“We suffered a lot of flood damage in 2019, resulting in hundreds of FEMA qualified damage sites.  We created a Project for FEMA 2019 and then created a Service Request for each site.  All of our labor, equipment, contractors, materials and GPS-tagged pictures were directly tied to the overall FEMA project and split out by site.  It was easy to look at the activity for each SR and make sure all the data matched up.  Previously it was a major undertaking to find the records, create a spreadsheet with hundreds of tabs and manually try to tie all the pieces by site.  Identifying which pictures went with which sites was nearly impossible.  PubWorks made this almost effortless! Retrieving invoice documentation was a breeze since the Daily Activity records had all the information we needed.“

Q: What was it that led you to PubWorks (what issue/situation did you need a solution for?

A: We were working with a hodge-podge of homemade databases and paper files  to track assets, activities and materials. There was no connection between the systems, so when you purchased a new truck, for instance, you had to add it to the Fleet Maintenance database, the Fuel Usage database, and the Cost Accounting Database.  We were using paper to send work requests out into the field, which often were lost or destroyed, and therefore didn’t get things marked off when completed or worse, they didn’t get completed.  All information had to flow through a single person who maintained the databases.  We needed something that could tie everything together and get the information out to more people.

Q: Why did you choose PubWorks over other systems?

A: PubWorks had all the components we needed.  It could easily tie together our assets, tasks, materials and equipment.  Furthermore, it gave us a way to track Projects and fleet maintenance like never before.  The mobile app and GIS integration were major factors.  The user friendliness was just what we needed for our novice mobile device users.

Q: How has PubWorks Mobile most benefited you and your team?.

A: PubWorks Mobile has given us the power to put Service Requests directly into the hands of the field personnel responsible for making the repairs.  It greatly reduced the bottleneck of all requests getting handed down (quite literally) through one person.  It has given us the opportunity to attach pictures and notes to better document the real story.  PubWorks mobile has greatly improved the accuracy and completeness of our cost accounting.

Q: How was the onboarding and training experience for PubWorks Mobile specifically?

A: PubWorks Desktop:  The onboarding and training with PubWorks was outstanding.  Tina invested the time to understand from where we were coming and where we wanted to be.  She helped us tailor the best design to fit our needs, without forcing us into a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all design.  The On-Site training was very beneficial and really helped us get on our feet quickly.  I was amazed how fast we were up and running.

PubWorks Mobile: Mobile was so user friendly that I felt comfortable training our staff once Tina trained me.  (We had a lot of “how to use an iPad,” “how to use email,” training to do also.)  It is very user-intuitive. PubWorks support has always been very quick to answer our questions or address any issues that come along.

Q: Do you have any interesting stories or metrics (of how things have improved since you’ve started using it)?

A: We suffered a lot of flood damage in 2019, resulting in hundreds of FEMA qualified damage sites.  We created a Project for FEMA 2019 and then created a Service Request for each site.  All of our labor, equipment, contractors, materials and GPS-tagged pictures were directly tied to the overall FEMA project and split out by site.  It was easy to look at the activity for each SR and make sure all the data matched up.  Previously it was a major undertaking to find the records, create a spreadsheet with hundreds of tabs and manually try to tie all the pieces by site.  Identifying which pictures went with which sites was nearly impossible.  PubWorks made this almost effortless! Retrieving invoice documentation was a breeze since the Daily Activity records had all the information we needed.

I want to emphasize the user-friendliness of the mobile app.  We put iPads into the hands of 25 field workers, many of whom had never used a mobile device before.  They didn’t have the first clue on how to use an iPad, let alone an app.  We conducted a couple ½ day trainings on entering work and using service requests.  Instantly we saw an improvement in the quality of our labor records (no more fictional road names).  Service requests were dealt with more efficiently and no longer lost in the shuffle of paper.  I am amazed at the detail some of our workers put into their daily work records.  I never saw that kind of detail on a paper timecard.  Don’t let the fear of user capability stand in the way of using PubWorks mobile.  Anyone can be trained to use it like a pro.