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EGUG 2007 Presentations
The 2007 EGUG Presentations is a compilation of professional papers delivered October 8–11, 2007, in Nashville, Tennessee. ESRI users contributed a fundamental part to the conference by submitting and presenting their presentations on a diverse collection of GIS applications. The proceeds promote GIS application by stimulating users to share their experiences and knowledge.
ESRI is pleased to provide links to presentations from the 2007 EGUG meeting. Please note that copyright is maintained by authors. Copyright owners have given ESRI permission to publish their papers on this Web site. To re-publish any content please contact the copyright owner directly.
EGUG presentations are in Portable Document Format (PDF). To view and print PDF files, you need to download the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe.
New Attendee Orientation
New Attendee Orientation [PDF]
—Larry Wilke, EGUG 2007 President
—Roxanne Cox-Drake, ESRI
Plenary Sessions
Welcome [PDF]
—Larry Wilke, EGUG 2007 President
Keynote: GIS at NES [PDF]
—Paul H. Allen, Nashville Electric Service
GIS and the Utility of the Future [PDF]
—Bill Meehan, ESRI
—Pat Dolan, ESRI
—Cindi Salas, Centerpoint Energy
Intelligent Grid at CenterPoint Energy [PDF]
Intelligent Grid [wmv]
—Cindi Salas, Geographic Information Services
ESRI Product Update [PDF]
—Pat Dolan, Mark Midas, Jeff Rashid and Larry Young
EGUG Summary [PDF]
—Jeff Rashid–Manager Utility Team
Breakout Sessions
 Show/Hide all presentation abstracts
Tuesday
- Delivering GIS: Lessons Learned from the Georgia GIS Project
View Presentation [PDF]
—Mary Adams, Georgia Power Company
—Aaron Patterson, Enspiria Solutions Inc
- In 2005, Georgia Power Company (GPC) embarked on a
project to replace its legacy AutoCAD system with a state-ofthe-
art ESRI GIS platform. This includes a full deployment of
ESRI technology utilizing Miner & Miner ArcFM and Designer
products and numerous interfaces to support existing
operational systems in place at GPC such as SPL’s Centricity
outage management system and CYME’s CYMDIST engineering
analysis software. This paper describes the steps taken prior
to the project to assist in ensuring a successful project and
the implementation itself. It covers the major successes of the
project and the hurdles that were overcome. In conclusion, a list
of lessons learned will be provided to assist other organizations
who are about to embark on similar projects.
- Multi-Tier Distributed Data Management
View Presentation [PDF]
—Brent Hart, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative
—Herman Abinette, Lockheed Martin
—Ian Martin, TC Technology
- This presentation will discuss Rappahannock Electric
Cooperative’s (REC) approach to a mobile mapping solution,
which makes the most efficient use of the existing network
resources while enabling more than 200 mobile and office users
to get the most current mapping data from several access points
throughout the organization.
Using TC Technology’s GO! Sync Mobile GIS applications to deploy
existing electric facility data, REC, along with its technology partner
Lockheed Martin IT & GS, was able to extend the GO! Sync
application and create “staging areas” for data updates, effectively
minimizing network bandwidth while being able to support
secure data updates from any available network access point.
This solution increases productivity of field technicians, reduces
trips to the office, provides network security, and relieves users
of the responsibility of version management.
- State Regulators Use GIS
View Presentation [PDF]
—Ruth A. Rowles, Kentucky Public Service Commission
- A GIS program was established eight years ago at the Kentucky
Public Service Commission to provide decision support to the
state regulatory agency for gas and electric utilities as well as
the water, wastewater, and telecommunication utilities. The
presentation will focus on the compilation of statewide GIS
databases for gas and electric utility data, the distribution policy
for “security-sensitive” maps and data, and the use of utility
data in state government. The Public Service Commission uses
GIS for general reference, as a decision support tool on cases
with a geographic component, and as detailed reference information
for the PSC engineers and inspectors. Working with the
Commonwealth’s Office of Technology’s Division of Geographic
Information, the GIS data from electric and gas utilities is also
available to emergency responders through the Kentucky Event
Mapping and Analysis Portal.
