CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
City of Frankfort Uses POSM Server and GIS for Sewer Inspections
How Frankfort, Kentucky uses POSM Server and GIS to organize inspection data, share records with contractors, and give staff faster access to sewer inspection information.
Frankfort Sewer Department team, left to right: Matt Tate, Melanie Hockensmith, Tim Puckett, Scotty Manns, and Jonathan Parker.
Meet Jonathan Parker
At the time of this interview, Jonathan Parker had been with the City of Frankfort water and sewer department since 2008. Frankfort, Kentucky's state capital, spans roughly 15 square miles and is divided by the Kentucky River. The sewer department operated two camera trucks, and Jonathan also served as a primary IT resource for the department.
With a relatively small internal team, Frankfort also relied on outside contractors and engineering firms for portions of its wastewater investigation and repair work.
Fast Sharing for Contractor Review
Jonathan explained that Frankfort's small staff sometimes needed to inspect an area and then send the results to an engineering firm for a higher-level review.
Because the department used POSM Server to organize inspection data, he said: “We can select all the records very quickly, drop them onto an external hard drive, and the contractor can come pick it up whenever they need it.”
GIS Specialist Turned All-Around IT Resource
Jonathan originally joined the City of Frankfort as a GIS Specialist, but he estimated that much of his day-to-day work eventually became IT support. His responsibilities ranged from network switches and web maps to tablets, mobile devices, and software updates.
That broad technical role made reliable access to inspection information especially important. The sewer department needed tools that field crews, office staff, and outside partners could use without creating additional IT overhead.
“We can select all the records very quickly, drop them onto an external hard drive, and the contractor can come pick it up whenever they need it.”
The Real Power: POSM + GIS
Jonathan described GIS integration as one of the most valuable parts of Frankfort's POSM workflow: “The real power is in the GIS; everyone on the Frankfort team is connected to it.”
The team used GIS layers and color coding to identify pipe segments requiring attention and to highlight structure ratings. Linking inspection records with mapped assets gave staff another way to find information without searching through separate folders or disconnected databases.
Jonathan said: “Our team can get to a file quicker through the GIS with POSM linked. That’s eliminated some of the costs of using outside engineers because we can disseminate it quickly and do the work in-house.”
POSM Server GIS example image. This screenshot is not from the Frankfort project.
From DVDs to a Centralized Database
Jonathan recalled the workflow Frankfort used before moving to POSM in 2009: “You still had to burn it to DVD and make a copy for each person who needed access. It was a pain.”
He said POSM Server gave the department a much easier way to move inspection runs from the truck into centralized storage and make those records available to other users: “It was leaps and bounds from what we were used to.”
The People Behind the Software
Jonathan first encountered POSM Software at an industry trade show. He remembered the staff as approachable and easy to work with: “The staff was affable and down-to-earth... We were impressed enough with the people and their demonstration to give it a try.”
“...leaps and bounds from what we were used to.”
Reliable Software and Responsive Support
Jonathan also praised POSM's reliability and support: “POSM has never crashed on us. I almost never have to call their tech support, but when I do, they’ve addressed our issue in a timely manner.”
Looking back on Frankfort's experience with POSM, Jonathan summed it up simply: “We love it and wouldn’t dream of using anything else.”
See How POSM Server Can Support Your Inspection Workflow
If your organization needs centralized inspection storage, GIS access, contractor data sharing, or easier office review, request a POSM demo and talk with our team about your current workflow.
