Toronto Works and Emergency Services Department, Toronto, Ontario

The Toronto Works and Emergency Services Department relies on hundreds of workers to maintain its network of roads, storm sewers and water systems. Prior to installing Laserfiche®, accessing critical files wasn't easy. Field workers had to carry microfilm reading equipment in their trucks and haul numerous drawings with them wherever they went.

Now, thanks to a document management solution implemented by IKON Office Solutions, a Laserfiche® reseller based in Mississauga, ON, emergency crews have immediate access to the information they need to provide even better pubilc service.

All drawings and locator cards are now scanned into the Laserfiche repository and made available online via Laserfiche WebLink™. Laptop computers are installed in each of the department's vehicles, so workers can easily access maps and schematics, along with documents containing such critical information as pipe and valve sizes and types. Locator cards are indexed by street, street type, address, and document type. Drawings are indexed by street name and drawing number.

John Whelan, the department's supervisor, oversaw the Laserfiche implementation. A hands-on manager who can generally be found waist-deep in water or mud during a public works emergency, Whelan knew that immediate access to information helps minimize the damage when a pipe breaks or a sewer main ruptures.

"What I like most about the Laserfiche solution is that crews can start fixing problems immediately, without waiting for somebody to go to a remote office and look for documentation," Whelan says. "Before Laserfiche, cards often went missing, usually just when they were needed. Now, we know the information will be there when we need it."