- Integrating TVA’s Transmission, Power Quality,
and Lightning Data with ArcIMS
View Presentation [PDF]
View Document Presentation [PDF]
—Theo Laughner, Tennessee Valley Authority
- TVA is a public power generation and transmission company
that serves a seven state region in the southeastern United
States. In the past, it has been difficult to determine the root
cause of power system events due to the complexity and number
of software tools needed to identify the problem.
Multiple Information Layers to Enable Solutions (MILES) uses
ArcIMS as a framework to integrate a variety of disparate data
sources into a common application. MILES is an intuitive, Webbased
user interface designed to provide system engineers and
other field technicians with access to a variety of information.
Now users can quickly view maintenance history, asset (e.g., structures,
lines, substations) details, lightning information, and power
quality data without needing to learn multiple applications. As a
result, analysis can be completed more accurately in less time.
- Managing a Fiber-Optic Network with GIS
View Presentation [PDF]
—Dennis Peterson, Montana Dakota Utilities
—Tom Taber, Telvent Miner & Miner
- Montana Dakota Utilities has had a successful enterprise GIS
that is used to manage their electric and gas networks for many
years. Last year they implemented a system to manage their
fiber-optic network within the same enterprise GIS. This presentation
will discuss the benefits and challenges that have been
encountered since their system went live. Some of the areas
covered will be data modeling, system design, data conversion,
operational benefits, and the realities of keeping up with the
data maintenance.
- Simplifying Your Enterprise Geodatabase(ArcSDE) Implementation
View Presentation [PDF]
—Angie Jennings, Kari Burge, Principals, Swova LLC
- Implementing an enterprise ArcSDE geodatabase can be a cumbersome
and time-consuming task. The implementation process, whether migrating from a personal geodatabase or configuring
an existing ArcSDE database for optimal multiuser editing,
can be streamlined with the use of design and administration
toolsets. This presentation will highlight proven, streamlined
methodologies used in medium- to large-scale utility implementations.
These methodologies include evaluating data storage
requirements, applying RDBMS and ESRI recommendations,
migrating data, developing versioning structures and procedures,
and performing ongoing ArcSDE/RDBMS administration
and maintenance. Topics addressed in this presentation will
include data migration, geodatabase design and modeling, data
storage requirements, system requirements, versioning, and
ArcSDE administration and maintenance.
- Defining a Data Collection Project Takes
Teamwork
View Presentation [PDF]
—Jeff Pollard, Central Rural Electric Cooperative
Jeremy Sadler, Osmose Utilities Services, Inc.
- Implementing a GIS usually requires some supporting work.
One common task associated with a new GIS is a field inventory
to make sure all the data going in reflects the current state
of the system. But what data do you need to put in the GIS?
A “standard” electric data model includes all sorts of features
and attributes that offer some value to the user. Most utilities
also choose to add data elements to support particular aspects
of their business. The overload of choices leads to a series of
tough decisions when defining what will be collected during an
inventory.
For CREC’s inventory project, the GIS users at the co-op realized
the importance of not only being realistic about what data
would be used and maintained in the GIS but the importance
of keeping the inventory focused on a quick and accurate
outcome. Rather than try to “take one of everything,” CREC
worked closely with its field inventory vendor to determine what
items would create the best results and not lead to an overly
complex and drawn out field project. The field vendor, Osmose,
was able to translate its experiences with several similar projects
(and their good and sometimes not so good outcomes) to help
develop a realistic but very effective scope for the field project.
We will present some of the success factors for developing a
good teaming relationship with your inventory vendor. We will
also offer a description of some of the tools and techniques that
can guide the scope definition process.
- There and Back Again, an ArcLogistics
Route(r’s) Tale
View Presentation [PDF]
—John Savary, Nashville Electric Service
- NES uses ArcLogistics Route for streetlight maintenance and disconnect
routing applications. These two projects are completely
different applications of the software. Streetlight maintenance
work orders are low-number, low-density phenomena opposed
to the high-number, high-density characteristics of the disconnect
orders; therefore, different approaches had to be taken
with both. Data acquisition, data processing, user interaction,
routing issues, third-party plug-ins, and “what did we do before
this wonderful software,” will all be discussed.
Some questions this presentation will cover:
1. How did NES route orders before ArcLogistics?
2. Where does the data come from and how is it fed into
ArcLogistics?
3. What is the routing process, specifically the high-number,
high-density scenario (something ArcLogistics Route doesn’t
like)?
