Buffalo Grove Public Works Department receives award

On Friday, Oct. 13, the Buffalo Grove Public Works Department received the Cartegraph Excellence in Operations Management Award at its national conference in Denver, Colorado.

The award highlights local government bodies that demonstrate forward-thinking through daily operations and practice organizational efficiency on an ongoing basis.

The Public Works Department has been using Cartegraph's software since 2014 to collect citizen requests, assign tasks to employees, and manage work in the field. This technology has also enabled the department to proficiently track time, materials, and labor costs associated with tasks performed by Public Works.

Through data collection and management, the department can now quickly analyze the true costs of services provided to the Buffalo Grove community, and initiate cost savings wherever possible.

"We are fortunate to be able to utilize data to make informed decisions to improve the services we provide, both from a level of service and cost of service perspective," said Deputy Director of Public Works Mike Skibbe.

"Through the use of technology, we are utilizing detailed analysis related to key service-related decisions."

As the Public Works Department prepares for the 2017 winter season, data collected from previous years has helped to determine that anti-icing operations is an area of strong efficiency. Data variables considered included the strength of the anti-icing blend, application rates and production costs.

Public Works officials found that using a stronger mix of anti-icing liquid has saved the village hundreds of dollars per mile in relation to snow plowing costs.

Public Works also deploys mobile technology in the field, which has additionally proven to provide a range of efficiencies and cost savings for community projects.

For information, contact the Public Works Department at (847) 459-2545.

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