Listed in Asset Management
If you're responsible for a municipal highway department, sooner or later someone is going to ask you a question you can't answer. Not because you're unqualified. Not because you're disorganized. Simply because no one has ever taken the time to collect the information. You inherited the problem from whoever previously occupied your office, but you're the one who looks bad.
Imagine sitting in a town board meeting when the supervisor turns to you and asks:
"How many stop signs do we have in town?"
What's your answer?
"Give me three weeks and I'll have the guys drive around and count them."
That's not exactly the image most highway superintendents want to project. Now imagine the next question.
"How many signs do we own altogether? Stop signs, warning signs, street name signs, guide signs, everything?"
"I'll... get back to you next year."
Again, not exactly confidence inspiring.
The Questions Aren't Really About Signs
Here's the interesting part. The town supervisor probably doesn't care whether you have 214 stop signs or 217. They're asking something much more important. Do you know what you own? If you don't know what assets your department is responsible for, how can you confidently budget for replacements, schedule inspections, or plan for the future? Admit it - it's a fair question.
Funny How We Can Find the Bills
Now let's change the question.
"How much do we spend each year replacing damaged or missing signs?"
That answer is probably easier to find. Your administrative assistant can pull invoices from the past three years, total up purchases from Acme Sign Incorporated, divide by three, and produce a reasonable average. Why? Because someone else created the paperwork. The sign manufacturer wanted to get paid, your accounting department wanted documentation, and state law requires municipalities to retain those financial records. The paperwork exists because somebody had a legal reason to create it. But nobody ever created paperwork listing every sign you own.
The Questions Keep Coming
Once people realize you don't know one answer, they often start asking others. How many catch basins does the town own? How many drywells? How many culverts? How many potholes did your crews repair this year? How many roadkill calls did you respond to? How many work orders were completed last month? How many roads does the town actually maintain?
These may sound like simple questions, but collectively they tell the story of your department. After all, you're responsible for one of the largest budgets in town government. Likely the largest budget. And, unlike the water department or recreation, you don't earn the town a single cent. You only spend. Shouldn't you know what you're managing?
Data Builds Confidence
There's a tremendous difference between these two conversations.
Without an asset management system:
"I don't know. We'll have to go count them."
With an asset management system:
"Give me about thirty seconds."
A few clicks later...
"Yes, sir. We currently maintain 243 stop signs, 617 regulatory signs, 418 street name signs, 1,962 total traffic signs, 487 catch basins, 94 drywells, 132 culverts, and the town owns and maintains 140 roads."
That's a completely different conversation. It demonstrates organization and accountability. Most importantly, it demonstrates professionalism.
Good Information Leads to Better Decisions
Knowing how many assets you own is only the beginning. Once everything is inventoried, you can answer questions that actually improve operations.
You can quickly determine:
- How many signs are nearing replacement age.
- Which catch basins haven't been cleaned recently.
- Which roads generate the most pothole complaints.
- Which culverts have recurring maintenance issues.
- How many signs were replaced after vehicle crashes.
- Which neighborhoods generate the highest number of service requests.
Instead of relying on memory or guesswork, you're making decisions using actual data.
Institutional Knowledge Doesn't Last Forever
Many highway departments have one employee who "knows where everything is." Until they retire. Or transfer to another department. Or simply aren't available when someone needs an answer.
An asset management system captures that institutional knowledge before it's lost. The locations, inspection history, photographs, maintenance records, and replacement schedules remain with the department, regardless of who occupies the office. That's one of the greatest long-term benefits of maintaining an accurate inventory.
It's About More Than Technology
People sometimes think asset management is about software. It isn't. It's about knowing your operation. The software simply makes that information easy to organize, update, and retrieve. Whether you're answering questions from the town board, preparing next year's budget, responding to an auditor, or planning a capital improvement project, accurate information is one of the most valuable tools a highway department can possess.
Thirty Seconds Instead of Three Weeks
Every superintendent has heard unexpected questions during a board meeting. Some are easy. Others make you wish you had more time. Asset management changes those conversations.
Instead of saying, "I'll have the guys drive around and count them," you can confidently reply:
"Give me thirty seconds."
Then you pull up the information, answer the question with confidence, and move on. That's not just good technology. That's good management. And that's exactly what today's municipal leaders should expect from the departments entrusted with managing millions of dollars in public infrastructure.