4. What issues did we encounter, and how did we overcome
them?
5. What benefits have we reaped from this technology?
- Integrated Mapping and Outage Management
Made Easy
View Presentation [PDF]
—Keith Brooks, Kootenai Electric Cooperative
- For several years Kootenai Electric Cooperative Inc. (KEC),
located in northern Idaho, has been developing and integrating
its ESRI-based GIS with the company’s different business
systems. With the addition of TWACS, a power line-based
meter reading program, KEC has taken its homegrown outage
management to a new level. TWACS enables KEC’s dispatchers
to ask a meter in real time if it has power and display the
results in its GIS. Within moments of a customer call to the
automated outage center, KEC’s dispatchers can determine the
exact location and extent of an outage. The number of customers
involved and the substation, feeder, and phases impacted
are recorded in the GIS for later reporting. This presentation will
discuss KEC’s integrated GIS as well as demonstrate the outage
management system.
- Assessing and Addressing GIS Data Quality for Distribution Operating
Management
View Presentation [PDF]
—Brittany Wall, Joel Wells, Christopher Rix, Arizona Public Service Company
—Matt McCain, Laurel Hill GIS
- Automated Testing: Basic Functional/Regression Test
View Presentation [PDF]
Listen to Presentation [WMV]
—James Popp, Arizona Public Service Company
- At APS we use a suite of GIS applications published to our users
via Citrix.
I am presenting two components: First is the Basic Functional
test that I have developed, and second is how I automated this
test. The test is a simple regression test to verify the health and
functionality of our GIS applications, databases, and hardware.
The design is basically an oversimplified subdivision with two
lots. It has worked enormously well in catching errors before
handing off to our customers. The manual script is 50 lines
on a spreadsheet and takes an experienced editor half a day
to complete. I have automated this test to execute in about
40 minutes. The object-identifying technology used in most
standard automated test tools is unsatisfactory for testing on a
Citrix virtual desktop environment. I found a test tool that uses
image recognition technology to identify all application objects
as TIFF images.
- Automating Streetlight Inspection and Maintenance
View Presentation [PDF]
—Larry Wilke, Burbank Water and Power
- Various patrol inspections are required by the California Public
Utility Commission’s (PUC) General Order 165. One in particular
is the annual requirement for streetlighting. This one is unique in
that it only requires a “patrol” inspection rather than a detailed
or “intrusive” inspection. Streetlighting is also unique in the
sense that it overlaps with customer service and safety. Using a
GPS-enabled Tablet PC, coupled with a geographic inspection
application, BWP created an automated system that allows staff
to perform routine visual inspections without the use of paper. As
a vehicle travels its route, the software application uses GPS positioning
to select streetlights within range to automatically create
Pass inspection records. This type of record is most common. In
the event Pass isn’t acceptable, the inspector performs an interactive
inspection using easy drop-downs to create a Defect and
an appropriate Fix record when possible. All inspection records
are automatically transferred to the enterprise database when a
network connection is available. In the office, clerks can also use
a similar Web application so that calls from the public regarding
streetlight issues are administered and create a Defect record for
the operations crews to assess. Because the records are stored
in an enterprise database, reporting and analysis are easily performed.
Examples include annual reporting to PUC and vendor
equipment performance (bulbs, photocells, etc.).
- AMI Integration With GIS
View Presentation [PDF]
—Beth Picardi, Unitil Service Corp.
- In 2005, Unitil made the decision to deploy a systemwide gas
and electric Advanced Metering Interface (AMI) that would
provide automated, two-way meter reading capability for
nearly 120,000 customers. Although the company justified this
project primarily on the automated meter reading capability, it
has gained a wealth of additional data on system performance
that it hopes to leverage through integrating AMI with GIS and
other company enterprise systems. Each meter, acting as an
endpoint transmitter, transmits not only usage data but a variety
of system data including voltage performance, outage information,
and circuit equipment condition. Viewing this data in GIS
has led to an intuitive understanding of system performance.
Although the company has just started experimenting with the
AMI/GIS combination, the possible applications appear endless.
