Written by Drew Millen, CTO, VertiGIS
Utilities have long been under pressure to modernise their IT environment, alongside the need to reform many parts of their infrastructure as they look to transform their networks to deliver more efficient and effective services to customers. Many have achieved this using Esri’s world-leading ArcGIS, a family of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software which integrates and connects data through the context of geography. The ability to document and understand where the physical network assets are located is critical to plan, modernise and maintain the network.
Beyond putting utility data on a digital map, GIS has enabled workflows for other common business processes. For example, GIS is used for capital projects replacing ageing infrastructure, the introduction of smart meters, and proactive maintenance scheduling or reactive emergency responses to line breaks. Many processes use GIS as a system of record, the basis upon which all this work can be planned and recorded. This is known as Asset Data Management which is the management of data related to the utility’s constructed and installed assets.
When Esri introduced its Utility Network (UN) capability, it brought major advancements in the sophistication of network data modelling. Utilities started to explore the additional potential of GIS, beyond asset data management processes, to see if it could support more dynamic network operations.
Asset Data Management versus Network Operations Management
To make the distinction between the two, Asset Data Management focuses on static information about the assets: where exactly is a water valve located, when was it installed, who is the manufacturer, and when was it last maintained? Network Operation Management (NOM) explores the consequence of the dynamic. For example, the current state of that valve: is it open or closed, and what impact does that have on the hydraulic pressure system?
Network operation systems are critical for utilities to understand the current live status of their network. Consider the hydraulic modelling systems for a water utility which manages pressure zones and needs to reflect the live state of pumps and valves, or the Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) for an electric utility which can automate outage restoration in real-time and reflect the bidirectional flow of current inflicted by distributed energy sources like solar panels.
Esri engineered UN to model utilities’ network data to a degree of sophistication to handle the calculations and algorithms needed to support network operations. But just because this level of high-fidelity network modelling in GIS is possible, it doesn’t mean GIS is the right tool for the job. For many utilities, other dedicated systems may be more appropriate, and today there are systems for managing the advanced concepts in network operation workflows, like ADMS systems or network calculation systems used by electric utilities.
Understanding patterns of use
A fundamental aspect of developing modernisation plans should be to consider the “patterns of use” for the GIS. If asset data management workflows are the primary business drivers for GIS, a full data model migration might not be necessary. If network operation workflows are the primary drivers for GIS, then utilities should expect to make a significant investment in upgrading their GIS data models to support these high-fidelity requirements.
By understanding their patterns of use, utilities can prevent losses in time, resources, and costs, and still modernise their network management GIS systems with web and mobile apps to streamline asset data management workflows.
It is worth pointing out that the representation of data, static or dynamic, that is collected, stored and used by a utility, is just that – a representation of data. Turning that data into information products, using it to automate and streamline business processes, and analysing it to make better decisions, is at the heart of a pattern of use. Therefore, what we do with all the data is the basis for defining our patterns of use and more emphasis needs to be placed on the application tier – the solutions that take the data and use it to create value.
Modernise through easy-to-use web and mobile apps
This GIS-centric Asset Data Management versus Network Operations Management conundrum is, however, limiting how utilities work: when they believe that to modernise, they must implement a high-fidelity model in the GIS, they can be paralysed by the substantial complexity and costs associated with this. The time to value is disproportionate. Instead, the utility should recognise early wins by modernising their applications and improving processes and workflows, to capture value and still be poised to advance to a high-fidelity model if the business case presents itself.
When a utility modernises its applications and solutions, it recognises efficiency gains in processes and better utilisation of staff. This generates new value by helping to better manage risks, changes, and incidents.
When utilising either Asset Data Management or Network Operations Management, utilities that take advantage of the easy-to-use web and mobile apps will be able to leverage more of their staff to contribute to improving processes. These lightweight apps reduce skill and training requirements and increase the number of users who can work with GIS, which reduces or removes bottlenecks currently sitting with a few individuals.
However, the applications that power workflows and business processes for Asset Data Management need to be flexible and configurable enough to accommodate the specific needs of each utility. Building customised solutions is incredibly expensive so the key is to invest in software solutions that provide significant configuration options and flexibility while keeping up with the changing IT landscape.
Focus on your application strategy first
Currently, many utilities are being encouraged to invest significantly in a high-fidelity model that can accommodate advanced Network Operations Management workflows which typically involve a data migration. By looking at this technology modernisation through the lens of patterns of use, utilities will realise that most of the value they get out of a new system will be through easy-to-use modern web and mobile apps. After all, most users at a utility will spend their hours and days doing their work inside applications, not working inside a database.
We, therefore, challenge the industry to focus on its application strategy first, and then drive the data modelling based on the functionality, use cases, and business processes they want to achieve for their application pattern of use.