Local and state governments can ease supply chain issues through asset management

Governments at the local and state levels are tasked with making sure that people have access to essential goods and services. But when government organizations are unable to act on these responsibilities due to snags in the supply chain, the public feels the effects.

A computerized approach to asset management can help mitigate these issues by ensuring that resources are available, and equipment is effectively maintained.

Supply chains have become more complex over time

A stable supply chain gets the right products to the right people at the right time, but it's vulnerable to disruptions from internal and external forces. Today's supply chains are becoming more complex, and the traditional linear model of sourcing materials and products from one place is no longer a reality.

Government supply chains require coordination across agencies and organizations, both private and public. If any one link in the chain breaks down, they might end up purchasing too much or delivering too little.

The goal is to prevent these problems before they happen and avoid unexpected expenses or shortages that can cause delays in community goods and services. If government managers know how many employees they need to schedule for maintenance work, they can plan rather than wait until something breaks down.

Supply chain costs are on the rise, facing governments with a dilemma

Facility and asset maintenance has become a growing expense for governments at all levels. But with supply chain costs steadily increasing, they must now find ways to minimize the costs of their infrastructure assets without putting a financial burden on their community.

Asset management programs can help governments achieve these goals by providing efficient methods for managing their assets—such as roads, bridges, airports, water treatment facilities and other infrastructure projects—over time. When there is a comprehensive approach in place to maintain asset health, resources and equipment, organizations can continue providing essential services for as long as possible.

Governments can do more—with a lot less

The current supply chain systems used by local and state governments are fragmented and inefficient due to a lack of accurate data and little visibility into assets. Digitized asset management can help governments leverage their existing assets more efficiently through strategic planning, improved maintenance practices and better asset utilization.

Imagine a high-traffic building with one elevator. The elevator is vital to the operations of this building, but somehow maintenance on it falls through the cracks. When it breaks down, the parts needed to fix it are on backorder due to shipping delays.

If proactive maintenance was tracked and scheduled in a computerized system, managers might have noticed that the elevator was due for inspection, scheduled an appointment and been able to order the parts in advance.

Poor insight into assets results in inefficient service delivery and higher costs for taxpayers. A strategic asset management solution can address those issues.

• Manage and maintain all assets and facilities: Many local governments do a good job of collecting data on their systems and infrastructures, but they don't have a way to make it actionable. With a computerized solution in place, you gain visibility into your assets inventory and can assess their condition.
• Automate work orders and tasks: Automated work orders and tasks can ease supply chain issues and improve efficiency by giving employees real-time insight into action items and where assets are located.
• Plan and schedule preventive maintenance: Asset management software helps governments track and manage their physical assets—including inventory, vehicles, tools and property—as well as financial and human resources. Organizations can monitor their assets' condition over time and schedule preventative maintenance before problems arise.
• Automate permitting, planning, business licensing and inspection processes: Customizable plan reviews and permit routing flows can help governments boost operational efficiency, reduce labor costs and increase community engagement.

Brightly's computerized maintenance management system helps local governments maximize and maintain their asset portfolio. By automating the process of planning and scheduling maintenance activities, Brightly delivers a complete solution for government facilities.

Ready to start building a better future for your community? Schedule a discovery call with one of our experts to learn more about how our cloud technology can help.