not only do dashboards like these help inform capital improvement decisions, but they also help the utility prioritize preventative

This Power BI table includes links to open the Cityworks work order.

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CASE STUDY

maintenance of their assets, which in turn could save valuable time and money down the road.

MAPPING OUT THE FUTURE Beyond their beautiful charts and diagrams, there’s another aspect to these dashboards that make them attractive—they are relatively simple to create. Power BI allows users the ability to duplicate pages, making it easy to develop new dashboards from existing ones and saving a considerable amount of time.

POWER Engineers is currently working with GNWPCD to add more dashboards to the collection.

The future dashboards will help the utility track key performance indicators (KPIs) for various programs with the goal of monitoring efficiency and overall progress throughout the year. Having this data readily available is important, especially when it comes to maintaining a complex, 72-mile sanitary sewer system.

GNWPCD is currently using an InfoSense Sewer Line Rapid Assessment Tool (SL-RAT) for their sewer inspections in addition to standard CCTV equipment. With help from POWER Engineers, they plan to create a new dashboard that will monitor performance of the SL-RAT method. This dashboard will show KPIs such as the number of pipes inspected per week or month using SL-RAT versus established targets, which will provide the necessary data for the utility to make informed decisions about their personnel and equipment.

With the new Cityworks and Power BI integration, GNWPCD has already seen improved

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decision-making in their preventative maintenance efforts and will soon have a way to continuously evaluate performance of other key programs. Armed with quality data, the sewer utility is

well on their way to achieving their asset management goals—all while providing better protection for the environment and residents of Great Neck.

Power BI dashboard showing latest snapshot of Cityworks data presented in a pie chart with accompanying table. The two “slicers” allow users to further filter the data by projected start date and by work order description.

Power BI dashboard showing live GraniteNet inspection data presented in a treemap chart with accompanying table. The two “slicers” allow users to further filter the data by pipe diameter and material.

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BEST PRACTICES

GOING MOBILE: HOW ONE SANITATION DISTRICT MODERNIZED ITS FIELD OPERATIONS Before implementing Cityworks in 2016, the Central San operations crews worked from printed field maps. That changed with the Cityworks mobile native app. Here’s what we did to ensure widespread adoption of the new technology.

BY IAN MORALES, GIS ANALYST, CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT

C

entral Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) in California strives to be a utility of the future by pioneering innovative technologies and cutting-edge practices. The GIS and asset management team is the tip of the spear in this effort. Before we implement a

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new tool or system, we evaluate it to ensure it helps us address one or more of these goals: • Breaking down traditional silos by increasing systemic communication and collaboration • Improving established practices to become best practices

• Increasing access to data and improving transparency • Increasing data-driven decision making • Implementing proven technology to improve effectiveness and/or efficiency Making our GIS-centric systems

BEST PRACTICES

accessible on mobile devices facilitated these objectives by reducing obstacles to good data collection and improving field access for our sewer collection crews.

CHOOSING THE APP We chose the Cityworks mobile app for its ability to store data locally on the device, allowing field crews to work even disconnected from the network. We’ve used every version of the app since version 4 and are testing mobile map packages in version 8.

The crews like the mobile app for its overall ease of use and simple, large-button interface. They also like that once the map is downloaded and their work is synced, they can work disconnected from the network without the lag often experienced over a VPN connection.

CHOOSING THE HARDWARE The Cityworks mobile native app can be used on both Apple and Android devices. Our IT team supports iOS mobile devices and chose the Apple iPad Air 2 for our field crews.

We purchased 70 units in 2016 and experienced very few device failures in the subsequent years.

The devices are configured with cell-enabled VPN network access and are centrally managed by the IT team via mobile device management (MDM) software.

Because our service territory has hilly terrain with poor cell service, we installed cell signal boosters in the field trucks. We also made sure that each field crew has access to hardware accessories like car chargers. Every organization’s needs will differ, so choose your hardware accordingly.

