One of CRT & Associates' primary specialities is the design, development, and implementation of customized database and process management systems. CRT's expertise not only includes single user, single location systems, but multi-user, multi-location systems with a variety of connectivity methods as well. Over the years, CRT & Associates has established an extensive history of providing value added programming and software systems resulting in significantly increased efficiency and dramatic cost savings for its clients.
While some of our more popular systems are listed below, other applications also include but are not limited to: legal collections, shop floor management, and health care billing and office management systems.
The Buried Drop Administration and Control System (BDACS) was designed to assist utility companies with the monumental task of administering and controlling the process of burying a utility service wire from the edge of the utility subscriber's street (the right-of-way) to their place of residence. With larger utility companies this can encompass hundreds of thousands of work requests on an annual basis.
Designed to work with high volume, short duration, less costly work requests having lower complexity, BDACS maximizes efficiencies to greatly reduce over-all costs in completing the final link of providing service to the residential end-user. In its whole, non-organizational specific form, CRT's Buried Drop Administration and Control System provides:
| • | Multi-user accessibility utilizing either direct, multiplexer, or dial-up modem connections. |
| • | Systematic and efficient methods which manage the entire buried service wire process from request receipt through placement completion. |
| • | Work order authorization processes for companies with either company work crews, sub-contracted work crews, or a combination of both. |
| • | Economically efficient methods for geographically sorting and dispatching required work. |
| • | Automated system generated notification to respective state underground wire locating clearinghouses. |
| • | Automated invoicing and payment processing for externally sub-contracted work by way of paper authorization, direct file transfer, or electronic data interface. |
| • | Comprehensive information and report generation capabilities to include: status of pending work, completion totals, cost and wire usage projections, etc. |
| • | Cost estimation of both internal and external work load based upon loaded labor rates and contractor specific bid information. |
| • | Itemized financial analyses related to internal or external actual costs, estimated costs, and budgeted costs. |
Related to its cousin BDACS, the Contract Dispatch Administration and Control System (CDACS), is another software product designed to assist utility companies in managing their buried service wire projects. Whereas BDACS concentrates on work projects existing between the street curb (right-of-way) and the residence, CDACS provides control for work projects resulting from the placement of cable from the utility company's relay point (sub-station, central office, etc.) to the curb-side (right-of-way).
Usually, projects in this area of the service link are fewer in number, longer in duration, have increased costs, and are greater in complexity. CDACS assures strong price and quality competition between contractors, historically resulting in savings up to 30%. To make this possible, the software manages numerous contractors, items, prices, and bid areas. The system then analyzes the above information to choose the best contractor for each individual project. Savings have been accomplished not only through increased efficiency but by electronically automating the bidding of each project and reducing the contractor's ability to price gouge through the use of loss leaders.
Originally designed for utility companies that sub-contracted their cable construction projects, CDACS has since been modified for utility companies doing work with either internal staff, sub-contractors, or a combination of both. In its whole, non-organizational specific form, CRT's Contract Dispatch administration and Control System provides:
| • | Multi-user accessibility utilizing either direct, multiplexer, or dial-up modem connections. |
| • | Automated and systematic approach for issuing bids and collecting contractor quotes for companies sub-contracting work requests. |
| • | Automated work order authorization processes for companies with either company work crews, sub-contracted work crews, or a combination of both. |
| • | Automated system generated notification to respective state underground wire locating clearinghouses. |
| • | Automated invoicing and payment processing for externally sub-contracted work by way of paper authorization, direct file transfer, or electronic data interface. |
| • | Comprehensive information and report generation capabilities to include: status of pending work, completion totals, cost and wire usage projections, etc. |
| • | Cost estimation of both internal and external work load based upon loaded labor rates and contractor specific bid information. |
| • | Itemized financial analyses related to internal or external actual costs, estimated costs, and budgeted costs. |
CRT & Associates' Personnel Call-out System (PCS) greatly simplifies the administrative burden of organizations responsible for effectively and efficiently dispatching personnel to handle service calls, site visitations, and emergency medical situations, etc. PCS can be utilized locally by dispatch centers or accessed remotely by on call management personnel through either a dial-up personal computer connection or telephonically using the interactive voice response module. CRT's Personnel Call-out System provides:
| • | Dispatch by seniority, rotational or hours worked method. |
| • | The ability to manage dispatching by skill-set (i.e. select dispatched personnel based upon skill code, job classification, and nature of request criteria). |
| • | Record keeping for time and duration of call-out and dispatched personnel. |
| • | Centralized, easily maintained, and password protected repository for personnel specific information such as contact people, addresses, home telephone numbers, cellular and pager numbers and access codes, etc. |
| • | Management tools for recurring unavailability lock-outs, vacations blocks, etc. |
| • | FAX-on-demand and automated interactive voice response processing if purchased with correct modules. |