Maintaining data during transition to an automated system
Christopher J. Payne
System Development oIntegration, Inc.
180 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601
Introduction
In an organization, there are many business processes going on, containing information
capture, synthesis and distribution, some of which is supported through technologies,
other remain still in the manual process and others yet are trapped in a hybrid world. The
decision to implement an automated system is driven by the need to improve service to
customers. The process of implementing an automated system involves changes to
people, processes, information and technology.
The technologies involved are varied and may include work management, GIS, CIS,
Engineering, and the Internet.
The technologies are tools that, when properly orchestrated (integrated) and in concert
with people and processes, can provide a strategic, competitive advantage for an
organization.
Improper use of the technology tools - I.E. Overemphasizing Internet
Technologies as more than just a medium but as a competitive
advantage in and of itself -merely puts a "fresh coat of paint on a dilapidated
wall." If the foundation blocks (legacy systems/infrastructure) are insufficient, e-business
initiatives will fail.
The deployment of an automated system is just another tool, another network that must
be orchestrated/integrated in the strategically aligned activities of the organization. True
value is only realized by the customer, when data integrity is maximized both during and
after the new automated system is deployed.
Integration is more than an afterthought of a system deployment. A new automated
system being implemented is really a component being added to the real enterprise
system, the organization itself.
Why is integration so important when implementing a new automated system?
Integration is the unification of an organization's information, processes and people
through technology tools. It involves best industry practices and people with industry
knowledge to make it happen. It relies on an appreciation of the entire
system/organization. Much as a masterpiece painting is just a canvas and pigmentation
until viewed by an appreciative eye, the value of technology cannot be fully appreciated
until it is Artfully Integrated with people, information and processes.
Transition
Transition from a manual records maintenance process to an Automated GIS process
presents several major issues to consider. Each of these issues can have an impact on the
overall schedule and cost of implementing an automated system. As with any project a
detailed well-crafted transition plan including a structured change management process
along with strong project management can mitigate the inherent risk. For the purposes
of this paper we will examine the transition plan during the implementation of an
automated facility records system. The basic concepts discussed here apply to the
implementation of just about any automated data system.
Most utilities in the United States and many city owned and operated utilities maintain
facility or as built records and are responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the actual
assets in the field. Record keeping is a mission critical function imbedded in the overall
supply chain to the customer. While record keeping is important for regular
maintenance, it becomes even more important during emergency service outages. This
complex multi-step process of maintaining records needs to be efficient and timely in
order to provide the field personnel with the most accurate data as quickly as possible.
One-way to create a more efficient and accurate maintenance process is to implement an
automated record keeping system. When choosing to implement an automated system,
cost is always a factor.
The most obvious cost is for hardware and software. The largest
cost is usually in data conversion. An often-overlooked aspect of the data conversion
cost is the cost of records maintenance both during data conversion and during transition
to the new system. Quite often large utilities outsource the raw data conversion, putting
regular record maintenance on hold or "freeze records" during the conversion process.
The result is a second significant task of reconciling or updating the "frozen" records.
Rarely are the employees of the City or Utility trained and ready to perform maintenance
activities at productivity rates equal to or better than those of the manual system.
New training and process change management are required. The cost of transitioning into the
new automated system is sometimes viewed as a hidden cost and is accounted for by
budgeting training dollars and update cost, but it is almost always underestimated.
Two general approaches to data maintenance are typically used when implementing a
GIS. The first approach is to stop or freeze all record changes during system
implementation. Usually the freeze on changes covers a period at least equal with the
conversion production cycle. The second approach would be to continue the
maintenance of the system using the legacy process. Under the second approach an
additional conversion step must be used to bring the digital data up to date with manual
records or synchronize the two independent processes. Regardless of which approach is
used, the project team must account for the cost and labor to update the records in the
new system.
Synchronization
The best way to control cost and reduce the level of effort required to bring the new
automated system up to date, is to develop and execute a transition plan that includes all
of the overall project elements and maintains the synchronization between the old and
new processes. Remember to ask yourself, how many other systems and process in my
organization use the data I maintain in my facility record systems? You must not only
coordinate your internal manual record keeping system with the new data conversion
project you must coordinate with all of the other systems that are depending on your data.