CONFIGURING THE MAP CACHE Let’s discuss the nitty gritty of configuration. Getting tablets into the hands of our field staff with completely revamped processes required a combination of careful intent, motivation from the stakeholder groups, new technology, and good timing. Proper configuration also played a big part in our success.

Because the app design is set, one of the biggest impacts an administrator can have on user experience is designing the map cache. Setting up the map used to generate the cache can take a little bit of time, but good cartography for a field application is incredibly important. If users struggle to interpret the map, then a huge obstacle exists in their experience. You certainly don’t want someone wincing each time they open the tool.

For any field crew, knowing where you are and what you are working on is critical. Because

much of our service area has poor cell coverage, we cannot rely on live map services in the mobile app. To accommodate this, the cached map covers more than 140 square miles of service territory and includes (but is not limited to) sewer features, roads, addresses, and even aerial imagery in the largest scale to allow crews to see manholes in the street or on private property. Critical attributes like material, diameter, length, depth, and structure ID are carefully labeled to fully enable the disconnected environment.

When a user opens the app, it shows the service area from 30,000 feet with only our service boundary and some contextual features showing, like highways and freeways. As the user zooms in, more detail is revealed: contextual layers turn on, then the sewer system, then parcels turn on, and then the custom-cut imagery.

After some testing trial and error, we discovered a winning cache configuration for our organization.

First, we always use ArcGIS Pro to

Final cache at level 18.

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BEST PRACTICES

generate our tile packages (TPKs).

While ArcMap will do the job, it does it much more slowly.

Then, we narrowed down our level of detail to 11 minimum and 19 maximum in the ArcGIS Online tile scheme. Next, we clipped the imagery only to critical extents— for example, only 50 feet of sewer features and all private property that our sewers travel through.

Adding raster data to any cache (and the necessary scale for the imagery to be useful) drastically increases its size.

Lastly, we discovered that a mixed tile format (both PNGs and JPEGs) gave us the best resolution verse file size. Our final TPK file size is roughly 1.8 gigabytes.

It’s important to be aware of final TPK file size. Not only are there upload limitations for Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)—up to 4 gigs, after some IIS configuration changes—but larger

caches take longer to download to a mobile device. Since there is no way to bypass the Cityworks download procedures, the best way to speed up a mobile map cache download is to reduce its size.

Luckily, we only update our map quarterly. This keeps most of the data adequately up to date without the hassle of frequently downloading a large file.

Keep in mind that every organization must address its own limitations and requirements as needed.

While our setup may spark some ideas, you may need to consider other factors for your configuration.

line of gathering and improving asset and maintenance information.

This paradigm shift has had positive ripple effects throughout the organization. For example, office staff who formerly spent most of their time manually entering map notes into the CMMS can now focus on optimizing cleaning schedules for over 1,500 miles of pipe.

Mobile technology helps us provide staff with better tools to improve our migration from paper to digital, enhance data quality and data collection, and bring us closer to being a utility of the future.

ALL ABOUT APPROACH Central San still has room for improvement, but the benefits of our mobile implementation cannot be dismissed. Going mobile empowered our field staff to be not only the front line of keeping our sewer system operating but also the front

CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA Pop. Served: 490,000 Depts. Using Cityworks: Asset Management, Capital Projects, Collection System Operations, Communications, Development Inspection, Environmental Compliance, Fleet Maintenance, Laboratory, Planning and Applied Research, Plant Maintenance, Plant Operations, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management, Safety Staff Using Cityworks: 190 User Since: 2016

Final cache at level 19.

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BEST PRACTICES

QUALITY ASSURANCE: 5 KEYS TO COLLECTING ACCURATE DATA High-quality data is increasingly important as more organizations transition to data-driven decision-making to manage assets. Providing a few additional resources to your operations teams can go a long way to improve the quality of your data.

BY DOUGLAS DENNISTON, APPLICATION PROGRAMMER, AND MEGHAN PETERS, SENIOR BUSINESS PROCESS ANALYST, CITY OF GARLAND, TEXAS

A

n enterprise asset management system helps you collect and visualize data.

