Councils were looking for better ways to plan, prioritise and record highway maintenance tasks, which were not associated with any particular asset. They were looking for smart ways to increase productivity, and validate the range of routine tasks being carried out in a specific geographical work area.
A new polygon zone type called a “Works Area Zone” was created in the KaarbonTech software to enable work within the zone to be uploaded for the operative or team to respond to. Polygons set the parameters of the working zone and tasks within it, which can be allocated to the relevant team. Importantly, this enables programmers to justify the time required and allocated to the range of the tasks booked for a particular project.
The work can also be carried out over a period of time, with different teams working on a range of tasks and all contributing to the same goal, which is still captured within that working zone.
For instance, the work within the area may include various tasks related to a road closure, such as traffic management, delivering letters to residents, cleaning, and surveying. Although these tasks may not be attributed to any specific asset, they do require significant time and effort, which needs to be evidenced for programming and reporting purposes.
A summary of the work completed with associated photos, including start and stop time on site and any additional commentary, could be added by the operative. Managers can quickly generate a detailed report to provide evidence of all aspects of the work carried out, with just a few presses of a button.
Operatives are saved time as they reach the site. The work required within a zone has already been created for them, enabling them to get on with the operational side of the business. Managers have complete visibility of the progress of the operational gang and can record the performance against the planned work.
"The creation of maintenance work zones is helping councils to understand the crew’s activity and work time when not allocated to any particular asset.
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