Washoe County Saved 100 Hours of Manual Work by Using Data Share – And They’re Just Getting Started

Driving visibility and accountability

To elevate its strategic planning, Washoe County needed stronger data analysis to measure service levels, extend asset life, and build a stronger case for funding, according to Aaron Smith, Operations Director of the Community Services Department. Data Share delivers exactly that. With centralized dashboards and automated refreshes, leaders can track KPIs by team, individual, or location, without relying on siloed spreadsheets or email reports. Technicians are expected to complete 95% of work orders and log 80% of their time in Asset Essentials. By combining timecard and CMMS data in one dashboard, supervisors can clearly measure performance and showcase results through shareable “brag reports.” 

The impact has been immediate: facilities supervisors saved roughly 100 hours in the first four months thanks to streamlined data retrieval. The added visibility also builds accountability and ensures technicians get recognition for their work. “It makes it so much easier for the facility superintendent to check in. The information is right there, easy to drill into, and technician-specific,” Smith says.

Making better decisions with enhanced data

For Washoe County, tying maintenance work orders to specific assets – not just locations – is critical for understanding true costs. Data Share is helping track HVAC asset reporting in Asset Essentials, with accuracy expected to improve from 15% to 25%.

By linking reactive maintenance costs to individual assets, their team can now see when repairs outweigh replacement, avoiding costly breakdowns and making the case for proactive investments.

“When requests come in, they’re location-based. But if it’s an air handler, we need the cost tied directly to that unit so we know its total cost of ownership and can justify replacement if patterns emerge,” says Smith. 

The County is also raising expectations for preventive maintenance, aiming for 80% on-time compliance compared to today’s 53%. By mid-2026, Smith plans to incorporate detailed maintenance cost data into Data Share to pinpoint the assets creating the biggest drains on time and budget.

“We want to know exactly what an asset costs us in maintenance and when replacement becomes the smarter investment,” Smith says.

Assessing stormwater service and safety risks

Washoe County’s need for data extends beyond facilities to stormwater, which is an often overlooked but critical service. “We’re seeing more and more needs for stormwater maintenance without resources to match them,” says Smith. “We’re having conversations around what level of risk our community is willing to accept.” 

Although the region averages just eight inches of rain a year, storms can be extreme. In summer 2024, the neighborhood of Hidden Valley received nearly two inches of rain in 45 minutes, overwhelming stormwater systems and putting residents at risk. 

With Data Share, Smith’s team can now bring hard evidence to policymakers. GIS mapping, labor and asset data, and inventory tracking provide a clear picture of service levels, helping prioritize pipe and drain maintenance and justify investments. 

As he explains, “Data Share and Asset Essentials not only guide operational decisions but also show what we can achieve with available resources and what’s at stake if those resources change.”

Before implementing a CMMS, the County relied on institutional knowledge and even sticky notes to track tasks. Now, stormwater management is data-driven and Smith plans to take it further with a wastewater maintenance dashboard. “We were already evidence based, but the evidence was harder to get to. With Data Share, it’s right at our fingertips.”