But human error and inconsistent processes can still create gaps in the information you rely on for decision-making. By aligning your workflows and technology with your organization’s data quality standards, you can implement a

strategic quality assurance (QA) program and alleviate the need for constant data monitoring.

The most successful quality assurance programs rely on a culture of democratized, rather than governed, data quality management. The City of Garland Water Information Systems team cultivated a collaborative quality

assurance program with five key tactics: custom inboxes, clear communication, ongoing training, routine reporting, and automated GIS database checks.

1. Custom Inboxes We created tailored Cityworks inboxes for each division as well as for specific team members,

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BEST PRACTICES

Custom inbox.

Routine report.

providing them with maps, charts, and individualized QA panels for quick reference. Since our water operators generate the majority of all service requests, each operator has their own QA inbox tab with three saved searches. These saved searches track the main components of a request to ensure it gets to the correct inbox: Division, Category, and Geocoded Address.

General QA inboxes monitored by the Water Information Services team can also assist in spotting trends. For example, if a crew member is consistently struggling with portions of a work order or inspection workflow, the right search and inbox can highlight those issues and create opportunities for training.

2. Clear Communication The approach taken to address mistakes is just as important as

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the approach taken to find those mistakes in the first place. The Water Information Services team has invested time into building trust and rapport with the field teams. Communicating why we collect certain data helps the crews understand the importance of data quality monitoring and has helped them feel comfortable with suggesting process improvements so we all have the information we need to be successful.

Prioritizing relationship-building with the field crews is a crucial component to how data quality management is perceived. It is the difference between engaging someone as a contributor who understands how information is used versus telling someone that they have made a mistake.

3. Ongoing Training We have instituted an ongoing

refresher training for the crews that covers maps, inboxes, and searches, service requests, work orders, and inspections. We are able to customize the training by division based on their individual workflows.

These trainings provide an opportunity for crews to revisit best practices during periods of personnel turnover and role changes. The trainings also lead to questions and discussions that spark continued process improvements.

4. Routine Reports Reports provide another means for ensuring high-quality data.

Supervisors of high-volume crews, such as our Pump Maintenance Division, have reports like “Aging Work Orders� to highlight work orders that may have been missed.

Additionally, a QA report for the Pump Maintenance Division shows discrepancies in work orders and

BEST PRACTICES

inspections to help the supervisor focus attention where it is most needed.

5. Data Reviewer Quality assurance doesn’t just apply to our Cityworks data. Our GIS data also plays a significant role in our planning, analytics and reporting, and asset management.

The ArcGIS Data Reviewer tool from Esri allows users to create a single rule or an entire batch of rules that can be run ad hoc or on a regular cadence.

Our initial batch of rules was set up to reflect our base data standards and run on a schedule so that data quality can be maintained and measured over time. Our rules include checks on unique IDs, geometric network integrity checks, and attribute table checks to verify that our assets are correctly identified, positioned, and recorded.

Quality assurance is essential to confident decision-making.

Through a suite of solutions, the City of Garland Water and Waste-

water Divisions continuously monitor our data so that mistakes can be easily caught and corrected. By implementing a variety of solutions, each tailored to the workflows and data collected by different field teams, we increase the likelihood that the unique data quality issues possible within each team are accounted for in one or more solutions.

Additionally, by building an environment that mitigates the fear of making mistakes, we have been able to open the dialogue for process improvements and strengthened communications between office and field personnel.

High-data quality is achieved when everyone has training, tools, and a strong sense of shared purpose.

GARLAND, TEXAS Pop. Served: 260,000 Depts. Using Cityworks: Water Distribution, Wastewater Collection, Wastewater Treatment Plants, with users in Customer Service and Animal Control Staff Using Cityworks: 250 User Since: 2015

Data reviewer.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM DAMIAN SPANGRUD As director of solutions at Esri, Damian Spangrud focuses on making the science of location intelligence understandable and actionable. We asked him to share his insights on geospatial infrastructure, artificial intelligence, COVID-19, and real-time data.

