May 6, 2024 |
Photo – Autotask Professional Services Automation – Courtesy datto.com
The county commissioners voted last month to adopt a more efficient and cheaper maintenance ticketing system for buildings and grounds and IT.
At the April 16th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Information Technology Director Matt Webster said the maintenance management software currently used by the county, Dude Solutions, was purchased by Brightly Software. Webster said Brightly Software has stopped developing upgrades for Dude Solutions.
Dude Solutions allows county employees to submit maintenance requests, or tickets, to either the buildings and grounds department or IT.
Webster said the county’s contract with Dude Solutions is set to expire next month. Last year, the county paid nearly $14,000 to subscribe to the maintenance management software. Webster said he doesn’t expect the price to decrease.
Webster said he and Buildings and Grounds Manager Jeff Askins looked for a better maintenance management system. The county IT director said they settled on a program called Autotask Professional Services Automation.
Webster said after an initial $3,299.34 set-up fee, Autotask Professional Services Automation will give the county three months of free service. After August 1st, the software will cost $900 a month. The IT director said the county will save over $10,000 this year and nearly $4,000 next year.
Commissioner John Johnson asked Webster if Autotask will work as well as Dude Solutions. Webster said his new employee, George Wadsworth, used the system in the past and confirmed that the program is easy to use.
Webster said Wadsworth can train county employees to use the new maintenance ticketing system. The IT director said Autotask will make submitting a maintenance request easier than Dude Solutions.
Before the vote, Commissioner Travis Moore asked Webster why Brightly Software chose to stop supporting Dude Solutions. The IT director said since purchasing Dude Solutions in 2022, Brightly Software has been attempting to force users to subscribe to a single, more costly, system.
The board authorized Webster to switch the county’s maintenance ticketing system from Dude Solutions to Autotask Professional Services Automation. The move will save the county thousands of dollars a year.
