{"id":579945,"date":"2025-12-19T18:16:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T18:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/?post_type=blog&p=579945"},"modified":"2026-01-08T00:01:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T00:01:22","slug":"veitur-connected-data-driven-enterprise-with-arcgis","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/veitur-connected-data-driven-enterprise-with-arcgis","title":{"rendered":"Veitur Utilities Builds a Connected, Data-Driven Enterprise with ArcGIS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Veitur Utilities<\/a>, headquartered in Reykjav\u00edk, Iceland, is the country\u2019s largest multiutility provider, delivering electricity, drinking water, district heating, and wastewater services across the southwest region. Operating more than 7,600 kilometers of power lines and managing thousands of assets across diverse networks, Veitur has made geographic information system (GIS) technology central to its digital transformation strategy.

Working with Esri partner Similix<\/a> and Icelandic distributor Sams\u00fdn, Veitur has migrated its electric network to ArcGIS Utility Network and integrated GIS with key enterprise systems to create a unified operational view. The platform now serves as the company\u2019s information backbone\u2014supporting asset management, field operations, network modeling, and communication across all business areas.

\u201cGIS provides us an overview and information. It is the engine and integrated to many workflows,\u201d said Valdimar Kjartansson, former GIS manager at Veitur and current consultant with GeoForm. \u201cIt\u2019s a very important communication and collaboration tool\u2014and an important part of streamlining procedures and achieving Veitur\u2019s strategic goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Veitur crews working in the field.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Challenge<\/h2>\n\n

Veitur\u2019s legacy environment consisted of multiple disconnected databases and workflows, with teams often needing to reenter the same information across systems. This fragmented data landscape limited situational awareness, created inefficiencies, and made it difficult to maintain accurate asset records.

The utility\u2019s unique operating context also demanded high data reliability and rapid access to network information. Located between two tectonic plates, Iceland faces frequent volcanic and seismic activity\u2014with 11 eruptions in just four years between Reykjav\u00edk and Keflav\u00edk Airport. Infrastructure resilience depends on understanding the precise location, connectivity, and condition of underground and aboveground assets.

\u201cWho hasn\u2019t received data of poor quality and spent a lot of time making it useful?\u201d Kjartansson noted. \u201cOr had to open multiple systems just to access the information needed? These were the challenges we faced before our GIS transformation.\u201d

Veitur set out to establish a single, integrated platform capable of supporting all utility domains, improving data quality, and connecting GIS with systems such as ADMS\/SCADA, work order management, and field data collection.<\/p>\n\n

Solution<\/h2>\n\n

Veitur began its ArcGIS Utility Network<\/a> journey in 2019, focusing first on the electric distribution system. The GIS team, supported by Similix, conducted extensive data migration and data cleansing to transition from legacy models to the ArcGIS Utility Network framework. The process involved converting existing datasets, correcting topology, and building accurate connectivity across thousands of network elements.

A key focus was the development of subnetworks\u2014the logical building blocks of ArcGIS Utility Network. Veitur created more than 8,500 subnetworks, representing the electrical hierarchy from 13 primary substations and 960 secondary substations down to street-level cabinets.

\u201c[ArcGIS] Utility Network is built on subnetworks. It requires accurate topology, data cleansing, and accuracy for connected assets,\u201d said Kjartansson. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of work\u2014but it opens a whole new door of future opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Veitur crews working in the field.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n


The team used ArcGIS Field Maps<\/a> to inspect and document 7,700 street cabinets, integrating real-time field data into the GIS database. ArcGIS Dashboards<\/a> provided live progress tracking, enabling managers to monitor the inspection and redrawing of assets directly within the platform. New substations are now designed natively in GIS, ensuring positional accuracy from the outset.

GIS has since become a central integration hub for Veitur\u2019s digital ecosystem. The company has built bridges between ArcGIS and external systems, such as<\/p>\n\n