Service Request Management System

Old Dos software became incompatible and failed to function as computers and operating systems were upgraded.

Guidelines for Purchasing Software (in a perfect world)…

1. Re-evaluate current software to determine what features are needed.

2. Research your industry for software recommendations3. Research software pricing with your budget constraints in

mind.4. Acquire software demos where possible for Staff to test

drive.5. Evaluate software for ease of use and cost effectiveness6. Determine if Company is reliable and support will be

available down the road.7. Check for your ability to retrieve your data if you should

ever move to a different program in the future.

Microsoft Office

The most powerful tools in any office

The Microsoft Access Alternative

Part I

Microsoft Excel – One of the most used and misused programs

Excel is a powerful and versatile program that is probably the most misused.

Intended to be primarily for mathematical and financial calculations, it is used for a wider variety of purposes than any other Microsoft application.

Work Order Data Stored in Excel

Access Data Table

Filtering Data

Using Different Forms to filter out specific Data

Basic Elements of a Work Order System

1. Easily capture the caller’s information2. Capture details of the work requested3. Confirm the location for the work4. Assign the work to the proper crew5. Gather follow up data about the work

completion

What else can we do?

Some Advanced Work order System Features

The ability to quickly view previous work orders by a specific caller (chronic complaints, isolate issues that we have not resolved properly)

Easily search time and dates work was performed (open records requests, personnel issues,)

Determine where the work flow is greatest on a daily/weekly/seasonal basis

To monitor crew /supervisor efficiency To develop reports for management and

government officials.

Access Relational Databases VS Excel as a database

•Link to other spreadsheets•Hyperlink to different locations within a spreadsheet•Merge with outside data (Word, Access, Other Commercial Software)

•Multiple tables of data linked by common factors•Query feature enables data to be retrieved and presented in multiple ways at the press of a button •The ability to use data in multiple ways with minimum data entry

Microsoft Access vs Commercial Database Programs

Microsoft Access is Available with Microsoft Office Professional Suite of business products therefore no additional software is required if your office is using this software., and Access integrates with every other program in this bundle.

It is the most widely used desktop database system in the world and has more support and development consultants than any other desktop database system.

It is significantly cheaper to implement and maintain compared to larger database systems like Oracle or SQL Server

Consulting rates are typically lower for Access consultants compared to other consultants

Continuing Ed training is very low cost and available on line if you want to train developers in-house

If your system should grow and you end up using SQL Server or Oracle on a network, your Access databases can be ported over to it with minimal difficulty.

~Take 15~

The Microsoft Access Alternative

Part 2

Problem: The Street Department must track a lot of daily work data for reporting purposes. This has been kept in an Excel workbook on several different sheets and has become too large to handle. Monthly reports must still be compiled almost entirely by hand which is time consuming and cumbersome…

Problem: Since the City pays the Georgia Power bill, maybe we should start tracking calls and complaints about street lights being out or broken…

Problem: EPD has just mandated that we need to perform inspections on a certain percentage of our licensed businesses annually, and we must send them evidence of the reporting system and method of tracking the inspections –yesterday

Problem: We have a summer intern available to us to survey the roads and sidewalk conditions. We need a method of recording the data for reporting purposes.

Problem: The FTA has just mandated that the City Transit Department can’t have private charters – so their Trolley and existing charter bookings are being moved to Public Works – today. We need to develop a system to track the charters, create leases, manage driving staff and payroll, receive money and invoice customers.

Problem: The City Right Of Way book was created in an Excel document but hasn’t been updated in several years. The County Right of Way book was fairly well updated but it is typed in a Word document making it difficult to merge with the City data. This is a valuable tool that work crews as well as office staff rely on.

Problem: Due to the current economy, employees are now often straddling more than their usual duties, even at times overlapping with other Depts. With less support staff to assist upper management retrieving files, we need a way to easily locate physical files.

Miscellaneous Applications

Active Databases in the City of Rome

What if you don’t have Access on All your computers?

Investment 2003 -2004Introductory Access Class (hired Cont. Ed teacher)

Intermediate Access Class $89.00

SQL Query Class – Continuing Ed on Line $89.00

($295/class-$59/participant approx. 40 employees) $318.00

$496.60

1. Street Dept./Traffic Dept/Urban Forestry

Work order Systems

2. Street Dept. Daily Work Program

3. Street Dept. Street Rating System

4. Street Dept. Employee Personnel Program

5. Traffic Department Sign/Signal

Maintenance Program

6. Traffic/Electrical Dept. Daily Work

Database Program

7. Traffic Accident Citation Program

8. Urban Forestry Tree Management Program

9. Public Works Building Security Program

10. Public Works Active File Mgt System

11. Public Works Retention File Mgt System

12. Transit Dept. Bus Pass Sales Program

Return on Investment:13. Transit Dept. Call Log and Paratransit

Program

14. Transit Dept School Bus Route Program

15. City/County Street Directory

16. Downtown Development Parking Citation

Program

17. Downtown Development Parking Deck

Rental Program

18. Historic Downtown Building Inventory

19. Georgia Power Street Light Work Order

System

20. Trolley Charter Rental Program

21. Roman Holiday Boat Rental Program

22. Landbank Authority Property Inventory

~Take 15~