March 15, 2006—MRO Software, provider of asset and service management solutions, has announced that its customer, the Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA), swept the regional, state, and national Management Innovation Awards of the American Public Works Association (APWA). The awards recognize organizations that implement creative ideas, processes, or systems that improve the way public works serve its customers and improve the environment.
OCWA, central New York’s largest water utility, won the contests based on their integration of three financial, billing, and asset management software applications into one easy-to-use Web-based system. The “Conquest” project, implemented by Stearns & Wheler and Strategic Computer Solutions of Syracuse, NY, is providing OCWA’s customers with better water, greater cost savings, and higher levels of service.
The scope of OCWA’s asset management challenge was significant. The utility provides fresh water to 340,000 consumers in six counties. This includes maintaining and improving more than 1,650 miles of water mains, 84,000 meters, 9,500 hydrants, and 17,500 valves, plus managing its 120 employees, equipment, and fleets.
To this end, Conquest integrated MRO’s Maximo Asset and Service Management solution with Lawson Financials, Human Resources and Banner Advantage Customer Management applications. It consolidates all of OCWA’s operations into a single IT system, including maintenance, equipment, meter reading, billing, work orders, purchasing, labor, and human resources. OCWA can link employee records to work orders and project costs in Maximo.
OCWA also integrated Integraph’s GeoMedia WebMap geographic information system (GIS) technology to provide a geographic framework for improved work planning and maintenance of its far-flung assets. When completely deployed, the integrated GIS capabilities will help track the location and condition of water mains, valves, hydrants, meters, and storage facilities.
