GISdevelopment.net ---> GITA 1998 ---> Data Distribution

Out of the black (box) and into the blue (sky)

Daniel S. Beasley
MSE Corporation/ASI
941 N. Meridian Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204


Introduction
Historically, GIS technology has served as a corporate strategy designed to improve utility business processes. GIS deployment and its associated business process re-engineering has provided both tangible and intangible benefits. As GIS benefits move from the processes re-engineering associated with systems of the early 1990's to competitive strategic benefits of the late 1990's, the intangible objective of improving customer service is becoming more visible. The deployment of digital GIS data in the field is an essential component in increasing customer service through GIS.

Taking GIS from the black box of the office to the blue sky of the field represents a core characteristic in the competitive application of GIS technology. Deploying digital data in the field energizes the GIS initiative and facilitates long sought operational benefits. In fact, putting information in the hands of customer contact/customer service staff may be the thing that revolutionizes the utility industry. This paper identifies how field deployment can increase customer service and increase overall GIS effectiveness. Additionally, the paper provides an overview of the technology required to deliver a field application, and identifies elements of the internal process impact that results from this quantum leap in system value.
  1. Business Advantage
    Utilities must justify the use of GIS technology by the business benefit that the technology delivers. As a strategic competitive tool field deployment can accelerate the response to a customer or new service inquiry. Delivering data to the field unlocks the power behind the data stored in the office. By providing GIS access to the field engineer or customer service specialist, the utility quickly accelerates the increase in system utilization and performance.

    Providing immediate access to facility data is of paramount importance in improving the response to customer inquiry. Illinois Power for instance, provides its field engineers access to the electric system through the ARM program. The field engineers have access to real time system information using Lotus Notes and facility data through ids viewing software. Illinois Power provides a quick response to a standard and non-standard customer inquiry.

    The standard inquiry utilizes customer service representative access to facility data and the CIS. Using an address look up and previous account number, the customer representative can locate the new service area, determine the nature of service installation, quote the price, and deliver data all in one phone call.

    Non-standard inquiries require a field inspection. Here the field engineer accesses the site from a notice by the customer service representative. Using field data, the engineer identifies the site and creates a new service sketch. The engineer estimates the cost of construction and e-mails the estimate and sketch to the customer service representative. Because Illinois Power also serves gas, available service or the cost of establishing gas service is presented to the customer. The field engineer is not required to travel to the office and the customer service representative can provide the necessary information to the client quickly using modern Internet and e-mail service.

    Another utility, Niagara Mohawk Power Company, is increasing GIS value by updating electric facility data in the field. Using data direct from its Smallworld-based GIS, NIMO is utilizing company staff to inventory the system during existing meter reading routes. The inventory is establishing a transformerto- service pole connection to improve system reliability and outage management services. The service pole is connected to the transformer using facility map information. As this process is underway additional field staff verify the service transformer and number, meter number and associated electric facility data. All this work is done by existing staff in a "reutilization of resources" facilitated by GIS technology.

    Field collection technology is also used to improve the information available in the GIS or to capture the initial system information required to build GIS. These capture tools often integrate GPS data collection processes. For Iowa Electric, GPS and field GIS is integrated to conduct an overall purification of existing GIS system data. The field inventory obtains accurate pole locations, audits and corrects facility data and establishes phasing. The field deployment phase of the IES GIS will ensure reliability in the office as the outage management system is energized.

    One of the unforeseen benefits in the Illinois Power deployment is field updating. Previously, with paper maps, facility updates have been limited to the user's own map island. The marriage of system-wide GIS data and digital field technology means updates ripple back to the system, providing the entire enterprise with greater access to current information.

    The business and competitive benefits of field deployable GIS justifi the development of field applications. The technology required to succeed in the field exists today and is increasing in availability and affordability. Key technology components includejeld hardware, application software andprocess compatibility


  2. Field Hardware
    Field hardware costs remain stable and system performance continues to increase. All field PCs can now be purchased with a minimum operating speed of 133MHz. Additionally, field PCs can be ruggedized to provide insurance against damage and to preserve longevity. ASI's field inventory staff chooses standard (non-ruggedized) field PCs. A common system has the following specifications:

    • Fujitsu 1200 Pentium 120 MHz
    • 1.6 gig hard drive
    • 48 Mb RAM

    Systems similar to this one provide substantial performance at lower cost than many of the ruggedized field systems.

    While the easiest logistical component to solve, hardware is often the preventative component for field deployment. The cost associated with equipping field staff with PCs can be substantial. To compound this hurdle, the industry has done little to determine the return on investment of field deployable technology. Field PCs do represent an additional cost, but they are only a fraction of the complete cost of field staff, field equipment and office GIS technology. GISproductivity increases are filly realized only when engineers and customer representatives have access to the data. Moreover, many GIS development difficulties would be overcome if field access to digital data was available.

  3. Application Software
    The use and selection of application software depends on the primary applications sought by the utility. As in most software applications one size does not fit all. Specific system applications must be determined in advance of the field deployment. The software used in the field can vary depending on the specific field task. Additionally, the utility may deploy several field applications as required to improve a strategic competitive position or business process.

    The use of graphics in the field is essential for advanced field deployment methods. Providing the field engineer with data relationships and allowing for in-field data manipulation provides the greatest potential for the return on investment. The graphic user interface, however, increases the technical challenges of system deployment.

