case story
ENSTAR Mobile App Modernizes Meter Mapping in Alaska
ENSTAR Natural Gas manages 450 miles of transmission and more than 3,000 miles of distribution main in south-central Alaska. Summer workers perform annual inspections from May to September. This culminates in a paper completion report that updates the as-builts annually. Until recently, field technicians used paper maps and printouts to complete these inspections and manually enter data into the utility’s enterprise GIS.
User: ENSTAR Natural Gas, 450 miles of transmission and more than 3,000 miles of distribution main in south-central Alaska.
Challenge: Field technicians used paper maps and printouts to complete inspections and manually enter data into the utility’s enterprise GIS.
Solutions: ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Windows Mobile, ArcGIS for Server Advanced
Results: Ability to collect valuable meter location information and quickly turn it around for use by our service technicians and others in our company.
What did they do?
ENSTAR staff hired Anchorage-based custom software developer Resource Data, Inc. (RDI), to produce a mobile app to replace the legacy workflow. RDI used ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Windows Mobile and ArcGIS for Server Advanced to build a flexible inspection app, ENSTAR Mobile Maps. It leverages existing workflows, works in disconnected environments, and updates the enterprise GIS daily. Field workers found the app easy to learn. In the field, they edit maps, enter meter information and readings, and scan encoder receiver transmitter (ERT) bar codes to verify information. All editing occurs offline and is synced daily. In the app’s first year, field workers added more than 37,000 individual meters to the GIS.
Do I need this?
Esri software developer kits enable utilities to build the modern applications that streamline legacy workflows. Configuring ArcGIS for mobile solutions gives field crews remote access to enterprise GIS records in online or offline environments. The solutions reduce redundant data, improve accuracy, and update the GIS in near real time.
“Through our Esri-based ENSTAR Mobile Maps solution, we have been able to collect valuable meter location information and quickly turn it around for use by our service technicians and others in our company.” - Erick Johnson GIS Specialist ENSTAR Natural Gas