- GIS-Based Utility Vegetation Management
System at NYSEG
View Presentation [PDF]
—Margaret Engasser, New York State Electric and Gas Company
—Svetlana Khitrik, Gomez & Sullivan Engineers
- New York State Electric and Gas Corporation has upgraded
its Vegetation Management System (VMS) to incorporate GIS
technologies to meet New York State Public Service Commission
requirements. The new GIS-based application provides tools
to manage all phases of right-of-way vegetation management
including planning, inventory, fieldwork, review, reporting, and
mapping. The VMS design facilitates the development of contract
bid documents and the publication of regulatory reports
and enhances the utility’s ability to track costs. VMS is designed
using ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.2 geodatabase (ArcSDE/Oracle) deployed
on a Citrix server. The ArcGIS VMS data model was specifically
designed for this program.
- AMIGO—A Friend for Compliance
View Presentation [PDF]
—Gathen Garcia, Ted Kircher, PNM
- PNM Gas Services, a subsidiary of PNMR, has natural gas
transmission pipelines and compressor stations located throughout
the state of New Mexico. PNMGS operates 10,900 miles
of distribution pipelines and serves 441,259 customers in 21
of New Mexico’s 33 counties. Gas utilities are responsible for
reporting gas operations and asset management to the DOT and
state regulatory agencies. In 2002, after reviewing methods for
improving current practices and recognizing a lack of available
technology, PNM Gas Services set out to develop a custom DOT
compliance application. The envisioned application would fulfill
the need to meet PNM’s requirements for reporting to various
regulatory agencies. Creating new applications is never an easy
task, especially after all the variables are addressed.
Many lessons were learned as the application was developed.
The team experienced setbacks as well as successes prior to
the application being presented to the field users. Routinely, as
feedback continues to be provided by these users, more valuable
input is incorporated into the application. This presentation
will share PNM’s experiences, both good and bad, in creating a
custom DOT compliance application.
- Communication is the Key to Project Success
View Presentation [PDF]
—Mark Cook, Cumberland Electric Membership Cooperative
—Michael Donegan, Osmose
- Vegetation management along rights-of-way is essential for the
reliability and safety of an electric distribution system. It is also
among the largest ongoing operational expenses for electrical
utilities. Most utilities use paper systems to track vegetation management
activities and to plan future work. These paper systems
are limited in the informational value they can provide, and most
organizational knowledge about ROW clearing is undocumented.
With the Operations VP and ROW Supervisor planning to retire
in the next several years, Habersham Electric Membership
Corporation has begun using its enterprise GIS for tracking and
planning the vegetation management activities performed by its
contractors and in-house crews. It is also embarking on a data
collection program to gather information about the vegetation
and terrain along their rights-of-way to improve the planning of
future line clearing. Habersham EMC uses a commercial application
for data creation and reporting that runs on enterprise
ArcGIS and leverages its existing electric facilities and land base
data. By storing and analyzing vegetation and line-clearing data,
the GIS will enable the utility to more seamlessly transfer management
responsibility for ROW maintenance. With specialized
reporting tools that combine geospatial and temporal analysis,
Habersham EMC can evaluate the progress and cost of its lineclearing
efforts against its annual goal and budget. The system
also offers the potential for reducing the cost of future activities
and reducing the number of vegetation-related outages.
This presentation will describe the organizational needs that
moved Habersham EMC to begin its GIS-based vegetation management
program. The presenters will outline the data collection
requirements and methods, along with new workflows that
were developed to support the initiative. We will then demonstrate
the GIS reporting and analysis tools used by the utility and
conclude with an overview of the utility’s plans to expand the
GIS-based vegetation management program to include other
maintenance and inspection functions.
- Using GIS for Vegetation Management
View Presentation [PDF]
—Russell Bentley, Habersham EMC
—Christopher Kelly, Clearion Software, LLC
- Vegetation management along rights-of-way is essential for the
reliability and safety of an electric distribution system. It is also
among the largest ongoing operational expenses for electrical
utilities. Most utilities use paper systems to track vegetation management
activities and to plan future work. These paper systems
are limited in the informational value they can provide, and most
organizational knowledge about ROW clearing is undocumented.