INTERVIEW BY JAMIE ARMSTRONG, CITYWORKS CONTENT MARKETING MANAGER

Q. What role has ArcGIS and spatial awareness played during the COVID-19 pandemic?

A. As the COVID-19 pandemic rattles our lives in ways that we would never have imagined even a few short months ago, it is interesting to see the role that GIS and spatial thinking is playing in the response. From the early stages of the pandemic in Asia to now, ArcGIS has been key in modeling, visualizing, and responding to this crisis. Much of these efforts are being led by the GIS professionals working far outside of their normal day-to-day project work, but they know that their skills can help. As the global impact grows, we are seeing networks of these communities sharing information with each other and connecting the nodes in the network to ensure a better re-

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sponse. GIS and geospatial thinking is being used in every briefing and model globally. Our futures are all being impacted by this crisis, but your skills and communities are what is helping day to day.

Q. What is geospatial infrastructure, and why is it important for communities moving into the future?

A. Geospatial infrastructure is the collection of web service-enabled systems, providing applications and services for a wide variety of purposes. Communities can use geospatial infrastructure to share content, services, and applications beyond just the individual user or organization level.

Geospatial infrastructure is important for communities because it allows cities, utilities, and other

organizations to support practical integration of all departments while maintaining their silos of excellence. It also enables communities to connect with other public and private organizations, taking advantage of each other’s data, services, and even apps. Since the infrastructure supports connected desktops, web apps, open data, and offline field data collection, it brings together all workflows across organizations.

Q. How is ArcGIS technology taking geospatial infrastructure to the next level?

A. The big change is in the interconnectedness and scale of GIS. Organizations can now dynamically bring together information from different departments into organization-wide applications such as

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

dashboards. And the benefits are not just for large organizations.

Individuals and teams use this infrastructure for personal productivity and offloading work to remote systems while at the same time leveraging standard data and services from the cloud to enrich their local work.

Q. How might an organization benefit from a system of engagement?

A. Organizations using GIS have always benefited from the system of engagement by using printed maps and dynamic digital maps to communicate policy and plans and make operational decisions. These days, the engagement is much broader and includes dynamic 3D

operational dashboards to make better decisions. But they don’t need to sit and watch “the board.”

With intelligent alerting, defined actions can automatically trigger based on a set of rules. It may be something as simple as sending an email or text or something as complex as triggering a model for real-time analysis.

Q. How can organizations incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning into their operations?

A. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) provide a new set of ever-expanding tools to help find patterns and predict results. While traditional analysis continues to help find defined

“From the early stages of the pandemic in Asia to now, ArcGIS has been key in modeling, visualizing, and responding to this crisis.” scenes, executive dashboards, and infographics—all leveraging the same infrastructure and content seamlessly across workflows and devices.

Q. Why is real-time data so important?

A. Real-time data has always been important to make better operational decisions. But, historically, getting that data has been difficult and was, at best, loosely connected (e.g., someone reports something over the radio).

With increased connectivity and low-priced devices, organizations can now put all this data on their

patterns and predict results, AI and ML have been shown to help infer some results with more flexibility and dynamism than many logical models. It’s also fairly easy to see the benefits in machine vision. Machine vision allows the computer to “look at” an image and identify things and aspects of things. For instance, it could successfully follow commands such as “find all swimming pools at abandoned houses” or “while driving on the road, highlight any road sings that appear damaged.” These AI and ML techniques reduce the need for a person to do all the work in looking at these images and in making

assumptions and identifications.

Q. Talk to us about ArcGIS Indoors and ArcGIS Urban. How can these solutions help local government and utility organizations?

