Case Studies
Polk County Utilities (PCU) – Master Database (PCU‑MD) Needs Assessment, Design & Implementation
EPIC built PCU’s enterprise PCU-MD for project management and is migrating it to Simplify i3® to streamline tracking, inspections, budgets, and reporting.
Introduction
Polk County Utilities (PCU) provides water, wastewater, and reclaimed water services to 56,000+ households and businesses across a large operational footprint—45 water plants, 11 wastewater plants, 290+ lift stations, and ~1,100 miles of pipelines.
To modernize project information management and support a broader digital transformation vision, PCU selected EPIC to assess needs across departments, design a scalable enterprise web application, and implement the PCU Master Database (PCU‑MD). Since 2008, PCU‑MD has been a core system for project tracking, inspections, budgets, and reporting; in January 2023 the County selected EPIC’s Simplify i3® platform to transition PCU‑MD functions, with a planned go‑live of January 2024.
Challenge
PCU’s legacy tools—including a Microsoft Access–based Engineering Projects Database (EPD) and paper workflows—limited visibility, created redundant data entry, and complicated cross‑department coordination. The County needed to:
- Unify project information for Development Engineering, Capital Projects, Permitting & Compliance, Customer Service, Records Management, and O&M
- Replace paper‑based processes with governed, role‑based, web workflows
- Standardize data for inspections, budgets, and project status with auditable history
- Integrate with County IT standards and the Documentum document management system
Solution
EPIC led a comprehensive needs assessment and collaborative design program with stakeholder groups spanning the full PCU user base, then delivered a phased, enterprise‑grade solution.
Discovery & Consensus‑Building
- Multi‑workshop process to document AS‑IS workflows, pain points, and cross‑department needs
- Facilitation to build consensus on a concise, consistent TO‑BE feature set across diverse users
PCU‑MD Enterprise Web Application
- Built on ASP.NET with SQL Server, aligned to County IT standards
- Data migration from Microsoft Access (EPD) to PCU‑MD
- Integrated with Documentum for seamless document access
- Expanded features over time: field inspection comments, project budgets, status tracking, and standard reports
- Secure, transactional storage ensures complete inspection history for managers and staff
Ongoing Evolution
- In January 2023, PCU selected Simplify i3® to assume PCU‑MD functions; transition targeted for January 2024
Solution highlights
- Graphical Workflows
- Streamlined Processes
- Expanded Feautures
- Secure inspection history
- Ongoing Evolution
Insights
≥ 95%
Inspection data completeness
≥ 99.9%
Data migration accuracy
100%
All PCU‑MD core functions replicated; added dashboards/analytics via Simplify i3®
Results
- Unified project system: PCU‑MD replaced fragmented tools and paper workflows, becoming a daily system of record since 2008
- Operational visibility: Managers and staff access current project status, budgets, inspection histories, and documents from one place
- Governed data & audits: Transactional storage and role‑based access strengthen data integrity and accountability
Polk County Utilities
EPIC conducted thorough needs analysis and process mapping, always eager to troubleshoot, provide solutions, and collaborate effectively with all stakeholders.
Seminole County Environmental Services Division
Our partnership with EPIC Engineering & Consulting Group has modernized Seminole County Environmental Services, improving efficiency, data integrity, and project workflows.
City of Orlando
EPIC has been a trusted partner in our digital transformation. With Simplify i3, we eliminated duplicate data, reduced spreadsheets, and streamlined operations in a cloud-based system.
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