IUPUI, Indianapolis Public Works to Collaborate on New Product/Service Reviews

Under a new agreement with the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, IUPUI will evaluate new products and services for the city agency. The collaboration will result in lower costs and shorter review times for the city, and provide valuable professional experience for IUPUI students.

IUPUI will provide technical evaluation of new products and services for DPW via the New Product Review (NPR) Process at the university’s Purdue School of Engineering and Technology. Tom Iseley, professor and director of the Construction Engineering Management Technology (CEMT) program at IUPUI, will direct the implementation of the Indy-DPW/IUPUI NPR Process.

“The Indy-DPW/IUPUI NPR process is just one step in transforming our university from just an urban amenity to a real urban asset,” Iseley said. “This collaboration will benefit the city and our university in various ways. Most importantly, it will provide our students with the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills through professional experience that will benefit them in the future.”

Because Indianapolis is continually updating or adding to its infrastructure, new products are frequently introduced to the city. These are often products that deal with sanitary sewer and storm water infrastructure systems. Previously the city’s new product review process was handled by outside consultants.

In the new review process, IUPUI student teams will perform a technical review of a new product or service seeking approval for utilization by the city of Indianapolis. Graduate students will serve as team captains. Each team will work with a faculty member who has expertise in the area of the product being reviewed.

The IUPUI NPR leadership team, including directors, a CEMT lab manager, a graduate student and a research associate, will monitor and support the entire process. Students will develop a thorough technical report and present their findings to Indy-DPW in a formal presentation.

“This program offers opportunities for students to strengthen skills in conducting technical reviews and reporting on an array of new products and technologies . . . The opportunities for networking with leaders from a variety of organizations will provide for rich learning experiences,” said Collin Green, a master’s student in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI and assistant director of the Indy- DPW/IUPUI NPR Process.

Students will gain professional experience while being financially compensated for their time.

The Indy-DPW/IUPUI NPR Process "brings many advantages to the city including a working relationship with the university that provides for the streamlining of new product investigations and the utilization of the vast contact points the university brings to the table,” said Steve Nielsen, DPW Deputy Director and Chief Engineer.

“Working with IUPUI will increase our technical base of knowledge and help us to understand how some new products have successfully been used in other locations throughout the United States and even the world,” he added.

The city will retain the responsibility of approving or denying a product after final review.

IUPUI has already received about 16 applications for the NPR Process. Products for review include storm water quality treatment units, steel piping and corrosion-resistant concrete.

The DPW/IUPUI collaboration is unique, but the concept is promoted by CEOs for Cities, a national network of urban leaders dedicated to building and sustaining the next generation of great American cities.

Recently Bill Bowman, DPW senior project manager, and Iseley gave a presentation on the NPR Process at the 5 Cities+ Conference in St. Louis. Bowman and Professor Iseley are working together to share the program with other cities in hopes that other cities will engage in a similar collaboration.

For more information about the Indy-DPW/IUPUI NPR Process, please contact Tom Iseley at dtiseley@iupui.edu.