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Office Power in the GIS on a Laptop
Reynold L. Johnson
GIS Manager
Bangor Hydro Electric Company
33 State Street
Bangor, Maine 04401
Gary Duplisea
GIS Analyst
Bangor Hydro Electric Company
33 State Street
Bangor, Maine 04401
Reynold L. Johnson
GIS Manager
Bangor Hydro Electric Company
33 State Street
Bangor, Maine 04401
Gary Duplisea
GIS Analyst
Bangor Hydro Electric Company
33 State Street
Bangor, Maine 04401
Background
BHE is an investor-owned electric utility located in the central/eastern part of Maine serving approx. 104,000 customers in a 5400 square miles service territory. Operationally, we are divided into four geographic divisions.
BHE started a GIS project in 1993 with a feasibility study followed by a pilot in 1994 to verify the feasibility study results and to determine the data collection strategy we were going to use.
BHE did not have paper maps, so we had to collect all of the data in the field. We did this by using laptops with an application we co-developed with Blue Marble Geographics of Gardiner, Maine.
We completed our field data collection in October 1998. We are now in the data maintenance mode that ensures the electrical connectivity remains in our electrical model.
Introduction
Prior to 1993, BHE had very little experience in GIS. All we had were one-line diagrams, fuse plans, and the Delorme Atlas. BHE planners did their design work from field notes and then completed the design work freehand on paper. Also, a job estimate was required, which was done on our mainframe computer. In addition, some of the larger jobs were designed in AutoCAD.
As we completed data collection at each Division, we provided the planners there with GIS workstations with Smallworld GIS and training in a design application for them to do all their design work in. We thought we had provided them with a tool that would increase their productivity as well as keep our database maintained. The best-laid plans involving workers during implementation can go wrong. Instead, this caused additional work for our planners. They had GIS workstations for doing their design work. Yet, some were not proficient and comfortable with entering the design work. Approximately 50% of the planners had computer experience and were eager to work with GIS and the other 50% had no computer experience and they were reluctant to work with a computer.
At the time when a planner went to meet a customer who needed a line constructed, he would have to take field notes and then go back to the office and enter a construction plan into GIS. Of course, our planners were not very happy about this. They thought it was easier and quicker to do it manually on paper.
Management was concerned about how we were going to maintain our very expensive database. BHE’s solution was to provide our planners with laptops, so that they could take them into the field and complete their design work, thus eliminating the duplicate work of taking field notes and then entering them into GIS.
Field Deployment Timeline
2 nd quarter 98- purchased and started to deploy laptops
2 nd quarter 98- developed the data transfer strategy
3 rd quarter 98- began a pilot with the updated design application
1 st quarter 99- deployed all laptops in the field
Hardware
We decided to purchase off-the-shelf laptop computers rather than ruggedized for the following reasons:
The design application training was completed the 1 st quarter of 1999. Instruction was also provided on the upload and download data transfer procedure. In addition we provided training on the hardware and third party software.
Implementation Issues
We had to reconfigure our design application for use on the laptop; data model changes were required. Maintenance of our replica databases is resource intensive but is getting better. Support from senior management is still required. The planners are accepting GIS as a tool for them and BHE. An estimating application has been developed and deployed allowing the planners to do an estimate with the push of a button.
How the Application Works
The Design Application is used by the planners to create line construction designs for construction crews, create a job estimate and bill of material reports, and update the GIS database. The Design Application has several features addressed specifically to aid in this process:
From this design, the planner will generate construction plans that the construction crew will use to build the line. With the push of a button, the planner will also generate a job estimate and bill of materials report. The bill of materials report shows the construction crew the total materials required to build the line.
Since it may be several weeks or months before the job is actually completed, we have designed the GIS data model so that the behavior of objects “to be constructed” is different from those that already “exist”. For instance, objects to be placed have a different symbology size or color than existing objects. Our outage management and engineering analysis systems “ignore” objects to be placed when doing analysis.
When the job is complete, the planner closes the job. By simply pressing a button, the following changes occur:
The Smallworld database replication technology allowed us to implement a solution where GIS data can be viewed and updated remotely and data changes can be synchronized between databases. We developed the “Replica Version Manager” window that appears below which utilizes standard Smallworld Replica functionality to import and export data changes between the replica databases and the master server.
We have an administrator who is responsible for insuring that the replicas and master database are synchronized periodically. The Replica Version Manager allows the administrator to select laptops for processing the transfers and also the type of transfer desired. An ensuing report is generated which documents the progress of the transfers.
Although this process works, there are problems that occur which delay the transfer process:
Objectives The objectives we wanted to achieve after deploying the laptops were as follows:
Future Plans
BHE plans integrate service orders from our CIS into the GIS database. This will enable each planner to access new customer requests directly within the GIS and eliminate the current paper flow from service orders. We’re also considering deploying GPS with the laptops, so that the map in the graphics view can be centered on the location indicated by the GPS unit. There has also been discussion of providing GIS/GPS capability in our line trucks.
BHE is an investor-owned electric utility located in the central/eastern part of Maine serving approx. 104,000 customers in a 5400 square miles service territory. Operationally, we are divided into four geographic divisions.
BHE started a GIS project in 1993 with a feasibility study followed by a pilot in 1994 to verify the feasibility study results and to determine the data collection strategy we were going to use.
BHE did not have paper maps, so we had to collect all of the data in the field. We did this by using laptops with an application we co-developed with Blue Marble Geographics of Gardiner, Maine.
