The Case
You are a Senior Analyst for the Public Works Department in the city of Northwood. For years, your department has been the unsung hero, keeping the city's lights on, water flowing, and roads clear. But the systems that support this work are groaning under the strain. Critical infrastructure data is scattered across a patchwork of decades-old spreadsheets, paper files, and the institutional memory of staff nearing retirement. The cracks, both literal and figurative, are starting to show.
Last Tuesday, the situation reached a breaking point. A 70-year-old water main under a major downtown intersection burst, flooding streets and businesses. It was a predictable failure, but nobody was tracking the asset's risk level effectively. The resulting chaos and costly emergency repairs have put the department under a microscope.
Your director, Maria Flores, is determined not to let this happen again. She has identified a potential solution: a modern, integrated asset management Decision-Support System (DSS) called "InfraOptima." However, the city council is skeptical of any new, significant expenditure. Maria has tasked you with a critical assignment: evaluate the proposed system and build a rock-solid business case to justify the investment. The future of Northwood's infrastructure management rests on your analysis.
Resources and Evidence
You have been provided with the following documents and data to inform your analysis and recommendation.
Key Document: MEMORANDUM: Urgent Tasking on Asset Management System
Northwood Infrastructure Failures (Last 12 Months)
| Asset ID | Asset Type | Installation Year | Last Inspection Date | Failure Date | Emergency Repair Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WM-ELM-01 | Water Main | 1958 | 2015-06-22 | 2024-05-15 | 245700 |
| SL-OAK-44 | Sewer Line | 1965 | 2018-11-10 | 2023-11-20 | 185000 |
| TS-PINE-9 | Traffic Signal | 2005 | 2022-02-01 | 2024-03-05 | 8500 |
| SD-MAPLE-112 | Storm Drain | 1988 | 2019-08-14 | 2024-01-29 | 65200 |
| WM-BIRCH-23 | Water Main | 1972 | 2014-03-12 | 2023-09-08 | 155000 |
| BJ-HWY41-A | Bridge Joint | 1981 | 2021-07-20 | 2024-04-22 | 98000 |
| RS-MAIN-ST | Road Surface | 1999 | 2020-05-30 | 2023-12-18 | 42500 |
| TS-CEDAR-15 | Traffic Signal | 2008 | 2023-01-15 | 2024-06-01 | 6800 |
| SL-RIVER-8B | Sewer Line | 1952 | 2012-10-05 | 2024-02-11 | 215300 |
| WM-ASPEN-77 | Water Main | 1995 | 2019-04-18 | 2023-10-02 | 75100 |
| SD-CHESTNUT-201 | Storm Drain | 1975 | 2017-09-09 | 2024-05-28 | 112000 |
| WM-4TH-AVE | Water Main | 2001 | 2022-11-01 | 2024-04-10 | 33400 |
| SL-GROVE-5C | Sewer Line | 1989 | 2021-06-15 | 2023-08-16 | 89500 |
Key Document: EMAIL: Another close call...
Vendor's Budgetary Estimate
The preliminary estimate provided by the InfraOptima vendor includes a one-time implementation and data migration cost of $350,000, plus an annual licensing and support fee of $75,000.
Your Task
Your recommendation will be evaluated based on the clarity of your analysis, the strength of your arguments, and the professionalism of your final report. The rubric below details the specific criteria for success.
As a Senior Analyst in the Northwood Public Works Department, your task is to deliver a formal recommendation memo to your director, Maria Flores. This memo will serve as the primary document for her to take to the city council.
Your memo must be structured to: 1. Summarize the Problem: Briefly outline the risks and costs associated with the current asset management system, using specific examples from the provided resources. 2. Evaluate the Solution: Analyze the proposed "InfraOptima DSS," explaining how its key features would address the specific problems you identified. 3. Present the Business Case: Conclude with a clear, data-driven recommendation. Argue for or against the adoption of the new system, justifying your position by weighing the long-term benefits and risk reduction against the vendor's estimated costs.
Submit Your Work
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Next Steps
Congratulations on completing the case study assessment. Your analysis will be crucial for the future of Northwood's public works. Please be sure to upload your recommendation memo to the submission area.
Once you have submitted your work, you can navigate back to the course home to continue.