Future-proofing data for Norfolk County Council

Background

Technology is always progressing, and for Norfolk County Council Highways and Transport department, the need to move forward became a catalyst for them to review their current systems and working practices and look to the future. The department had two bridge teams (Projects and Asset Management), working independently and using two separate but established MS Access databases to manage their stock of bridges and associated assets, including maintenance and inspections. However, as support was to be withdrawn for Access and with the increased pressures to use lifecycle planning tools for structures and generate asset valuation reports, the teams needed to look for an alternative solution. The new system must provide long-term scalable functionality and integrate their existing, established bridge databases into one solution. Having viewed multiple options, Norfolk County Council decided on Asset Management eXpert (AMX).

What they needed

The main features that Norfolk County Council was looking for in an asset management solution were:

• The ability to import and merge all existing data from two established MS Access databases, without losing any history or data.

• Still having the control to customise the system themselves, without restrictions.

• The ability to expand the system functionality to incorporate lifecycle planning and government reporting requirements unsupported in MS Access.

• A process-driven, integrated solution to support inventory reporting, inspection and maintenance cycles, and work ordering, bringing both teams together.

How did AMX help

The AMX solution was designed to put customers in control, with comprehensive in-built customisation tools to empower users to tailor the solution themselves. It was aided by a responsive support team eager to listen and help when needed. As a result, Norfolk County Council was able to take control of their data and develop AMX to meet their needs:

• AMX was configured to hold and display the data from the existing, established MS Access databases, tailoring the interface to match previous systems and improve user acceptance. Then, the data was imported for a seamless transition.

• Users were trained to customise the system to generate their own data forms, reports and printouts, import data, and integrate with the local GIS system.

• Users could use the AMX Bulk editing and scheduling tools to significantly improve efficiencies and data management.

• Lifecycle planning tools were incorporated into the system, with plans to take this forward to support long-term planning and decision-making.

• The two teams could come together using one system, with Inspection and Maintenance regimes being developed and managed, including producing tailored works orders and defining approval processes.

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"The AMX team really took the time to listen to our needs and processes and ensure that the software would deliver all that we needed with minimal disruption. Its ease of use and scalability ensures it will continue to deliver and grow."

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Andrew Wadsworth,

Norfolk Highway Bridges team