By Shane Brunker - NM Group Technical Director
Electricity networks have invested heavily over many years in a range of GIS, Asset and Works management systems. These are embedded in the processes that guide day to day working – from planned maintenance through to tree trimming. Each utility I visit generally has a different combination in place – Smallworld and SAP, ESRI and, Ellipse, SAP and an in-house work management platform, and so on. The new technology available to spatially enable work practices, such as LiDAR, GPS enabled tablets and mobile connectivity, brings a whole new world of potential for visualizing the network. But can you use this in the current suite of enterprise systems? The GIS is embedded in the organization, but can it work in 3D and does it work on an iPhone? The Asset system has a comprehensive inventory, but does this include position and a link to the GIS? Off-the-shelf visualization packages are available that tie in the 3D spatial environment to practical asset information and the results of analysis. It turns out that from the provider’s perspective, it’s a lot easier to deliver the results in something like this rather than try and make it fit to those enterprise systems already in place. This gets the data and information in front of the users quickly and effectively – no different to downloading a new app on your phone. The downside is that system may lock you in to a provider and reduce future flexibility. In addition, despite the convenience and expedience, what you’re doing is introducing yet another system – which complicates data updates and adds to the layer of complexity in logins and system links for the users. So what’s the right answer? Well if we’re delivering the results of a network vegetation audit including risk ratings for fall-in trees, I’d certainly prefer to do a turn-key and provide it in our proven system (which as it happens isn’t locked down). But on the other hand, maybe we’re delivering greater value by making the data work with the existing GIS and asset management system, and the 3D and field access can come later. A combination might also work – our system as a start point and sending data via standard protocols to the other enterprise platforms in place (i.e. via WMS/WFS). In the end it’s not up to me though – I think it’s a conversation with the customer to find the best fit for them.