Municipalities

KorTerra Advantage: Locate Management and Productivity Management

Located in northeastern Indiana, the City of Fort Wayne is the second largest city in the state with a population of approximately 270,000. The city processes upwards of 64,000 One Call tickets each year with a group of 6-8 locators in the field daily.

Challenge
Prior to Fort Wayne’s transition to KorTerra, paper copies of all one call tickets received by the city were printed and assigned to locators by hand. Locators collected tickets in the office each morning and were required to return mid-day to retrieve the tickets for the afternoon. The city wanted to implement a more progressive, streamlined approach to ticket management.

Solution

• Map-based routing allowed the city to cut costs by automatically funneling incoming tickets to the most fitting mobile in the field. Prior to the implementation of KorTerra, this process required manual effort from a dispatcher to look up addresses and latitude/longitude locations to determine to which locator each ticket should be assigned.
• Sorting options within KorTerra made it possible for each locator to work more efficiently by customizing their ticket management solution based on individual preferences. Locators can visualize their assigned tickets on a map and plan out their day accordingly to ensure they aren’t driving back and forth across town between job sites.
• Facility Mapping enabled the city to clear tickets that didn’t require a locate quickly and efficiently without the cost of rolling a truck to send a locator on site.
• Automated Positive Response reduced the amount of time required for logging ticket completions and elevated the city’s record keeping by increasing accuracy and reporting capabilities.

Win #1
30+ hours/week of locator drive time saved.

Win #2
100% elimination of manual ticket distribution.

Win #3
Expanded reporting capabilities and enhanced insight into workflow.

Results 
Since implementing KorTerra, the City of Fort Wayne has experienced an immense increase in overall productivity. Each locator saves at minimum an hour of time per day as a result of no longer needing to retrieve paper tickets from the office. The city saved both time and fuel costs since transitioning to KorTerra, and locators are able to complete tickets with a more systematic approach. The increased reporting capabilities, easily accessible and accurate facility mapping data, timely and efficient locates, and reduced probability of human error that have occurred as a result of KorTerra implementation have led to improved safety for the Fort Wayne community.

“We met with a large public utility organization and they spoke very highly of KorTerra. We had the opportunity to observe the way they utilize KorTerra and a variety of the features offered; it sold itself based on how comprehensive and user friendly it was.”

-Matt Limpert, WMS Program Manager, City of Fort Wayne

KorTerra Advantage: Locate Management and Productivity Management

The City of Saint Paul has 1,874 miles of streets, 806 miles of sanitary sewer, 450 miles of storm sewer, 107 bridges, and 145 miles of bike lanes. With a team of 3 full-time locators and 4 full-time inspectors who fulfill locate duties, the city processes more than 150,000 locate tickets each year. 

Challenge

Throughout the past 5 years, the City of Saint Paul has seen a 20% increase in number of locate tickets received. Streamlining field resources and avoiding inefficiencies have become a more critical priority than ever. As a result, the city needed to put into effect a locate management approach that ensured the most effective use of resources while generating time and cost savings. 

Solution

• Customizable dashboards allow for easy viewing of real time ticket counts and statuses 
• Map-based routing empowers locators to efficiently complete their work resulting in 1 hour+ back per day per locator on average
• Tickets are easily transferred based on staffing changes or complexity of locate requirements
• Intuitive and easy-to-run reports provide detailed insights that help identify and eliminate inefficiencies 

Win #1
$40,000+ generated in yearly savings

Win #2
25% reduction in overtime costs

Win #3
1,500+ hours of locator time saved per year 

Results

After implementing KorTerra Locate Management, the City of Saint Paul has not only reduced costs by creating significant efficiency gains, but the accuracy and timeliness of locates has improved as well. Locators, supervisors, and administrators gained deeper insight into day-to-day operations. Tickets are automatically assigned based on specific geographical areas and locators have an optimized view of tickets within their territory, so routing is efficient. The City of Saint Paul has maximized the productivity of their staff resulting in a significant reduction in overtime pay. 

"KorTerra Locate Management has empowered our teams to streamline operations and maximize productivity to ensure we are always operating at peak efficiency."

-Graeme Chaple, Damage Prevention Supervisor, City of Saint Paul 

KorTerra Advantage: Locate Management 

Located in northeastern Illinois, the Village of South Elgin, IL has approximately 25,000 residents. The Village manages water and sewer services and processes around 10,000 tickets each year.

Challenge

Prior to implementing KorTerra the Village received all one call tickets via fax. Locators were required to pick up printed copies of every ticket assigned to them at the office and return each time an emergency ticket was received. South Elgin sought to implement a more modern, efficient ticket management solution to increase efficiency and deliver cost savings with a manageable learning curve for locators and administrators.

 Solution

• KorTerra advanced the Village’s ticket management procedures with the latest technology that is intuitive and easy for all users to operate.
• ​​​​​Facility Mapping enabled the Village to easily screen tickets that didn’t require a locate and avoid costs associated with unnecessarily sending a locator to the job site. 
• Automated emergency notifications ensured that locators didn’t need to return to the office for all emergency tickets and could respond more quickly, resulting in safety increases. Emergency notifications have created overall efficiency gains and reduced locator overtime costs.      
• Attachments allowed locators to capture a more complete record with every locate. 

Win #1
100% elimination of manual ticket distribution saving 10-15 mins of administration time per ticket

Win #2
Increased efficiency and processing of No Locate Required tickets (NLRs)

Win #3
$100 saved for every emergency locate avoided resulting in a total cost savings of more than $20k per year

Results
Since implementing KorTerra, ticket management processes and day-to-day operations have been streamlined. The Village of South Elgin has reduced vehicle wear and tear, fuel costs, and locator time by eliminating the need to retrieve paper tickets from the office or return every emergency ticket received. The Village has greatly increased efficiency and productivity for both locators and administrators by implementing KorTerra.

“We were the first in our area to implement a cloud-based ticket management system. KorTerra has resulted in time and cost savings as well as simplification of processes. We like that we can grow into the program as the Village gets bigger and demands change.”

- Colleen Chage, Public Works, Village of South Elgin