With the Operations VP and ROW Supervisor planning to retire
in the next several years, Habersham Electric Membership
Corporation has begun using its enterprise GIS for tracking and
planning the vegetation management activities performed by its
contractors and in-house crews. It is also embarking on a data
collection program to gather information about the vegetation
and terrain along their rights-of-way to improve the planning of
future line clearing. Habersham EMC uses a commercial application
for data creation and reporting that runs on enterprise
ArcGIS and leverages its existing electric facilities and land base
data. By storing and analyzing vegetation and line-clearing data,
the GIS will enable the utility to more seamlessly transfer management
responsibility for ROW maintenance. With specialized
reporting tools that combine geospatial and temporal analysis,
Habersham EMC can evaluate the progress and cost of its lineclearing
efforts against its annual goal and budget. The system
also offers the potential for reducing the cost of future activities
and reducing the number of vegetation-related outages.
This presentation will describe the organizational needs that
moved Habersham EMC to begin its GIS-based vegetation management
program. The presenters will outline the data collection
requirements and methods, along with new workflows that
were developed to support the initiative. We will then demonstrate
the GIS reporting and analysis tools used by the utility and
conclude with an overview of the utility’s plans to expand the
GIS-based vegetation management program to include other
maintenance and inspection functions.
- SOA & GIS: Using BPEL To Extend Your GIS To the Enterprise
View Presentation [PDF]
—Ian Fitzgerald, Truckee Donner
- BPEL (Business Process Execution Language) is a service-oriented
architecture language that visually allows you to build Web services,
which can extend your GIS exponentially. Truckee Donner
started using BPEL as the glue for enterprise integration earlier
this year and wishes to show some of the coolness this product
can bring to your organization like e-mail/pager/SMS notification
services based on ESRI GIS transactional/real-time processes.
- Managing Assets in Your GIS: History in the
Making
View Presentation [PDF]
—Diane Buche, NIPSCO NiSource
—Skye Perry, SSP Innovations
- Using a combination of unique data modeling, application
customization, and a Standalone Geodatabase Editor (SAGE)
Web tool, NIPSCO has enabled its GIS to track and report on
the full life cycle of electric assets from purchase to retirement.
Most assets are managed directly in the GIS, while the SAGE
tool provides additional query and edit capabilities. The custom
reporting tools provide an in-depth view of the assets at any
location in the service territory and a wide variety of summary
reports to facilitate asset planning, management, and federally
mandated reporting. This highly automated GIS implementation
uses carefully blended technologies to manage assets while providing
a tangible return on investment in time savings, dollars,
and efficiency. This project was implemented as a cost-shared
partnership between NIPSCO and the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory’s Distributed Energy and Electricity Reliability
Program funded by the U.S. DOE Office of Electricity Delivery
and Energy Reliability.
- Utilizing GIS Data and Functionality for
Emergency Preparedness and Incident Response
View Presentation [PDF]
View Document Presentation [PDF]
—Anil Jayavarapu, Avineon, Inc.
- Incidents such as 9/11 and Katrina highlight the importance for
critical infrastructure protection through emergency preparedness
and incident response. For many electrical and gas utilities,
emergency management has transitioned from an ad hoc effort
to a standardized process, requiring tools such as the Incident
Command System (ICS), a management system developed by
FEMA. With the adoption of an integrated response program
comes a corresponding need to efficiently share GIS information
among users. This presentation describes how GIS functionality and
data can be used to support ICS features within an organization.
- The Need for Aspirin—Data Migration
Headaches
View Presentation [PDF]
—Gathen Garcia, Ted Kircher, PNM
- After months of analysis, PNM has determined that the
three existing GIS platforms—GFIS for the Texas Operations,
Intergraph for New Mexico Distribution Operations, and ESRI for
New Mexico Transmission Operations—effectively can be standardized
on an enterprise platform—ArcFM. The methodology
is to migrate the Texas Operations first and then New Mexico. It
is anticipated that the Texas Operations will be in production by
the end of 2007. Often data migration is not given the requisite
attention. This presentation will discuss this element and the
trials and tribulations experienced.
- Intermountain REA ArcFM Implementation
View Presentation [PDF]
—Duane Holt, Intermountain REA
—Ed Blair, Telvent Miner & Miner
- Intermountain REA (IREA) serves a fast-growing membership
of about 135,000 customers over a 5,000-square-mile service
territory east, west, and south of metropolitan Denver. In 2006
IREA faced immediate business needs to provide better support
of engineering analysis for new construction planning and to
provide accurate, up-to-date maps to field users. IREA realized
that the starting place for these and additional vital business
applications was to establish a robust ArcGIS geodatabase of its
electric distribution facilities. This paper describes the steps IREA
completed to reach its immediate goals, identifies potential next
steps, and offers a few pointers to others facing similar objectives
based on the benefit of hindsight.