We completed our field data collection in October 1998. We are now in the data maintenance mode that ensures the electrical connectivity remains in our electrical model.
Introduction
Prior to 1993, BHE had very little experience in GIS. All we had were one-line diagrams, fuse plans, and the Delorme Atlas. BHE planners did their design work from field notes and then completed the design work freehand on paper. Also, a job estimate was required, which was done on our mainframe computer. In addition, some of the larger jobs were designed in AutoCAD.
As we completed data collection at each Division, we provided the planners there with GIS workstations with Smallworld GIS and training in a design application for them to do all their design work in. We thought we had provided them with a tool that would increase their productivity as well as keep our database maintained. The best-laid plans involving workers during implementation can go wrong. Instead, this caused additional work for our planners. They had GIS workstations for doing their design work. Yet, some were not proficient and comfortable with entering the design work. Approximately 50% of the planners had computer experience and were eager to work with GIS and the other 50% had no computer experience and they were reluctant to work with a computer.
At the time when a planner went to meet a customer who needed a line constructed, he would have to take field notes and then go back to the office and enter a construction plan into GIS. Of course, our planners were not very happy about this. They thought it was easier and quicker to do it manually on paper.
Management was concerned about how we were going to maintain our very expensive database. BHE’s solution was to provide our planners with laptops, so that they could take them into the field and complete their design work, thus eliminating the duplicate work of taking field notes and then entering them into GIS.
Field Deployment Timeline
2 nd quarter 98- purchased and started to deploy laptops
2 nd quarter 98- developed the data transfer strategy
3 rd quarter 98- began a pilot with the updated design application
1 st quarter 99- deployed all laptops in the field
Hardware
We decided to purchase off-the-shelf laptop computers rather than ruggedized for the following reasons:
- Cost
- RAM capacity
- Hard drive capacity
- Experience
- We could not use a docking station due to the dongles required for licenses: this caused broken network cords from constant plugging and unplugging.
- Glare on the screen made it hard to see in bright sunlight.
- Closing the lid of the laptop at times (when disconnecting from the network and going out to the truck) shut the system down, requiring a reboot. Installing Softex software solved this problem.
- The lids developed problems from constant opening and closing.
The design application training was completed the 1 st quarter of 1999. Instruction was also provided on the upload and download data transfer procedure. In addition we provided training on the hardware and third party software.
Implementation Issues
We had to reconfigure our design application for use on the laptop; data model changes were required. Maintenance of our replica databases is resource intensive but is getting better. Support from senior management is still required. The planners are accepting GIS as a tool for them and BHE. An estimating application has been developed and deployed allowing the planners to do an estimate with the push of a button.
How the Application Works
The Design Application is used by the planners to create line construction designs for construction crews, create a job estimate and bill of material reports, and update the GIS database. The Design Application has several features addressed specifically to aid in this process:
- Work Order Definition: used to define the bounds of the work order area and various attributes (e.g., work order name, planner, description, etc). Doing so makes it easy to return to the work order area just by entering the work order name in a query window.
- Work Print Sheet Definition: used to define the bounds of plot sheets for the work order. Doing so makes it possible to reprint sheets without having to redefine the bounds of the sheet.
- Construction Notes: used to select the equipment required to be placed or removed at each construction location and placed on the map.
- Reports: used to create various reports.
- Work Order Close Out: used to change the objects in a work order from a construction status to as-built.
From this design, the planner will generate construction plans that the construction crew will use to build the line. With the push of a button, the planner will also generate a job estimate and bill of materials report. The bill of materials report shows the construction crew the total materials required to build the line.
Since it may be several weeks or months before the job is actually completed, we have designed the GIS data model so that the behavior of objects “to be constructed” is different from those that already “exist”. For instance, objects to be placed have a different symbology size or color than existing objects. Our outage management and engineering analysis systems “ignore” objects to be placed when doing analysis.
When the job is complete, the planner closes the job. By simply pressing a button, the following changes occur:
- All objects associated with the work order and with a construction status of “to be placed” are changed to existing.
- All objects associated with the work order and with a construction status of “to be removed” are deleted.
- All construction notes and annotations are deleted.
The Smallworld database replication technology allowed us to implement a solution where GIS data can be viewed and updated remotely and data changes can be synchronized between databases. We developed the “Replica Version Manager” window that appears below which utilizes standard Smallworld Replica functionality to import and export data changes between the replica databases and the master server.
We have an administrator who is responsible for insuring that the replicas and master database are synchronized periodically. The Replica Version Manager allows the administrator to select laptops for processing the transfers and also the type of transfer desired. An ensuing report is generated which documents the progress of the transfers.
Although this process works, there are problems that occur which delay the transfer process:
- Contacting planners to schedule a time to do a transfer.
- Laptops either not booted or connected to network when a scheduled transfer is to occur.
- Planners disconnect their laptops from the network while a transfer is in progress.
Objectives The objectives we wanted to achieve after deploying the laptops were as follows:
- Improve customer service
- Improve employee efficiency/productivity
- Maintenance of the database
- Single environment for users
- Eliminate redundant data entry
- Reduce paper flow
Future Plans
BHE plans integrate service orders from our CIS into the GIS database. This will enable each planner to access new customer requests directly within the GIS and eliminate the current paper flow from service orders. We’re also considering deploying GPS with the laptops, so that the map in the graphics view can be centered on the location indicated by the GPS unit. There has also been discussion of providing GIS/GPS capability in our line trucks.