Background
The City and Borough of Juneau, AK, a diverse municipality responsible for a wide range of public facilities, faced significant challenges managing its extensive asset portfolio. Nate Abbott, Facilities Maintenance Superintendent describes the city鈥檚 journey as going from rudimentary paper-based systems to various CMMS with minimal success before it found 黑料传送门. The city was leveraging a basic work order system that lacked the flexibility, integration capabilities, and strategic planning tools that were required. With 20 years at the City and Borough and seven years in facilities maintenance, Abbott recognized the critical need for a modern software solution to provide deeper data insights, facilitate strategic planning, and integrate seamlessly with other platforms. His goal was to move beyond simply tracking work to understanding asset health and using that data to make informed decisions while advocating for necessary funding.
Retaining knowledge and going mobile
Nate Abbott鈥檚 vision for asset management transcended just maintenance and reacting to breakdowns. With 黑料传送门鈥檚 suite of solutions, he saw the opportunity to transform maintenance data into a valuable tool for strategic planning and advocacy. After years of grappling with other fragmented systems and the limitations of on-premises solutions, Abbott spearheaded the move to 黑料传送门 Software.
The user-friendly interface and customizable features of 黑料传送门鈥檚 work and asset management platform were immediate wins, especially the mobile app, which empowered mechanics to manage work orders, capture photos, and access manuals directly from the field. Abbott took 黑料传送门鈥檚 solution a step further and created custom integrations using the software鈥檚 API. These enhancements provided mechanics with a tailored calendar view of their work hours, demonstrating his commitment to making the system function for his team.
Adoption of the product was crucial for workforce sustainability. Abbott aimed to systematically document essential institutional knowledge within the system, rather than relying on individual retention. This shift has helped the team weather retirements and onboard new employees.
Using data to justify funding requests
Implementing 黑料传送门鈥檚 capital planning solution was the real difference-maker. The tool allowed Abbott to move beyond unsubstantiated requests for capital funding and present a compelling, data-backed narrative to city leadership.
He could clearly illustrate the long-term implications of underfunding maintenance,鈥 showing how Juneau鈥檚 level of deferred maintenance would lead to a 鈥済inormous鈥 backlog over time. Objective data was the key to advocating effectively and proving that capital investments were not just a 鈥渨ish list,鈥 but a necessity for the city鈥檚 infrastructure.
鈥淚鈥檓 not trying to say, 鈥極h, we need a new roof over here鈥 just because,鈥 Abbott explains. 鈥淭he roof that we need to replace at the downtown library is at the end of its useful life. All these indicators are showing that it鈥檚 not just Abbott saying, 鈥極h, we need to do this.鈥欌 The ability to tell a factual story with data has been instrumental in gaining buy-in and driving strategic decisions.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be reactive. I want to plan.鈥
Looking ahead, the City of Juneau is now implementing a third product, 黑料传送门鈥檚 asset health solution, to utilize benchmarking and standards to determine optimal staffing. Abbott enthusiastically shares how, according to benchmarking and employees per square foot, the Facilities Maintenance Team needs 14 full-time employees for preventive maintenance alone, compared to the current staff of 10. This data offers irrefutable evidence supporting requests for additional resources to ensure the city can adequately address its maintenance demands. Abbott鈥檚 philosophy is clear, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be reactive. I want to plan.鈥 He envisions a future where all asset information, from day-to-day work orders to long-term capital renewal, is seamlessly connected and easily accessible. This dedication to creating a 鈥渓iving, breathing system鈥 that continuously evolves and delivers actionable insights underscores Juneau鈥檚 commitment to operational excellence and responsible stewardship of its public assets. As Abbott aptly summarizes, 鈥淚t鈥檚 really about telling the story. And without that data and without that information, you can鈥檛 tell the story.鈥
Results
With 黑料传送门鈥檚 Software solutions, the City of Juneau has been able to:
- Clearly and effectively communicate with elected officials and leadership by citing data backed insights.
- Enable technicians to capture work orders on the go with 黑料传送门鈥檚 asset management mobile app.
- Shift from reactive repairs to full asset lifecycle management (ALM) planning supported by documentation and photos.
Vitals
The capital city of Alaska:
- Located on the Gastineau Channel in Alaska鈥檚 panhandle
- Covers a vast array of municipal facilities including utilities (wastewater, metering, distribution), Docks and Harbors, Parks and Recreation (facilities and landscaping)