- Delivering GIS Functionality over the Web
View Presentation [PDF]
—John Little, GUC
—Charles Buck, Greenville Utilities
- Located in eastern North Carolina, Greenville Utilities
Commission (GUC) provides electric, water, sewer, and natural
gas services to Pitt County with a combined total of more than
135,800 customer connections. The organization is entering a
very exciting time as an increasing amount of our operations are
integrating with GIS technology. GUC has focused on delivering
GIS content and functionality to our users through a variety of
Web applications. The Web applications are a mix of standard
Web programming and utilization of ESRI’s ArcGIS Server technology.
Although GUC is in the early phases of implementation,
several objectives have been accomplished including the development
of multiple GIS Web applications and the completion
of a GIS Web hub. These lessons will help guide future development
at GUC and would be valuable for any organization interested
in pursuing the implementation of similar technologies.
- GIS Applications in Transmission Utilities
View Presentation [PDF]
—Remi Myers, Jack Varner, Georgia Power Company
- Since the mid-1990s GIS applications have become a significant
asset for transmission utility maintenance programs. An examination
of current research reveals the utility of GIS applications
through a wealth of publications covering corridor mapping,
schematics, inventory systems, asset management, and benchmarking.
This wide range of capabilities are well within the
range of modern GIS applications due to the tremendous suite
of tools that are made available within the software and the
dynamic user groups that make them work. The objective of this
paper is to review the current GIS applications for power delivery
utilities, examine shortcomings, and explore analysis capabilities
and applications that will be available in the near future.
- GIS Assessment of Geologic Hazards for Gas
Transmission Pipelines
View Presentation [PDF]
—David Slayter, Christopher Hitchcock, William Lettis and
Associates
- Geologic hazards pose a significant threat to the integrity
of existing utility pipeline infrastructure. William Lettis &
Associates, Inc., has been contracted by several major utilities to
conduct GIS desktop hazard assessments for gas transmission
pipelines to determine the exposure to geologic hazards across
the United States. WLA geologists and GIS analysts review
landslide, geology, and soil data to determine the potential for
landslides, corrosion, and liquefaction. Once the data is evaluated
and interpreted, spatial analysis techniques are used to
show the relative risk of pipeline segments to geologic hazards.
Knowledge of the locations of relative risk is enabling utilities to
preferentially focus resources to areas that may be more susceptible
to hazardous conditions.
Wednesday
- SDE, Lies, and Error Reports
View Presentation [PDF]
—Bill Blackmarr, Nashville Electric Service
- Don’t believe your data is telling you the truth? Think that
fatal “memory addressed” error message is just a little vague?
Wonder how someone else handles SDE? Come hear how NES
has worked with various SDE issues, while compressing nightly
to a state_id of zero. See fatal errors eliminated. Witness interrogations
that reveal data lies.
- Considerations for Deploying ArcGIS Server
Mobile
View Presentation [PDF]
—Eric Fulcher, 3-GIS
- With the release of ArcGIS Server Mobile, ESRI has introduced
a new mobile GIS platform. For this presentation, the following
topics regarding ArcGIS Server Mobile will be discussed:
- Architecture of the new platform
- Connected and disconnected considerations
- Map cache management
- Version management in the Mobile environment
In addition, a live demonstration of an application based on
ArcGIS Server Mobile will be provided to demonstrate the capabilities
of the new technology.
- Mobile GPS/GIS Mapping for Poles and Vegetation
View Presentation [PDF]
—Ashok Wadwani, Applied Field Data Systems, Inc.
- The utility industry’s demand for land-related digital information
keeps growing, and companies are struggling to collect
and manage their infrastructure data (poles, transformers,
conductors, etc.). Accessing this data through GIS in a timely
fashion can dramatically increase operational efficiencies. More
specifically, the ability to gather georeferenced digital images
and three-dimensional point clouds of power poles and other
related assets from a mobile collection unit allows for the data
to be quickly accessed via a GIS environment. With this data,
individual assets can be (1) reviewed with the existing attribute
data available, (2) viewed using an actual digital photo of the
pole, and (3) analyzed through a 3D point cloud allowing the
user to examine the number of wires and connections at each
location. The presentation will discuss the van-mounted mobile
GPS system allowing for quick and efficient capture of georeferenced
images and data for poles and other assets as well as
vegetation.
