Background
The City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska, a diverse municipality responsible for a wide range of public facilities, faced significant challenges managing its extensive asset portfolio. Nate Abbott, Facilities Maintenance Superintendent, describes the city’s journey as going from rudimentary paper-based systems to various CMMS with minimal success. The city was leveraging a basic work order system that lacked the flexibility, integration capabilities and strategic planning tools that were required.
With 20 years at the City and Borough of Juneau and seven years in facilities maintenance, Abbott recognized the critical need for a modern software solution to provide deeper data insights, facilitate strategic planning and integrate seamlessly with other platforms. His goal was to move beyond simply tracking work to understanding asset health and using that data to make informed decisions while advocating for necessary funding.
Retaining knowledge and going mobile
Nate Abbott’s vision for asset management transcended just maintenance and reacting to breakdowns. With Brightly's suite of solutions (now a part of the Siemens portfolio), he saw the opportunity to transform maintenance data into a valuable tool for strategic planning and advocacy. After years of grappling with other fragmented systems and the limitations of on-premises solutions, Abbott spearheaded the move to Brightly Software (now Siemens Asset Management).
The user-friendly interface and customizable features of the work and asset management platform were immediate wins, especially the mobile app, which empowered mechanics to manage work orders, capture photos and access manuals directly from the field. Abbott took our solution a step further and created custom integrations using the software’s API. These enhancements provided mechanics with a tailored calendar view of their work hours, demonstrating his commitment to making the system function for his team.
Adoption of the product was crucial for workforce sustainability. Abbott aimed to systematically document essential institutional knowledge within the system, rather than relying on individual retention. This shift has helped the team weather retirements and onboard new employees.
Using data to justify funding requests
Implementing Brightly's capital planning solution (also now in the Siemens family) was another difference-maker. The tool allowed Abbott to move beyond unsubstantiated requests for capital funding and present a compelling, data-backed narrative to city leadership.
He could clearly illustrate the long-term implications of underfunding maintenance, showing how Juneau’s level of deferred maintenance would lead to a “ginormous” backlog over time. Objective data was the key to advocating effectively and proving that capital investments were not just a “wish list,” but a necessity for the city’s infrastructure.
“I’m not trying to say, ‘Oh, we need a new roof over here’ just because,” Abbott explains. “The roof that we need to replace at the downtown library is at the end of its useful life. All these indicators are showing that it’s not just Abbott saying, ‘Oh, we need to do this.’”
The ability to tell a factual story with data has been instrumental in gaining buy-in and driving strategic decisions.
“I don’t want to be reactive. I want to plan.”
Looking ahead, the City of Juneau is now implementing a third product, an asset health solution, to utilize benchmarking and standards to determine optimal staffing. Abbott enthusiastically shares how, according to benchmarking and employees per square foot, the facilities maintenance team needs 14 full-time employees for preventive maintenance alone, compared to the current staff of 10. This data offers irrefutable evidence supporting requests for additional resources to help ensure the city can adequately address its maintenance demands.
Abbott’s philosophy is clear: “I don’t want to be reactive. I want to plan.” He envisions a future where all asset information, from day-to-day work orders to long-term capital renewal, is seamlessly connected and easily accessible. This dedication to creating a “living, breathing system” that continuously evolves and delivers actionable insights underscores Juneau’s commitment to operational excellence and responsible stewardship of its public assets. As Abbott summarizes, “It’s really about telling the story. And without that data and without that information, you can’t tell the story.”