“Using StakeOut's work order management tools, we have been able to better organize our process, reduce paper flow and increase our ability to respond to customer inquires,” said Bruce Maurhoff, Central Virginia Electric's engineering manager.

StakeOut's client/server architecture gives Central Virginia's staff greater access to work orders. Now, when a member calls, the customer-service representative can look up that customer's job and give a status over the phone. Using Central Virginia's old tools and process, the customer-service representative would have needed to get other departments involved to answer even simple questions. Maurhoff said, “Our work order process is strictly electronic until construction prints a copy to build from.”

Using Microsoft Word's mail merge capabilities with StakeOut's database, communication to customers will be further streamlined by generating letters to get job approvals and easement signatures. This is especially useful on new subdivision service connects, where it is not necessary to meet with each customer individually.

“One of StakeOut's biggest time savers is the ability to transfer job sketches into easement addendums. Before StakeOut, we had to redraw every job. Now, we just copy and paste,” said Maurhoff. Central Virginia recently completed the first phase of its StakeOut implementation, including in-field design and work order tracking. When Central Virginia's new ESRI-based GIS is complete, StakeOut will bring data-linked background maps into the field and incorporate new GPS-accurate designs into the GIS without redrawing.
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