Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction 2
Conclusion 10
Glossary
Introduction
A Geographic Information System The understanding is growing that or inconsistent because the same
(GIS) has a central place in a utility GIS is not just a technology to store network assets may be stored several
company’s application landscape, and produce network maps. GIS times in different systems with a
particularly for network operators technology has functional capabilities subset of their relevant attributes.
including electricity and gas and offers advanced data structures ■ Full lifecycle management of the
Transmission System Operators that are a prerequisite for well-controlled network infrastructure tends to be
(TSOs) and Distribution System asset information management. impossible with this inconsistent set
Operators (DSOs) together with water of applications. Engineering,
and waste water utilities. The GIS-centric enterprise positions planning, construction and
the GIS as the asset information operational management often rely
A network operator without a GIS master store at the heart of the utility’s on non-integrated solutions.
could be compared to a retail company operations, with links to the majority ■ Inappropriate GIS data models that
with an incomplete customer database of processes and applications across
were conceived for mapping,
or inconsistent customer service the business. It is the master system
network operation or asset
information. That would be a serious for the “normal state” as-built network.
management but are not suitable for
issue because the customer is at the
all of today’s applications and
heart of the retail business, making Overcoming GIS implementation
processes.
customer data critical for the company. limitations
■ Missing end-to-end network
Similarly, network data is the most Many network operators nowadays
important master data for network encounter difficulties or limitations connectivity model including client
operators who cannot afford with their GIS implementations. The connections which is an enabler for
incomplete, duplicate or inconsistent most common issues that are raised to the evolution towards smart grid and
network records. They must be able to management come from different a necessity for regulatory reporting
proactively manage performance and parts of the company: on customer service levels.
reliability, accurately bill and service ■ Lack of awareness of a GIS’
■ Unavailability of one single accurate,
customers, and respond promptly to actual and consistent net proximity analysis capability or the
network faults. information source (graphic and failure to utilize these capabilities
non-graphic) throughout the effectively in risk management and
In today’s unbundled utility sector, company. Finding the right other strategic decision making
network operators have the exclusive information to support decision processes.
responsibility for physically providing making can be a real challenge as no ■ Heavy paper-based update cycles of
access to the networks for their single source of reliable and network information resulting in
customers and for managing these consistent information about the unacceptable backlogs between
networks in a reliable and safe way. network is available. actual field situation and network
■ A variety of graphical and non- documentation and, consequently,
TSOs and DSOs are refocusing on the sharing of out-of-date information
graphical applications describe parts
networks after a decade during which between different parts of the
of the network at different stages of
unbundling itself was the main issue business.
its lifecycle. It is often a combination
that took priority and resources. Their ■ Inaccurate or poorly updated
of (scanned) paper maps, technical
business profitability depends upon
databases or Enterprise Resource topographic base maps (including
the performance of the networks, how
Planning (ERP)-centered equipment address positions). As a consequence,
this performance can be monitored
inventories, GIS and Computer many utilities are facing a high
and traced, and ultimately reported to
Aided Design (CAD) applications percentage of wrongly positioned
regulatory bodies. A well-managed
combined with document client requests and incidents resulting
utility network is essential to meeting
management. In this legacy in weak customer service, lost time
these challenges. More recently, water
application landscape network and unnecessary costs. Fluent
and waste water utilities are beginning
documentation is either incomplete exchange of network data with other
to experience this same trend.
3
Energy, Utilities & Chemicals the way we see it
The position of GIS in a utility GIS offers important capabilities in relationship except that they are
company’s application and process three distinct functional areas that located close to one another. Spatial
landscape is often blurred by an utilities need every day: analysis and decision making based
unclear understanding of what GIS ■ Mapping and visualization on ‘proximity’ is essential for utilities
stands for. services: The map is a natural entry in critical processes like strategic
point to geographical information, planning or risk management. For
When using the term GIS two distinct and through a geographical example, ‘gas burning distance’
definitions can be understood: representation, it can provide insight calculations are one of the key
■ GIS can represent a bundle of into complex information. A clear functionalities needed by gas
geographic functionality (thematic visualization is essential for decision transmission operators. Waste water
mapping, spatial analysis, route or making in many of the utility’s key companies need to estimate the area
network tracing, geo-coding) processes. Now that public web of land potentially flooded and the
commonly described as geo- mapping services are becoming a number of inhabitants affected by
application services. public good, pressure (from overloaded water drains during
■ GIS offers models and structures to employees and customers) is rapidly periods of heavy rainfall.
store and manage data, including, increasing to enable intuitive access
to localized information with a Business managers with a network
but not limited to, spatial data. This
geographical user interface. focus almost naturally identify GIS as
second understanding of GIS is
THE candidate technology for their
essential for network operators, ■ Connectivity analysis: A network is
central asset data repository, because
providing a way to establish a central an interconnected structure where
graphic representation, geographic
asset repository holding network facilities, equipment and
location, proximity, and network
infrastructure master data with all its customers are connected through
connectivity are essential features of
complexity. cables, pipes, and valves. Intelligent
the data.
connectivity models support the
In its first definition, GIS technology management of network structures:
When talking about GIS, today’s
shows an important functional overlap switching options for operations;
network operators are no longer
with CAD systems. Drawing network analysis and simulations for
looking for an instrument to automate
automation and map production are investment decisions. Graphical tools
their mapping activity as they did in
just one of the functionalities of a GIS. as available in GIS support intelligent
the 1980s and 1990s. They want to
Traditional CAD tools mostly perform editing of the network model,
establish a central data repository as
better in this domain and provide very ultimately serving other network
the unique information source for
efficient drawing solutions. GIS applications like NMS/DMS1,
their network assets in support of all
packages carry more functional SCADA2, Outage Management
business processes.
