Novotx User Summit: Communities Are Transforming with Elements XS and ArcGIS 

Recently we concluded our 14^th annual Novotx User Summit. Admins, power users, and experts gathered to share how their communities are evolving through smarter asset management, permitting and civic engagement. What stood out wasn’t just the technology; it was the people behind it and making it happen in their communities. From small towns to growing cities, public works and utilities teams are using Novotx Elements XS,  Esri ArcGIS®, and partner integrations to solve real problems, engage residents, and build resilient infrastructure for the next generation.  

The Summit isn’t just about Elements solutions; it’s a movement toward proactive, transparent, and community-driven governance. 

Empowering Staff and Citizens  

Kauai County, HI, Scottsbluff, NE, South Holland, IL, Moorhead, MN, Central States Water Resources, Roanoke, TX, Brigham City, UT, and others showed how seamless GIS-integrated workflows empower both staff and citizens. Demonstrations and success stories showcased how field crews utilize mobile tools to log inspections, track work orders, and communicate in real-time. Additionally, examples demonstrated how community engagement is creating citizen benefits through online portals that enable citizens and contractors to report issues, apply for permits, and track progress – including an example where automated contractor registration workflows proved to save many staff hours each week while improving compliance.  

Tracking Birds with GIS: Kauai County’s Conservation Innovation 

In a standout example of GIS versatility, Kauai County is using Elements XS not only for infrastructure management but also for environmental conservation—specifically, tracking bird populations across the island. Kathryn Leonard, Program Specialist for the County of Kauai, demonstrated how Elements serves as a flexible platform for public asset management and can be adapted to support ecological monitoring and other nontraditional asset types. 

What’s especially impressive is the scale of Kauai’s deployment. As shared during the session, the county has over 50 different divisions actively using Elements XS. This level of adoption reflects a deep integration of GIS into daily operations, from fire and transportation to parks and environmental services. 

By customizing workflows and leveraging spatial reporting tools, Kauai’s teams can log bird sightings, monitor movement patterns, and generate follow-up tasks—all within the same system used for managing their legacy assets like roads, facilities, and utilities. The platform supports dynamic data capture, including photos, location metadata, and inspection notes, tied directly to GIS assets. 

Smarter Decisions Through Data  

The power of Elements and ArcGIS lies in the context they bring to organizations. Cities are layering infrastructure data with soil types, service histories, and cost analytics to identify hot spots and plan replacements before failures occur. Dashboards visualize everything from backflow inspections to rental density maps, helping staff make informed decisions at-a-glance. This shift from reactive to proactive management is helping cities plan strategically, stretch budgets, reduce downtime, and improve service delivery.

Building Community Through Transparency  

Transparency isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a requirement by citizens. Communities are using Elements XS and Connect to automate notifications, attach photos to violations, and provide real-time updates to residents. In suburban Chicago, the Village of South Holland reduced a full-time court admin role to part-time by automating its adjudication workflow. Violations, fines, and payments are now tracked seamlessly, with residents receiving email updates and online payment options. This level of clarity strengthens relationships between cities and citizens, making government feel more accessible and responsive. 

Preparing for the Future  

The Novotx User Conference was a showcase of how Elements users are transforming their communities. From Kauai County’s bird tracking initiative to how the City of Roanoke, TX  has accelerated their permit review and inspection workflows and South Holland’s code enforcement automation, users shared stories that were as inspiring as they were practical.

The energy was dynamic with attendees exchanging ideas, asking tough questions, and celebrating breakthroughs. The spirit of collaboration is what makes the Novotx user community so powerful. The lessons learned and workflows refined here will ripple outward, shaping smarter cities and more connected teams. Thank you to all of our users, we’re proud to be part of this movement to improve asset management and civic services. 

Mark your calendars for October 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah! The User Summit will be even more impactful with more sessions, trainings, and special interest groups. Stay tuned for more details.