And Then It Hit Me: Local Government Has a Lot of Stuff to Manage

Having recently joined Cartegraph, I found myself thrust into the world of assets that a local government is responsible for. While I had previously been aware of potholes and road quality, now I was noticing every street sign, hydrant, and signal that I passed. My mind started to spin at the thought of managing all this stuff. The realization that somebody was responsible for all this was quite jarring, and that was without even seeing all those pipes running underground.

I certainly had a new found respect for those managing my city, and the work crews carrying out the work every day. And maybe I felt a little more sympathetic about those potholes I navigated through each morning on my way to work.

As people started asking me about my new job — a question that in the past would always be boiled down to “computer stuff” — I now had a story to tell. I could point out the window at a road sign and ask if they had ever wondered who made sure that sign was there, and that it was reflective at night and legible during the day. Invariably they hadn’t, and I could see the same comprehension cross their faces; that is a lot of stuff.

The fact that organizations have been doing this for so long, and that some continue to do this without the help of dedicated software, is honestly amazing to me. I know if I were tasked with this job, I would be reaching for the best tools I could find, and I would still be scratching my head. Now add into that mix the increased scrutiny and higher expectations of citizens, and suddenly the load seems even heavier.

That’s where I see Cartegraph coming in, not just providing the essential tools to get a hold on the situation, but also the help and advice to get an organization…well, organized.