    Graphic access can be accomplished using either a CD-ROM viewing system or direct loading through system hard wire or Internet tools. The choice in this technology will be influenced by process compatibility, which is discussed below.

    Additionally, the graphic user interface can view "live" digital data with full access to the graphic and non-graphic data or provide a GIS "light" application that limits access to certain data structures in the GIS. The latter are defined as viewing packages. Graphics viewing packages provide the field engineer with accelerated access and ease of use. Most of the major GIS software companies have view software. In addition, several 31dparty software packages facilitate field applications for any software type.



  4. Process Compatibility
    Two types of compatibility are available between the office GIS and the field. The essential functionality in either approach is to generate a path for information to flow from the office to the field and back. Defined in this manner, compatibility can be established through either a direct or indirect method.

    1. Direct
      Direct compatibility provides a method to hard link the field PC with the office PC and transfer data. A direct data transfer maintains unique system identifiers, automatically sorts and stores data, and facilitates internal system processes. Requirements vary by software system but can include unique system identifiers and versioning protocol.

      Direct compatibility minimizes the effort necessary to update the office system from the field. Work is accomplished in the field and moved directly into the office GIS without further processing. For Niagara Mohawk, the process automates access to the meter reading route and all associated CIS records for customers on that route. This enables the extracted database to have all the information necessary for the field engineer to conduct the audit. While direct compatibility reduces data management effort, a few drawbacks exist.

      Because field staff deliver directly into the GIS server, direct compatibility can compromise data integrity. Field staff have greater license to manipulate and change corporate asset data. Functionality can be built into the field system to increase data security. For instance, the field application for Niagara Mohawk Power prevents the field staff from deleting any data, but allows modifications and additions. If the facility is recommended for deletion then a redline must be used in the pen PC for reconciliation and confirmation by the office.


    2. Indirect
      Indirect compatibility requires a combination of scjhwre and process to update the office GIS from the field. Through indirect data transfer, manual intervention is used to physically update the database. This eliminates the need for the field PC to manage unique system identifiers, automatically sort and store changes, and understand internal GIS system processes.

      Indirect compatibility provides the advantage of having more flexibility in selecting field software and thus application effectiveness. Additionally, greater security is available because all changes are reviewed and accepted prior to updating the database. Work is accomplished in the field and moved to an interim location in the office. Internal staff then post changes from a digital sketch or a field-generated database entry.

      Because office staff must provide an interface to the data, indirect compatibility can increase effort required to maintain the GIS system. Technology can be used to minimize the amount of time required for this interface. For instance, at Illinois Powerl, changes to the data are drafted in the field using the GIS land base and are referenced to existing facilities in the field. At the end of the day, the field engineer e-mails data to the central database management location. These changes are then quickly posted into the GIS.

      Field-to-office compatibility can be established using almost any combination of GIS software and fielddeployable technology. Increases in digital transmission, Internet viewers and software compliance are reducing the restrictions that once prevented communication between the black box and the blue sky.


  5. Internal Process Impact
    Because of the remote user locations, utility Information Systems Operations support is not available on a constant basis to assist field users. Therefore, the field system must be extremely simple and tied specifically to the intended applications. Familiar graphics user interfaces and standard operating platforms are beneficial in field deployment.

    The utility must also ensure that the software is effective in yielding the results in the field. Field GIS does not need to accomplish all the tasks that are done in the office. The field should become an extension of the office and provide an opportunity to increase the return on information that already exists. Excessive capability that slows performance and increases complexity is not beneficial to meaningful system-wide deployment.

    One of the perceived difficulties in deploying computer applications is gaining user acceptance. It is our experience that this is an overvalued concern. Many of the utility staff are already computer literate though home PC's if not office PC 's. As we have seen in our own field process, utilizing innovative state of the art equipment establishes a desire in the new employee and increases the ability to recruit more qualified staff.

    We have also observed that the use of technology in the field generates a greater attention to productivity and detail. As Illinois Power has found, the field staff have found a greater determination to maintain facility data accuracy in the effort to promote overall system integrity using pen PC'S.

Benefits
Deploying field technology provides substantial benefits and accelerates the rate of return on overall GIS system development. Substantial technology exists today for most GIS systems to develop several meaningful applications in the field. It is important for the utility to establish the type of benefit sought in the field, and design the software application around that benefit. Important benefits include increasing customer service, updating facility data, and improving system reliability and currency.

Critical to processing the software is the method to ensure compatibility with the office PC. This compatibility can be accomplished using direct or indirect methods. Each provides a benefit and neither should prevent the deployment of the field application. Finally, taking the black box out under the blue sky will accelerate employee productivity and establish a superior work environment for satisfied employees.



Conclusion
Field deployment is the "second wave" for GIS technology. Placing the powerful information tool that is the GIS in the hands of customer service and field personnel will move information technology throughout the entire enterprise. There are human and technical factors to consider in the pursuit of distributed data, but the return on the investment and the incremental commercial benefits to be gained are worthy of a careful analysis of the risks and rewards. Knowing that competitive pricing, customer responsiveness, and an overall mission of quality will be the secrets to successful utility company operation, it becomes obvious that we must provide key employees (both in the building and in the field) with the necessary information to make decisions wisely.

1 More detailed discussions of the methodology of Illinois Power's field approach to data use and maintenance is covered in several industry publications. An article by Peggy Ammerman that appears in the Spring 1998 issue of Information Technologies for Utilities magazine and another in Geo Info Systems for April 1998 by the same author are the most recent updates on the ARMS project.
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