May 2008, Government Fleet - Feature
Chicago DOT Finds Value in GPS System
By Steve Bennett
GPS Facilitates Response to Service Requests
Additionally, the software works with the global positioning system (GPS) chip in the Sprint Nextel phones. The GPS is activated when foremen use the cell phone to click "Shift Start." From then until the user clicks "Shift End," the location of the phone, and by extension its user, can be tracked by CDOT office staff on a Web-based map projected onto a wall in the department’s asset management command center.
In addition to field staff locations, the map displays pending jobs. The combination of location and activity data facilitates CDOT response to service requests. For instance, when a crew in one area of the city needs help on a particular job, the CDOT can locate another crew in the vicinity and dispatch it where needed.
The CDOT also leverages reports generated by GPS TimeTrack that detail how long a crew has been at a given location and if a worker has turned off the phone. This information is e-mailed automatically to CDOT managers throughout the day.
The Xora software helped the CDOT cope with a greatly increased workload in 2007. That year, the department responded to 39,203 service requests, up from 24,157 in 2006. Steele said the increase resulted from greater public awareness of the city’s 311 telephone number for non-emergency services. The city conducted a publicity and outreach campaign, he said, and now "more people know the 311 system is out there. Any request — from needing a new garbage cart to reporting graffiti or seeking a sidewalk repair — goes through the 311 system," Steele said.
Previously, the CDOT reportedly required an average of more than 20 days to respond to requests to fill potholes. With implementation of the workforce management software, that time has been reduced to an average of three days. As a result, the city has seen liability costs for pothole-related incidents sharply reduced, Steele said.
"Generally speaking, the CDOT field staff is more accountable, efficient, and productive, and managers are making decisions faster and more accurately," Steele said.