Texas not-for-profit utility benefits from GIS mobile technology
Fort Collins, CO — CoServ Electric, a not-for-profit utility serving approximately 110,000 customers in Northern Texas, has gone into production with ArcFM Viewer, which runs on ArcGIS Engine, and plans to rollout with the Redliner extension in April.
Seeking to extend the functionality of their GIS solution to include mobile services for workers in the field, CoServ opted to purchase Miner & Miner, a Telvent company’s latest viewing and redlining technology.
Prior to implementing ArcFM Viewer, CoServ Electric printed paper maps detailing everything from switchgear locations to underground cables, for their operations team to use in the field. Now, a total of 27 lineman and servicemen operate ArcFM Viewer to quickly view, query, or analyze current GIS facility data.
Jack Brown, Construction Supervisor for CoServ Electric said, “We place a lot of physical equipment in open fields and when we return to the site, the landscape has been altered by construction, making it difficult to relocate our facilities. Now, with GIS in the truck, we are able to access updated digital maps and efficiently relocate our equipment.”
Ronny Allen, Lead Lineman on Underground for CoServ Electric added, “We used to depend solely on dispatch for crucial information. Now that we have mapping and switch status information available on mobile units, we can view the same data as dispatch and collaboratively make decisions. This ability becomes particularly beneficial during storm management when safety must be ensured even while rapidly responding to calls.”
The new application has not only opened up communication between dispatch and crews, but has also facilitated better record keeping for editors. Linemen in the field can now quickly view mapping inaccuracies and contact editors to make the updates. Once the Redliner extension has been installed, crews will be able to further streamline this process by marking their digital maps using a stylus and sending their notes back to editors for integration into the enterprise.
“We’re definitely looking forward to having Redlining functionality. This new technology will take our operation to the next level in GIS efficiency, allowing us to go completely paperless and incorporate new features such as gestures for even greater efficiency,“ said John Long, Manager of Information Systems for CoServ Electric.
Since 1937, CoServ Electric has provided dependable, affordable electric power to thousands of customers in the North Texas area. In 1998, the company expanded its offerings to include natural gas distribution through its affiliate, CoServ Gas, Ltd.
Miner & Miner (M&M), a Telvent company, is a world leader in the development and implementation of GIS software for utilities. M&M’s ArcFM Solution and extended services assist electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities in increasing productivity, lowering costs, and improving services by allowing them to effectively manage spatial information. Founded in 1946 as a full-service electrical engineering firm, M&M has been a business partner of ESRI since 1987. This partnership has enabled M&M to become the world’s leading developer of ArcGIS applications for the utility industry. M&M services include implementation, integration, and customization of software to fit the needs of individual utilities. For more information, please visit www.telvent.com/miner/.
Telvent (NASDAQ: TLVT), the Global RealTime IT Company, specializes in high value added solutions and services in four industry sectors (Energy, Traffic, Transport and Environment). Its technology allows high performing companies to make real-time business decisions using data acquisition, control, and advanced operational applications, providing secure actionable information delivery to the enterprise.(www.telvent.com).
ArcFM Solution, ArcFM, ArcFM Viewer, Designer, Responder, Conduit Manager, and Network Adapter are trademarks of Miner and Miner, Consulting Engineers, Inc. Other companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.
