Cityworks Staff Rejoins Experts at University of Wisconsin

Sandy, UT. —The University of Wisconsin–Madison recently announced that it will offer their “Citywide Asset Management” course bi-annually. The two-day, executive-level course is designed for mayors, city managers, controllers, city engineers, and directors of public works and features a portion taught by Ryen Tarbet, asset management practice lead with Cityworks. The next session will be held November 17–18, 2015, at the University of Wisconsin’s Fluno Center in Madison, Wisconsin.The course is led by professor Thomas Smith, Department of Engineering Professional Development, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Smith was part of the U.S. delegation to the new ISO 55000 standard for asset management systems and is a recognized international expert on asset management.

“Citywide asset management is an important concept and offers a new level of efficiency for U.S. municipalities,” said Smith. “I was thrilled to see the level of interest in our first offering of this course and expect it to grow significantly in the coming year.”

Smith, Tarbet, and other instructors provide real-life case studies covering how to get started, organizational change, resource requirements, realistic timelines, and potential benefits and how they are measured and reported both internally and to the public.

“Presentations by expert practitioners, municipal officials, and engineering consultants brought real world, practical guidance on how to implement principles of asset management throughout our operations,” says Eric Johnston, P.E., assistant public works director of operations for the City of Bellingham, Washington. Attendees leave this two-day course with executive-level tools they can use in their own asset management program, whether it has not yet started or has been in place for years.

“The caliber of the instructors was second-to-none, with industry leaders and exemplary municipal partners,” said Jon Henderson, GIS manager for the City of Bozeman, Montana. “We were able to put the knowledge we gained into action right away, including improved governance and overall adoption by our local agency. The content was both relevant and scalable, even for a local government!”

As part of the course, Tarbet presents material covering the critical role of GIS-centric asset maintenance and life cycle data in successful asset management system design and successful long-term outcomes.

“I am excited and grateful to be a part of the university’s executive program for citywide asset management,” said Tarbet. “I believe it is essential that city officials share a common and comprehensive understanding of what asset management is so their organizations can systematically achieve successful program outcomes. After the exceptional response to the course we offered this past spring, it is clear that GIS-centric asset maintenance and life cycle data form a critical part of the platform upon which executive-level decisions are founded.”

Citywide Asset Management will be offered November 17–18, 2015, and May 30–June 1, 2016 at University of Wisconsin–Madison. For a course brochure or to register, click here.

For further information visit: http://www.cityworks.com/2015/09/citywide-asset-management/