Integrated system increases financial visibility of job orders
Windsor, Berks, 11 May 2011 - Pitney Bowes Business Insight (PBBI), a global leader in customer data, analytics and customer communication software and services, has implemented the TMA (Traffic Management Act) Noticing Module within Confirm® – PBBI’s asset maintenance and management system – at Highways Services, Medway Council. This is the latest in a series of upgrades within Confirm which Medway Council has adopted to control costs and effectively manage the financial and quality performance of its highways contractor.
Medway Tunnel
Medway Tunnel
The TMA’s main objective is to reduce congestion and disruption on the road network, specifically including more effective co-ordination of street works by highway authorities. It is vital that authorities have a system that provides an up-to-date view of all current and planned works in a format that is easy to access, interpret and share, and enables the sending and receiving of notices to comply with Electronic Transfer of Notices (EToN) standards and Section 74 legislation.
The Confirm Street Works system is EToN5 compliant and automatically produces an auditable electronic notification whenever Medway staff or contractors raise work orders. This means that more time can be spent on maintaining roads rather than paperwork, which has a direct financial impact on the highways budget.
“Every time a job is raised with our contractor via Confirm, it shows as a commitment on our financial system,” says Phil Moore, Head of Highways & Parking Services at Medway Council. “This means I can now see in real-time which orders are paid and which are outstanding, which helps enormously with budgeting. I always know where we are financially with our contractors.
“Implementing the Confirm TMA Noticing Module has only added to the efficiencies we’re already achieving with the system. The benefits, particularly for our maintenance contractors, in respect of time saved and accuracy of notices is fast becoming evident."
The ability to effect electronic transactions has reduced costs for both contractor and Council, with savings in staff costs of approximately 10%. Having a robust centralised highway inspection system also means that the Council can defend against insurance claims with greater accuracy, with claims paid out reduced by over 50% in financial terms.
Originally deployed to manage highways and street lighting maintenance, Confirm is now used in a variety of different areas, including street works notification, highways cleansing, green spaces, domestic waste management and environmental enforcement. By using the same integrated system to manage these activities, rather than systems from multiple suppliers, significant economies of scale have been achieved and work across departments is actively and efficiently co-ordinated.
“The flexibility of Confirm has ultimately enabled us to save money while improving the quality of our services, ensuring that restricted resources are always invested wisely,” concludes Phil Moore.
As well as managing highways maintenance and TMA notifications in a more cost-effective and compliant manner, the Council is also using Confirm to calculate the gross replacement costs of various highways assets based on the HAMFIG (Highways Asset Management Finance Information Group) code of practice, in preparation for upcoming Government accounting requirements.