‘overhead’ and are therefore usually systems, and network calculation
less ‘user friendly’ in the pure drawing tools. To report on ‘customer
area. But for network-centric minutes lost’, connectivity should
businesses, GIS is a key technology enable tracing from the origin of the
that is increasingly being adopted to outage to the customer connection.
complement CAD’s drafting ■ Proximity relationships: Using
Geographical information plays a 5. Construction, repair and 8. Results of patrolling and surveying
central role in the day-to-day maintenance work has to be activities have to be reported back
management of utility companies. documented to enable traceability and associated to the network
Increasingly, this information is being (welding information on gas mains, element they are related to.
integrated into both critical equipment installed or replaced, 9. Customer service agents evaluating
operational processes and into tactical initial pressure or voltage the feasibility of an access demand
and strategic decision making. measurements) and linked to the look at network characteristics in
right network element. the vicinity of the premises to be
This is where the GIS-centric 6. Network operations use an connected.
enterprise becomes a reality. Almost abstracted (schematic or geo- 10.In addition to the network data,
all processes require – to some extent schematic) view of the same the asset information management
– network information daily (see network to take operational processes themselves struggle with
Figure 1): decisions (switching, planned the integration of external data
outages). (topographic field survey, updates
1. Strategic network planning requires
7. Outage and incident management of public referential data (cadastral,
insight in actual and projected
processes need insight on network street registers). True asset
network performance (faults,
connectivity to identify the origin information management processes
incidents, repairs) in relation to
of a problem. The field workers were seldom implemented in most
(projected) capacity demand and
receive detailed location information utilities, resulting in an overall lack
the location on the network where
to perform an intervention in a of data quality that compromised
it occurs.
timely and safe way. the effective use of information in
2. Network design conceives network the other processes.
extensions and replacements based
on well-documented as-built
network data and internal or
external constraints that are often Figure 1: Utilities processes requiring (daily) network information
geographically determined (rights
of way, environmental and safety
regulations, material choices). Network
1 Strategic Network
2
3. Projects and Construction plan Planning Design
Plan
their work on detailed as-designed
Access & Concept/Design
maps, enabling graphic designing 9 Customer
and cost estimating and have to Service Projects &
Asset 3 Construction
frequently exchange geographical Accounts
information with external parties
Asset Information Asset 5
(engineering companies, civil 10 Network GIS
Life-Cycle
Context Work
contractors, government bodies). 4 Co-ordination
4. Co-ordination of construction work Repair &
Maintenance Equipment
(often imposed by government) 5 Details As Built
Management
includes the exchange of
information (construction site Operations
6
location and timing of work) with 8 Patrolling
other parties operating on the Incident &
7 Outage
public domain. Further optimization Management
is sought in shared trench work for
multi-utility projects.
5
Energy, Utilities & Chemicals the way we see it
As all these processes require accurate Figure 2: Common repository of network assets - A combination of hierarchical and
network data, together with associated topological relationships
status and performance information, a
common geographic asset repository
at the heart of the operation is DMS / NMS
Net view
essential. Legacy information models Infrastructure Base
Asset Location
conceived with just one perspective Financial
Accounts
Site Hierarchy Connection
Asset Function
Hierarchy
view
(automate mapping, asset
management or operations) are Station ‘Switching Unit’
t
cle
en
Li sio
em
pa
ac
to Retire
Ea om
pl
Re
C
Figure 4: The GIS should allow for dynamic asset condition information
Linked documents
Inspection Report Site Photograph Maintenance Report Technical Instruction
Condition Information
Dynamic Asset
Linked events
Measurements Leakage Alarms Incidents Outages Repairs
Equipment Equipment
7
Energy, Utilities & Chemicals the way we see it
The central positioning of GIS and the The content part of this work is EAM/ERP and GIS integration
information requirements from all documented in several ways using The GIS takes a position at the core of
asset-related processes and applications, GIS, CAD and document management a utility’s asset information
make it easy to understand that tools, through a so-called “asset management process. This can consist
“Enterprise GIS” implementations are information management process”. of graphical and non-graphical
generally characterized by their activities as long as they feed a unique
complexity. The scope can possibly Evolutions of the network configuration registration of all assets in their
cover the entire operation, including in the field have to find their way network context.
business change in process flows, back to the back-office where they are
master data management practices, documented. This process is usually EAM/ERP solutions have also
roles and responsibilities, interaction less structured and not aligned with implemented their view on the assets
with external parties, mobile the logistic workflows. Actually, as a location reference for
operations and field data capture. organizations support two processes maintenance work. It is usually
that - from a business point of view - structured in a hierarchical way, and
Some key business issues have to be should ideally be ONE integrated does not reflect any network concept.
addressed when constructing the process, serving both the ‘content’ and
GIS-centric enterprise. Strategic the logistic aspect of projects and In a streamlined organization, where
choices made in any of these areas work orders. asset information management is
will largely impact cost, feasibility and implicit in the logistic processes, the
complexity of the implementation To optimize this situation, a GIS should be integrated smoothly
program. The following sections will fundamental review of business with the EAM/ERP solution to reflect
highlight the most important ones. processes may be needed. With a GIS- the lifecycles of the equipment.
centric perspective, advantage can be
Logistic asset management taken of today’s maturing enterprise Typical ERP-GIS integration issues are:
processes alongside asset GIS solutions to deploy them into ■ Who are the master / slave in the
9
Energy, Utilities & Chemicals the way we see it
Conclusion
Contact: