Digitalization has changed the private sector for the better. Will the public sector catch up? 

Now more than ever, state and local agencies have the power to transform their work processes by embracing innovative digital tools and strategies – providing more reliable services to communities and strengthening their relationship with citizens. They can also harness digitalization to improve their legacy maintenance strategies, modernizing a traditionally analog process to improve safety, accountability, cost control and efficiency across the board.  
  
In this article, we’ll discuss how to build a comprehensive asset strategy by updating your legacy processes across these crucial public sector considerations:

• Safety and Compliance  
• Transparency and Accountability  
• Productivity and Efficiency  

 
Safety and Compliance  

Ensuring the safety of maintenance workers operating in potentially hazardous conditions is a top priority for state and local agencies. Leveraging tools such as a digital twin can help public sector organizations cultivate safer work environments and comply with relevant health and safety regulations.

Digital twins create virtual replicas of physical assets, enabling organizations to simulate maintenance scenarios without exposing workers to hazards. By virtually testing out different maintenance procedures and identifying potential risks beforehand, public sector organizations can develop safer work protocols and procedures. If a maintenance task involves working at height or in confined spaces, for example, teams can simulate these conditions virtually to assess the risks and implement the right safety measures. 

Moreover, digital twins are equipped with IoT sensors that continuously monitor the condition and performance of equipment in real time. By analyzing data from these sensors, maintenance teams can detect anomalies or deviations from normal operating conditions that could indicate potential safety hazards. Digital twins can alert maintenance teams to these issues immediately, enabling proactive intervention before minor issues become catastrophic.  
 

Transparency and Accountability  

Let’s face it, manual tasks and updates are easy to lose track of in the shuffle of paperwork. Digitalization removes the agonizing ordeal of scrambling to gain visibility into critical operations by establishing a seamless digital audit trail, ensuring that every regulatory compliance requirement and routine maintenance check is meticulously documented and readily accessible. 

A tool that helps facilitate this transparency and accountability is an asset management platform. Designed to extend asset lifecycles and improve productivity, asset management platforms provide clear visibility into an organization’s asset performance. They also provide work management, materials management, procurement management, budget management, inspection management and project management capabilities within a single platform. 

Furthermore, mobile asset management solutions provide instant access to information and empower workers to make informed decisions on the move. Equipped with digital checklists, asset registry information and comprehensive work and inspection management tools, workers in fields such as wastewater management, utilities, transit and various public sector agencies can effortlessly access critical data directly from their job sites. This deep level of transparency enables public sector agencies to make smarter, data-driven decisions for more efficient, safer work processes. 

Productivity and Efficiency

Implementing an advanced digital twin can be the catalyst for higher productivity and efficiency gains in public sector organizations. This refers to the integration of digital tools with physical infrastructure to provide public sector agencies with data-backed insights and visualizations in real-world contexts. Platforms with these capabilities are the key to digital transformation, reducing project costs, wasted time and risks traditionally stemming from insufficient project collaboration. 

Additionally, public sector agencies can streamline operations and enhance efficiency by eliminating the need for context-switching and consolidating all pertinent information into a single, intuitive interface. This consolidation proves particularly beneficial for workers in field maintenance, where easy access to up-to-date data can significantly expedite decision-making and task execution. 

Asset management solutions also come into play when promoting productivity and efficiency. Public sector agencies can leverage predictive analytics and real-time data insights to optimize maintenance schedules, allocate resources efficiently and maximize the life span of critical assets. This proactive approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also reinforces the resilience and reliability of public sector infrastructure. Ultimately, this drives long-term cost savings and improves service delivery to communities - an example of which we’ll explore below. 

Case Study: Miami-Dade County  

Miami-Dade County’s water management, transportation, aviation, public safety and parks and recreation services rely on HxGN EAM solutions to resolve maintenance issues safely, efficiently and cost-effectively. 

One example of how Miami-Dade County leverages HxGN EAM to its maximum potential is through its integration with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to expedite water and sewer infrastructure maintenance. By linking HxGN EAM with GIS data, the county's Water and Sewer Department can swiftly identify issues such as pipeline breaks and prioritize repairs more effectively. 

Zahkia Allen, Division Manager for the EAM Business Process Section at the Water and Sewer Department, stated, “we’re able to identify the breaks and repair them faster because of the integration with the Geographic Information System (GIS) and EAM”. The integration allows the department to generate work orders for operations crews promptly, facilitating rapid response to infrastructure issues. 

Moreover, the seamless collaboration between HxGN EAM and GIS enhances planning and resource management by providing greater visibility into asset locations and conditions. This proactive approach to maintenance not only minimizes service disruptions but also optimizes operational efficiency and prolongs the life span of critical infrastructure. 

Conclusion  

By digitalizing workflows and consolidating essential functionalities into a single platform, agencies can streamline operations, enhance efficiency and make smarter, data-driven decisions for more efficient and safer work processes. Digital platforms reduce project costs, minimize risks and optimize collaboration across departments. 

By embracing digitalization and investing in solutions, state and local agencies – just like Miami-Dade County – can continue to drive operational efficiencies, enhance safety standards and deliver better services to the communities they serve, moving the public sector closer to a more connected, efficient and resilient future. 

Hexagon ushers public sector organizations into the future with turnkey digital solutions for safer, more efficient workflows. Interested in learning more? Get in touch with our team and let’s discuss how we can help you modernize your agency for a better tomorrow.