Untapped opportunity in the joint use challenge
The ideal solution
What Is the Answer?
So how does an owner ensure that attachments are in NESC compliance, are addressed
within the timeframe mandated by the FCC, protect public safety, and do not hamper
reliable electricity delivery? And how can an applicant be sure that the engineering
recommendations of the electric utility are valid - especially if they come with a hefty
price tag?
Utilities throughout North America are finding that the only efficient and effective way to
meet the joint use challenge is by using the right automation tool - one that provides
indisputable engineering support and documentation for its recommendations.
But equally as important as selecting the right software, is defining the electric utility's
joint-use strategy. Does the electric utility have the team of engineers, project managers,
and technicians necessary to deliver a complete joint-use solution? Can current staff inspect
and analyze structures, plus manage all aspects of reporting, proposal tracking, and billing?
An Outsourced Approach
Most forward-thinking electric utilities have discovered the value of partnering with
companies with strong expertise in joint use analysis. By outsourcing all or many of the
tasks associated with joint-use requests, the electric utility can focus its own resources on
other tasks required to own and run the business. In other words, the inconsistent volume of
requests that creates staffing challenges for electric utilities is solved. In addition, applicants
may be more receptive to recommendations coming from an expert third party rather than
directly from the electric utility.
The ideal solution delivers comprehensive application management, including proposal
processing, engineering analysis, and well-founded recommendations. The vendor should
work with the electric utility's work management methodology to automatically schedule
crews, order materials, track work progress, and provide full results reporting.
Using data from the electric utility's electronic maps, combined with field observation,
technicians should analyze structure strength and clearances for both existing and proposed
attachment conditions. Once verified, the data can be made available to the electric utility's
enterprise-wide system. Of primary importance, the electric utility will have the information
to assess requests. And with the right information, combined with the right automation tool,
the electric utility can create construction plans and estimates, work orders, and timely
applicant and agency compliance notification.
Key Factors of a Solution
Whether used by the electric utility's internal staff or a third party, effective tools are
required to support the joint use process. The electric utility's joint-use software tool should
perform strength and clearance analysis on existing and proposed facilities as well as
support field analysis. It should identify ramifications of adding proposed changes, evaluate
proposed changes in compliance with existing standards and codes, and supply all the data
needed to make solid, engineering-based structure decisions - unarguable and documented
decisions that are supported by engineering calculations.
The tool would ideally provide a means to visually inspect and confirm the situation in the
field. A palmtop or laptop computer would ensure a completely mobile solution that lets
technicians confirm data onsite, and quickly enter and re-analyze corrected data for up-tothe-
minute results.
Functionally, the tool should facilitate ease of use (easy to see/easy to fix), support data
acquisition (GIS, existing records, digital images, etc.), identify attachee percentage of use
for determining percentage of cost, apply all applicable codes and standards, and identify
and solve out-of-compliance conditions.
