Chugach Government Solutions Journey to Streamlined Asset Management with RPA

Introduction

Chugach Government Solutions LLC, (CGS) under the leadership of Karl J. Bruening, Vice President of Business Intelligence & Innovation, and in collaboration with David Hickey from Alirrium, embarked on a transformative journey. Their mission was clear: leverage cutting-edge technology to drive down costs, establish robust asset protection, and elevate client service standards.

The Challenge: Dual Data Entry between workorder management applications

Chugach's commitment to excellence led to the inception of the Chugach Asset Management Program (ChAMP). This award-winning initiative, built on the ISO 50001 framework and framed by the Uptime Elements, was powered by the IBM Maximo suite. Internally referred to as the Chugach Enterprise Management System (CEMS), this workorder management program was honored as the 2022 Maximo World award winner for Best New Implementation.

Despite the accolades, CGS faced a significant challenge. The requirement to operate dual systems, both their internal CEMS and a government client’s workorder management system resulted in extensive dual entry support. This dual operation escalated data entry costs, especially given the sheer volume of work orders processed annually.

The Solution: Embracing Robotics Process Automation (RPA)

To eliminate the burdensome dual entry requirements, CGS turned to Robotics Process Automation (RPA). With a clear vision, they sought an experienced RPA implementor with a track record of successful integrations for government clients. The project had its complexities, including remote development via a Common Access Card (CAC) enabled system and the challenge of downloading commercial software on a government network. However, with the Authority to Operate (ATO) secured, CGS and the developer successfully deployed the automation software on the secure customer network.

Results & Benefits: A Game-Changing Implementation

The collaboration between CGS and Alirrium bore fruit in record time. Within just three months the phase 1 project of creating new work orders in the government work order management system was up and running.  The phase 2 project of keeping all the work order status updates in sync between the two systems was fully deployed in an additional 10 weeks.  The results were nothing short of spectacular:

• Projected annual cost saving of $411,888
• Anticipated labor savings equivalent to 4.5 FTEs a year
• ROI in less than 5 months
• Elimination of the labor-intensive and costly manual double data entry method.

Furthermore, this pilot project set the stage for an enterprise model, currently scaling to other projects and clients within the Department of Defense. The resources saved from the dual entry are now being redirected to higher-order tasks, which provide more value to their clients and increase their job satisfaction.

Conclusion

CGS’s journey with RPA is a testament to the transformative power of technology when applied with vision and precision. Their collaboration with Alirrium not only addressed immediate challenges but also laid the foundation for future innovations. As organizations worldwide seek to optimize operations, CGS’s success story serves as a beacon, illuminating the path to efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced service delivery.

About Chugach Government Solutions LLC

With its headquarters in Alaska, Chugach Government Solutions LLC has been a beacon of excellence in serving government clients for over a quarter of a century. Their commitment to innovation, combined with a deep understanding of client needs, positions them as a leader in their domain. Their recent RPA initiative, in collaboration with Alirrium, further underscores their forward-thinking approach and dedication to operational excellence.