Investment is set to be made on a new IT system to help manage work being done on Cambridgeshire’s highways network and deliver a better service for the public.
The county council’s Highways and Transport Committee will decide on 13 September the way forward for a replacement of the current IT system when the contract expires in 2024, they will consider the specification of a new version which would offer a number of significant benefits to the authority and residents.
This would include managing interactions with the public, town and parish councils and councillors more effectively to ensure relevant information can be provided quickly and manage enquiries more efficiently, for instance providing better feedback when potholes are reported.
Further benefits would include offering information on planned maintenance works and integration with navigation sites such as Google Maps, Street View and what3words.
The new system would support the management of planned highways works by enabling in-depth analysis of data to inform decision making and to make sure key performance indicators are being met.
Our highways team would also be able to use the new system while out and about, helping to deliver a more efficient working practice, while it would also allow for easier sharing of information with the council’s financial system and quicker ordering of products.
The contract for the current system expires in April 2024, with the cost of a replacement expected to exceed £500,000.
While the current system allows the council to carry out some of its highways functions, it does not cover all of them, meaning several system are in operation at the same time. By investing in a single, new service, it would enable all highways works to be managed from a single point of contact, thus saving time and delivering improvements.
It is being proposed that a tender for the new system goes out in October, with a supplier appointed in January and implementation – which is expected to take approximately a year to be completed – beginning in April 2023.
Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways and Transport Committee, said: “The highways management system is vital to everything we do. From delivering services to helping us communicate with residents and councillors, it touches every part of our service.
“By investing in a high quality, integrated system it will enable us to deliver efficiencies and make better decisions based on real time data. It will enable us to communication more effectively with residents and councillors, simplifying the process of reporting issues and getting access to accurate, timely updates.”