A. ArcGIS Indoors and ArcGIS Urban represent newly envisioned geo-enabled systems. They tackle specific workflows and take a non-GIS specific approach. ArcGIS Indoors focuses on providing specific tools, data models, and apps to help organizations better map their indoor spaces, efficiently route staff, and provide a system of record of the equipment in a building. Most organizations are not actively managing these assets and end up with poor understanding of their space utilization and inefficiencies.

ArcGIS Urban represents a new tool for urban planners, developers, and engaged community organizations to model the current urban landscape or proposed changes and see the impacts of these changes on indicators such as traffic, population density, and viewsheds. With traditional systems, the data is rarely integrated to make holistic decisions. ArcGIS Urban allows all the information to be brought together.

In both of these, GIS professionals are critical to providing the content and context for this work—enabling a whole new community of professionals to leverage the geospatial infrastructure to build better understanding and take more decisive action.

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43

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NEWS & EVENTS

NEWS & EVENTS

Industry happenings and highlights

ONLINE TRAINING COURSES Don’t let social distancing stop you from learning! Whether you are new to Cityworks or need to brush up on your skills, there is a course that’s right for you. Here are just some of the upcoming offerings.

Log into MyCityworks.force.com and click on the Training tab for the complete schedule.

CITYWORKS PUBLIC ACCESS:

CITYWORKS MOBILE:

In this course, you will install Public Access and look at the areas within PLL Admin that need to be configured to have templates be consumed in Public Access. Once configured, you will have the ability to create cases through Public Access and see how it affects the end user view in Office.

Offered June 4 and August 25.

This course covers the basic configuration and usage of our Cityworks mobile native app. In this general course, users can learn how to download the app, configure it for their site, and how to edit/create records like work activities, labor, and more. Join us to see how the native mobile app can enhance your out-of-the-office data capture and how to configure the app for your organization’s needs.

Offered May 12, June 17, July 13, and August 10.

BUILDING INBOX DASHBOARDS WITH INSIGHT: This course is for administrators wanting to create inbox dashboards for high level managers, such as directors or mayors, who only need to view information at an organizational level such as outstanding work orders and call volumes.

Offered May 7, June 4, July 1, July 30, and August 27.

CITYWORKS ANALYTICS WITH INSIGHTS FOR ARCGIS: Cityworks Analytics utilizes Insights for ArcGIS. This course covers the implementation of Cityworks Analytics models, an overview of the various models provided in Analytics, and the adaptation of these models to fit your organization’s needs.

Offered May 18, June 23, and August 17.

CITYWORKS USING ARCGIS PRO: ArcGIS Pro is the newest GIS desktop software from Esri. When paired together, Cityworks and ArcGIS Pro can lead to improved operational effectiveness. This course will cover how to use ArcGIS Pro with Cityworks, such as publishing feature services to Portal for ArcGIS and thematic mapping of Cityworks assets.

Offered May 20, June 16, July 15, and August 24.

GIS ESSENTIALS IN CITYWORKS: Cityworks is GIS-centric by nature, enabling spatial data for asset management. This course will review the GIS essentials for Cityworks. Topics in this course include configuring map activity logic in Designer, Cityworks SOE configuration, GIS services configurations, and publishing eURLs to Portal for ArcGIS. Offered May 21, June 30, July 16, and August 26.

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END NOTE

KEEPING GOVERNMENT SERVICES GOING In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, local governments and utilities are turning to technology at a record pace to stay connected and deliver services.

BY MATT HARMAN, CITYWORKS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

T

he ability to leverage technology, regardless of the challenge, is critical to creating a resilient community—one that can withstand or recover quickly from difficult circumstances. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we do business. And with it comes tremendous opportunity—and responsibility—to modernize and implement solutions that support a safer, more resilient community.

Many municipal organizations developed their workflows in a paper-based environment and eventually moved to spreadsheets. The use of GIS was likely introduced at some point, but usually in a single department or asset group, so it is siloed from the rest of the organization. It’s common for organizations to juggle any combination of paperwork, spreadsheets, and siloed GIS use for years until they are compelled to change. The trigger event could be a regulatory change, a natural disaster, or even a pandemic, as we are seeing today.

