City of College Station

ABOUT THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION

College Station, home to Texas A&M University; the country’s largest public institution of higher education, is a city of over 128,000 residents. Renowned for its dynamic atmosphere, the city excels in business opportunities, family-oriented amenities, and its appeal to retirees. College Station is also a top college town in Texas and one of the fastest-growing metros in the U.S. With six nationally accredited departments, including parks and public safety, it's one of the safest and most family-friendly communities in the state.

LIFE IS GOOD

As the community expands rapidly, the city is closely monitoring its planning and development efforts, including the creation of comprehensive and small area plans. Performance measurement is also a priority, with each department reporting quarterly updates through Excel spreadsheets. These updates are collected, reviewed, and responded to accordingly.

BIG CHALLENGE

Coordinating updates became increasingly difficult as the primary Excel spreadsheet made its rounds among departments for feedback, resulting in an extended back-and-forth of revisions. The key challenges encompassed ensuring performance, precision, version tracking, and efficient time allocation throughout the updating phase. Furthermore, consolidating all departmental updates necessitated crafting a Word document with relevant graphics, potentially spanning multiple pages, while some departments altered or sought alternative representations, introducing an additional layer of complexity to the reporting process, which required a full day's effort to compile.

HELP ARRIVES

Turning to AchieveIt proved instrumental for them. The platform swiftly transformed their previous Word reports, replacing manual data collection with automated emails directed to the relevant individuals. Another significant aspect where performance measures are crucial is the annual budgeting process. This integration didn't introduce any complexity; rather, it streamlined the process, aligning with their existing practices, typically culminating in a report produced at the end of the third quarter, which then informs the budget. Currently, the community has access to 18 dashboards featuring key performance indicators from a range of departments, including police and fire, the City Manager's Office, parks and recreation, as well as electrical and water services, all displayed prominently on public-facing dashboards. For College Station, these plans and dashboards serve as guiding documents, shaping decisions, and ensuring continuous progress for the city. 

LIFE IS EVEN BETTER

Now, managing all their plans through AchieveIt has significantly reduced the time needed, and the inclusion of readily accessible and automated dashboards has provided an additional advantage. This refined approach ensures that data seamlessly flows into a report tailored for the City Council and City Manager's office, streamlining the download and reporting process. It prompted a thorough review of assignments, leading to the clarification of roles and the resolution of any discrepancies, thus preventing a regression to previous inefficiencies. Notably impactful on an organization-wide level, the comprehensive plan aspect is particularly noteworthy.