The future grid is vastly more sophisticated. Its complexity is ever-increasing.
Utility staff simply don’t have the bandwidth to waste doing things “old-school.” Plus, those entering the workforce today have no patience for busy work that the computer should be doing for them. They expect to do everything on their phone, or the web. They need slicker efficient ways to perform tasks like network management.
I recently met Drew Millen, CTO VertiGIS, and was immediately impressed with his approach to modern network management.
Pat Hohl: How utilities plan and manage their networks is changing dramatically. How are you addressing the change and enabling new capabilities for electric utilities?
Drew Millen: It's essential to understand why utilities are making these changes. One common issue we hear from utilities daily is that they face limitations in their workforce. With a decreasing number of employees and changing demographics, they can no longer operate as they used to. Nowadays, utilities must provide easy-to-use tools and streamlined processes for their staff, even those who don't have a background in engineering.
VertiGIS Networks offers straightforward web and mobile mapping applications that empower anyone in the organization to access the utility network map or make basic edits. They can do this with just a web browser or a mobile device, without needing expertise in GIS or engineering.
Users can also generate and share reports containing information about the network assets and related data so that everyone can understand the network's past, present, or future conditions. Moreover, employees reduce duplicated efforts because VertiGIS Networks seamlessly integrates with existing IT systems, such as ERP or Asset Management software.
Visualize network assets in maps, 3D, schematic diagrams, and charts. All stakeholders instantly understand, analyze, and make operational decisions.
Pat Hohl: How do you expect utilities will apply this capability, and what impacts can they expect?
Drew Millen: By using VertiGIS Networks, utilities will give more of their team members access to important information, making it available to a wider group instead of a few individuals. This change will greatly improve the organization's efficiency and encourage more people to use mapping and GIS tools for different business purposes.
Easily trace networks to discover connected equipment, troubleshoot issues, notify customers, and more.
Pat Hohl: As a former utility manager, I always think about the employees doing the hands-on work. How are you making that experience all it can be?
Drew Millen: Esri's Utility Network offers many customizable rules, governing data details and accuracy. We put those rules to work behind the scenes to improve the end-user’s experience. We take out the busy work. This eliminates errors in the data and makes the editing process more straightforward, and more enjoyable.
We guide users with an easy step-by-step process for common editing tasks ensuring accuracy.
Edit with precision in a simple, web-based application. Eliminate guesswork and minimize data entry errors.
Pat Hohl: What about the people responsible for managing applications? I often hear about IT or GIS departments being overloaded with application maintenance tasks. Is this just another application to add to the workload?
Drew Millen: You're absolutely correct. It's easy for any software company to claim they have created an outstanding, user-friendly interface. However, the true value lies in its maintainability. We give equal importance to those who create applications as well as those who use them. This means ensuring that each application performs well, can scale, is available when needed, and offers flexibility. We make every part of the application fully customizable and resilient to updates.
This approach reduces the overall cost of ownership and empowers GIS or IT departments to adapt to changing user needs without requiring coding or vendor assistance.
Pat Hohl: Can you provide a brief example?
Drew Millen: One of our customers used VertiGIS Networks to introduce an offline mobile app allowing field engineers to make map-based notes during construction. Users shared their feedback regarding the necessary tools and data collection. The GIS staff configured a new application experience with added features without coding. This updated version was quickly rolled out to users' iOS devices in just a few days.
IT's involvement was not required because the changes were made through the organization's Mobile Device Management (MDM) system. This demonstrates the swift response our customers can expect from VertiGIS Networks.
Pat Hohl: VertiGIS is widely used by some of the largest European utilities. What makes your approach to network management workflows different?
Drew Millen: Our approach stands out for three key reasons. Firstly, VertiGIS Networks prioritizes a web- and mobile-first approach, enabling our customers to deploy solutions across their entire organization without the need for desktop tools or extensive training.
Secondly, the configurability of VertiGIS Networks solutions ensures that customers are using a standardized off-the-shelf product, which they can tailor precisely to their organization's unique workflows and business requirements without requiring any programming.
Lastly, VertiGIS Networks can be seamlessly integrated with third-party systems like SAP or Maximo, enhancing adaptability and compatibility with existing business infrastructure.
Pat Hohl: Thank you for a fascinating look at modern network management. Where can readers look for more information?
Drew Millen: This article contains relevant information about VertiGIS Networks: VertiGIS Networks for Electric Utilities.
Drew Millen, Chief Technology Officer, leads the technology vision and strategy for VertiGIS. He is responsible for the product management, and research and development teams.
He is passionate about delivering great geospatial software, ultimately allowing people to make better decisions about our world and our environment.
Drew's Energy Central Profile can be found at this link, and he can be reached by email at [email protected]