by Mark Stevens, NDS President
Every utility needs to know critical cost information related to capital projects and infrastructure jobs that they undertake within their respective utility distribution system. However, many utilities keep their project costs within a cluttered array of spreadsheets that are often only updated one or two times per year.
Tracking and reporting on those project costs is now easier than ever when you use Northern Data Systems’ EDIFICE work order system. Labor and material costs are aggregated by project in a user-friendly view and reporting format that makes those “what if” and “how much” questions a snap to answer. Having this information available in a timely manner is also extremely helpful in preparing budgets for future projects that have a similar scope of work.
The EDIFICE work order system enables utilities to issue work orders against a defined Project name as well as the various tasks within that defined project. These work orders go into the field and are used to record labor hours (regular and overtime) by each technician as well as inventory, materials and equipment that are used for the work order. These work orders then come back to the office where they are completed. During the completion process the labor by technician is captured for each task and can be accumulated for use within the NDS payroll system. In addition, the inventory, materials, and equipment used for tasks related to that work order are itemized and automatically updated to the system. Once completed, the work order with all the associated detail becomes viewable and reportable by Project, by task for all dates or within a specified timeframe to provide a complete Project history. Using EDIFICE’s built-in math features allows the user to summarize and analyze data quickly, so it’s simple to get a Project’s cost for a month, a quarter or across multiple years.
Looking for a higher level of integration? EDIFICE also offers a mobile version of the work order system that allows for work orders to be transmitted automatically to and from the field. Mobile work orders offer a continuous flow of information to the technicians in the field and eliminates duplicate work in the office. To start using project costing, please reach out to our sales team at sales@ndsys.com or 800-649-7754.