The next phase is GIS-centric intelligence. It occurs when GIS-centric solutions are used to connect people, systems, data, and workflows to drive efficiency across the organization—resulting in a sustainable and resilient community.

Let’s contrast two fictional cities to demonstrate how tech-

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nology can help a community be more resilient to disruptions. City A operates in the phase of paperwork, spreadsheets, and siloed GIS. City B operates in the GIS-centric intelligence phase. Both cities have adopted social distancing policies, which closed city facilities to the public and most staff.

Scenario 1: The IT department needs to provide system access to all city staff working remotely.

City A struggles to balance system access with security risks. Staff can’t access their work remotely since spreadsheets and documents are located on secured servers, which are only accessible from the city’s network via a computer located at city facilities.

City B’s IT department adopted a cloud-first policy for city systems.

As a result, they implemented the Cityworks Online cloud-hosted solution. Remote access is a non-issue.

Scenario 2: A supervisor needs to assign work to crews to maintain essential services.

City A historically made work assignments during a morning staff meeting. Assignments were listed on a white board, and crews were given paper copies of their work

orders. Time and material were logged on paper and handed in at the end of the day. City A is faced with major process changes in order to protect the wellbeing of their staff while also maintaining operations.

City B also held daily staff meetings to make assignments. However, they used Cityworks to manage their workflows. Once social distancing guidelines were implemented and staff began working from home, daily web meetings and Cityworks dashboard helped them track new assignments and ongoing work. Supervisors and crew leads log into Cityworks on their own devices to see assignments. Most crew members can travel straight from home to the jobsite, bypassing the office.

Work is logged in the mobile app and synced throughout the day, resulting in near real-time reporting. Staff members return to their homes from the field.

Is your organization more like City A or City B? Regardless of where it is in its technology progression, there is always room for improvement.

And there has never been a more important time to improve than right now.

GOODBYE, PAPERWORK. HELLO, EFFICIENCY. PERMITTING, LICENSING, & LAND (PLL) Building Permits • Community Development • Code Compliance • Infrastructure Permits • Licensing

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

COVID-19:

Communities around the globe are doing their best to battle COVID-19 and keep their citizens safe. Here are some important facts about the disease and how it is impacting the U.S. and the world.

3,329,273

Confirmed cases worldwide

1,022,039

Recovered cases worldwide

234,573

Deaths worldwide

DEC 31, 2019

1,097,415 Confirmed U.S. cases

A new coronavirus is first reported in Wuhan, China

132,735 Recovered U.S. cases

63,849

Deaths in the U.S.

14 DAYS

window after exposure in which COVID-19 symptoms may develop

80%

Infected people who will experience mild or moderate symptoms

15%

Infected people who will require hospitalization

PAGE

20 48

APRIL 11, 2020

The U.S. surpasses Italy to become the country with the most coronavirus deaths

APRIL 12, 2020

For the first time in history, there is a major disaster declaration for all 50 states

5%

Infected people who will become critically ill

Turn to page 20 to learn how Cityworks and ArcGIS can help organizations with their COVID-19 response.

CITYWORKS MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020

20%

Infected people ages 20-44 in the U.S. who have been hospitalized

80%

Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. that people age 65+ account for * All information as of May 1, 2020

Be Safe. Be Reliable.

Be Remote.

You don’t have to be here…

…to be there for your customers.

Trimble Unity and Cityworks AMS – An IoT Solution Monitor asset performance and events remotely with Telog IoT wireless sensors integrated with Trimble Unity and Cityworks.

TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS

Find out more at: trimblewater.com/unity-cityworks

11075 S. STATE STREET, STE. 24 SANDY, UT 84070

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

TOGETHER, CITYWORKS AND ARCGIS HELP YOU MANAGE A MORE RESILIENT, SUSTAINABLE, AND SAFE COMMUNITY.

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