Introducing the Town of New Milford
Located in Litchfield County, Connecticut, the Town of New Milford oversees an extensive infrastructure network spanning 212 miles of roads and nearly 60 bridges.
The municipality’s Public Works department and its four divisions — Engineering, Facilities Maintenance, Highway and Vehicle Maintenance — are responsible for maintaining this critical infrastructure along with a diverse fleet of over 130 assets.
From road graders and dump trucks to excavators and mowers, ensuring this equipment runs safely and efficiently is paramount. But struggles with inefficient paper-based processes for inspections, defect reporting and maintenance tracking were making that more difficult than it needed to be.
The challenge
For years, New Milford’s equipment operators conducted inspections on paper forms that were often misplaced or incomplete, leaving the town with limited insight into asset condition and repair needs.
This disjointed approach created friction between vehicle operators and mechanics.
“The vehicle maintenance guys have a tendency to blame the drivers, and the drivers blame the maintenance guys for not doing their jobs,” said Michael Boucher, New Milford’s Highway Foreman. “We had cabinets full of paperwork, but no accountability.”
Without a centralized system to report defects promptly, small issues frequently spiraled into larger, costly failures that impacted operations. Town leadership also lacked visibility into maintenance spending when determining vehicle replacement schedules during budget planning.
The solution
Seeking to modernize processes, Boucher and New Milford turned to Whip Around after evaluating multiple fleet management solutions.
“This one seemed to be the least cumbersome and exactly what we were looking for,” said Boucher. “It’s simple for everybody to use.”
Using Whip Around’s mobile app, operators now conduct digital inspections with custom checklists across all town assets. Mandatory photo requirements validate defect reports, eliminating miscommunication.
Within the platform, mechanics seamlessly receive defect notifications and update repair status in real-time, ending the team’s previous communication struggles. Detailed maintenance records also provide full transparency into repair costs and downtime metrics for township leaders.
“Whip Around has changed the physical connection between my highway team and vehicle maintenance,” said Boucher. “It takes the head-butting out of it with everything streamlined through the app.”
Key results
By transitioning to Whip Around’s digital inspection and maintenance solution, New Milford has:
- Eliminated stacks of missing/inaccurate paper records
- Enhanced accountability with comprehensive defect documentation
- Improved team communication and productivity
- Gained visibility into costs for budget/vehicle replacement planning
- Enabled leaders (including the Mayor) to monitor operations efficiently
“Now we have the information for as long as we need it,” Boucher said. “I can be proactive about scheduling preventive maintenance based on real-time mileage data.”
New Milford’s paperless transformation has fostered a culture of mutual responsibility between operators and mechanics. Issues no longer slip through the cracks, promoting safer vehicle utilization town-wide.
“If there’s a problem, it’s reported instantly — we just don’t drive equipment with defects anymore,” Boucher stated. “Whip Around has absolutely made our operations safer.”
