Culy Contracting often works on large wastewater system projects that can take months, or even years, to complete.
Because the projects are so expansive, the ability to closely track and share progress is crucial to ensuring their success.
Several years ago, this need alone led Culy CCTV operator, Dan McKnight, to search for new sewer inspection and asset management software.
“When I first started working here, we had a [different] camera and we were using their software,” McKnight says. “The way we were transferring files was really cumbersome. We had to put everything on an external hard drive to pass it back and forth, and it got to the point where my truck held all of the information for the entire work site.”
Seeking Inspection Options
Tasked with providing inspections and maintenance to just under 60 miles of storm and sewer lines spread across a 300-acre site in Indianapolis, McKnight needed a solution to improve project management and communication with the customer.
“I had so much data in here that wasn’t being utilized by others, so I started to look around to see what other software was out there in order to get the client information faster,” he says. “I said to my client, ‘You’re paying for this service, you might as well utilize as much of it as you can.’”
McKnight tested out a few different software brands but wasn’t impressed with their overall functionality. He then tried out WinCan and quickly realized it was the solution he was looking for.
Improved Data Management Functionality
“It’s so much easier to navigate,” says McKnight. “If you have any kind of computer background, you can pretty much sit down and run it immediately. And then as you get into it, you start learning all of the neat functions and nuances you didn’t even know were there.”
Beyond easier navigation and a simplified way to transfer data, McKnight says he appreciates WinCan’s innovative tendencies.
“Something that really sold me on WinCan was the fact that (they are) always updating the software and always adding to it,” he says. “(They’re) not afraid to take in customer considerations and are always moving things around to improve it.”
Tracking System Progress
Based in Winchester, Indiana, Culy Contracting provides a variety of services in the water and sewer construction industry, including construction and installation of water and sewer systems; manhole, pipe and sewer rehabilitation; and total site preparation for municipal, commercial, industrial, residential and agricultural customers.
McKnight and his team depend most on WinCan Maps and WinCan Web features. McKnight has integrated WinCan Maps with GIS software to track his progress in real time as he moves through sections of the large property he’s been working on.
“I can say to my cleaning crew, ‘Here’s what we’re working on today’ and I can actually show them on the map,” McKnight says. “They can set up and start working and I can come through and CCTV after them.”
Being able to track movement in real time has been a standout feature for the crew.
“It’s so unexpected to be able to track your progress as you go through the day,” he says. “It’s a really nice function to see where you are and what you’ve got done, plus from the customer’s perspective, I can send them the data and they can see where I am.”
Sharing Sewer Inspection Data
With their previous software, McKnight says it could take up to a month before his crew was able to get the customer all of the data they needed. Now, with WinCan Web, he and his crew can securely share videos, images and any other data with the customer immediately.
“The client that I deal with here on a daily basis, she absolutely loves it,” McKnight says. “It works so much nicer for the customer. And on the technical side, instead of just calling them and saying how much you got done, you can actually show them.”
Maximizing Uptime
Since implementing WinCan and using its mapping services, McKnight says his production has increased “ten-fold.” And the WinCan service team has helped him and his crew to avoid any downtime.
“I had a problem recently at 6 o’clock at night. I called WinCan and someone answered the phone and within minutes, it’s fixed and I’m ready to rock n’ roll,” McKnight says.
With their previous software, it could take days to hear back about an issue, leaving the crew to search for a workaround to avoid falling behind.
“I can count on one hand how many times I’ve called WinCan support and actually had to leave a message,” says McKnight. “Most of the time, someone answers and talks to me. And if I do leave a message, the longest I’ve ever waited was a half an hour, and the person I talked to was very apologetic about it. That right there is worth it.”
Request a demo of WinCan VX today:
