Digital tools that once seemed reserved for large investor-owned or cooperative utilities are now justifiable purchases for municipalities. With an aligned partner and platform, municipal utilities can achieve a modern, data-driven operational model that not only boosts reliability and service quality but also uncovers new revenue streams. By embracing geospatial solutions like Esri ArcGIS Online and leveraging AI-driven asset management, municipalities can streamline field operations and enforce third-party lease agreements.

Municipal utilities that don’t have an established GIS for asset mapping rely heavily on the experiential knowledge of linemen, who have memorized the electric system. These linemen, through years of responding to trouble-calls and patrolling the circuits, possess an intimate understanding of the network’s layout, including pole locations, transformer placements and circuit configurations. The absence of comprehensive and accurate digital maps reduces response time when new linemen are hired.

These challenges are opportunities with the convergence of modern technology at lower costs. Municipal electric organizations can overcome these hurdles and create new ways to generate revenue by identifying pole attachments. This makes the digital transformation a win for the community that the utility serves, using a limited budget.

Utilities can harness the power of geospatial technology to streamline operations, make data-driven decisions and unlock hidden revenue streams. They can bring this vision to life with a solution tailored for unique needs and within budgetary constraints.

Esri ArcGIS Online is a powerful technology tool that can be leveraged to form a utility’s digital backbone. This cloud-based platform lets you store, manage and visualize geospatial data without the need for on-site servers or increasing the number of IT staff. It’s secure, scalable and designed for ease of use, so utility staff can access critical data from the office or the field using devices that are deployed already, such as cellphones or tablets.

Esri ArcGIS Solutions provides prebuilt, customizable web maps and apps designed specifically for utilities. The utility’s data will be organized and ready to drive informed decisions, setting the stage for operational success and revenue opportunities.

These tools provide visualization and shared asset information during routine trouble calls, storm recovery or maintenance planning, no coding necessary. Interactive dashboards and mobile-friendly maps empower the utility’s staff to respond to issues faster and collaborate seamlessly.

Through the use of Esri Business Partners, cutting-edge AI is leveraged to revolutionize how data is collected for aboveground assets. With this technology, the slow and costly field surveys that could continue for weeks or months can now be completed in days. Advanced computer vision and machine learning technology identify and catalog assets including poles, open fuses and overhead transformers with unmatched speed and accuracy. This results in a comprehensive, up-to-date asset inventory, at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. 

Data collected with AI technology, and then managed in ArcGIS Online, isn’t just about operational efficiency; it’s an opportunity for revenue recovery. By mapping electric poles with computer vision, locations can be identified where third parties, like telecom or cable companies, have attached equipment to a utility’s infrastructure. These unauthorized or underreported attachments represent untapped revenue. With new GIS tools, utility staff can pinpoint these attachments, enforce leasing agreements and recover payments from third-party attachments. This newfound revenue could directly offset the cost of a GIS project, turning digital transformation into a self-funding investment for years to come. 

Municipal utilities can redefine what’s possible by adopting new technology. This technology provides opportunities for real-time visibility into assets, improved response time to outages and optimized maintenance with data-driven insights. Utility teams will be empowered with intuitive tools that make geospatial collaboration a breeze. By using AI enabled cameras to map third-party attachments, utility staff will add a new revenue stream that will make the next GIS project not just sustainable but profitable.