Council prepares IT for roadworks act
East Sussex implements software for road management processes
East Sussex County Council is deploying software that will form the backbone of its road management processes and meet impending Traffic Management Act obligations.
The Traffic Management Act, due to come into force in late 2007, will require all councils to upgrade IT systems to improve communication between local authorities and firms undertaking roadworks.
The council has signed a five-year deal with vendor Exor to deploy and support Atlas software to co-ordinate roadworks, inspections and asset management.
Mark Futcher, the council’s ICT commercial manager, says the software will replace several disparate systems, including manual tools and spreadsheets.
‘We wanted to integrate and automate the processes for asset management, works ordering and interaction with contractors,’ he said.
‘The software will manage everything, from highway inspections to interaction with utilities to organise roadworks, repairs and payment.’
The software will provide a single web and map-based information platform accessible by all relevant staff and contractors.
Futcher says the software will be integrated with existing systems, including SAP financial and customer relationship management systems.
Frost & Sullivan analyst Malavika Srinath says the project is one of the largest undertaken by a council in highways management integration.
‘In the long term, an integrated system will deliver seamless transfer of information, reduction in information lost, and improvements in efficiency that will generate savings,’ she said.
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