This episode a great deep dive into asset management with arguably the premier asset management system on the market today. I've been working with Cartegraph since 2010 and have been very impressed with their software and vision for constant improvement. Join me as I welcome Jon Kremer, self proclaimed Product CEO for the Cartegraph Asset Management System at OpenGov, and we talk about how clients are using Cartegraph today, how it has evolved over the decades, and where it is going in the future. Enjoy!

https://cartegraph.com/

AI Generated Episode Description:

Every public works professional eventually confronts the challenge of asset management. How do you track thousands of infrastructure elements, maintain them efficiently, and plan for their eventual replacement? It's a question that combines technology, human behavior, and financial planning in ways that can make or break a department's effectiveness.
John Kramer, who leads product management for OpenGov's Categraph Asset Management system, takes us through the fascinating evolution of asset management systems. From his early days implementing solutions for municipalities across America to his current role designing the future of these platforms, Kramer shares insights that apply to organizations of every size.
The conversation explores how asset management has transformed from paper-based workflows to cloud systems accessible from smartphones. What's remarkable is how the fundamentals remain consistent—you're still tracking the same basic information about signs, water mains, and park equipment—while the methods for collecting and using that data have revolutionized daily operations. As Kramer explains, success depends on a "three-legged stool" of products, people, and processes working together.
We dive into implementation strategies that work, discussing how starting with smaller, focused rollouts often proves more effective than attempting organization-wide adoption. The most successful departments find champions who naturally gravitate to the technology and then leverage their enthusiasm to spread adoption organically. The conversation then turns to exciting future developments: connected systems that integrate asset data with financial planning, Internet of Things sensors providing real-time monitoring, and artificial intelligence applications that can identify assets from photographs and optimize work scheduling.
Whether you're considering your first asset management implementation or looking to improve an existing system, this episode offers practical wisdom from decades of experience across hundreds of municipalities. Share your thoughts or questions with us on LinkedIn at Public Works Nerds.