- From Filing Cabinet to Integrity Management
Resource
View Presentation [PDF]
—Scott Twining, GeoFields
- One of the biggest challenges faced today by integrity managers
is not finding data but getting data into a meaningful format
that supports PHMSA distribution transmission requirements.
The data required for integrity management support typically
is collected from a large number of departments within the
organization—all with their own disparate processes, formats,
and reasons for collecting the data, which do not match up with
integrity management data requirements. There are now automated
technologies that develop common business processes,
formats, and methods across departments, allowing data to
integrate into an overall integrity management plan. Field use,
paper conversion, and business process logic have been combined
in a unique technology to integrate data that previously
never made it out of the filing cabinet. Attendees will learn to
overcome the data challenges faced by pipeline operators and
the methods they use to overcome them.
- The Left Hand Knowing What the Right Hand Is Doing
View Presentation [PDF]
—Brett Beaver, Advantica
- Current and future regulatory requirements are forcing the natural
gas industry to find ways to integrate solutions that provide
meaningful information to those making the decisions that drive
the business. The pipeline integrity regulations in 2003 drove
gas transmission organizations to invest in such enterprise-wide
systems. With the pending distribution integrity regulations on
the horizon, one would expect a similar move toward consolidating
data and streamlining processes around key enterprise
systems. This presentation will take a look at how GIS plays
a centralized role in coordinating various processes and how
third-party products can be integrated to create an efficient
enterprise-wide solution.
- Nashville Disaster
View Presentation [PDF]
—Mike Buri, NES
- 1994 Ice storm, 1998 & 2006 Tornadoes, 2007? Dam failure(s). NES has been through or plans to be through a number of disasters. From the 1994 Ice Storm which launched the current GIS, to the imminent potential for dam collapses which threaten Nashville today, hear how NES has used the GIS to assist in past disasters and plan for future ones. If you have been through a disaster with your GIS, come to this session to share your tale of survival.
- Mobilize Your Enterprise
View Presentation [PDF]
—Terry Bartlett, Marshall and Associates
- Throughout the years, organizations have invested a vast amount
of time and resources in building corporate data systems including
GIS. Many have established robust processes for maintenance
and support of their information technology (IT) infrastructure.
As a result, most organizations now have mature IT infrastructures
to store, retrieve, and maintain their corporate data.
Disseminating and providing access to crucial corporate data in
the field in a highly reliable and secure manner is the next step in
leveraging the investment you have made in your current information
systems and the realization of the “enterprise information
system.” Organizations are replacing traditional paper- and telephone-
based systems with mobile and Microsoft “smart client”
wireless solutions that enable access to key information directly
from the field. This step is paramount to delivering a higher level
of benefits and realizing the full return on investment of time
and money in your information systems. Timely and accurate vital
business, asset, and map information in the field allows mobile
workers to be more responsive, make more informed decisions,
be more productive and efficient, and thus provide better
customer service. Building an enterprise that extends its reach to
the people in the field is the logical next step for an organization.
Technology is available to make it happen. It makes sense to use
all of your assets, not just the ones within the parameters of your
office. This presentation will explore the current mobile technology
basics with case studies of sites that are using GeoResults
Mobile to “Extend the Enterprise to the Field.”
- Spatially Enabling Enterprise Asset
Management (EAM) using ArcGIS Server
View Presentation [PDF]
—Ron Wallace, Gary Cooper, IBM Software Group
- Utility customer requirements drive asset management solution
providers to spatially enable their products. Spatially enabled
Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) data extends its value for
utilities by making accessible tabular, spatial, CAD, and multimedia
data with a single point of access. Beyond visualization,
the geographic context provides a framework for analysis and
decision-making. IBM Maximo is able to meet the challenge with
ESRI’s ArcGIS Server Java application development framework
(ADF). The ADF supports integration of coarse and fine-grained
ArcObjects with Maximo components. This presentation provides
an overview of the business value of spatially enabling an
Enterprise Asset Management System (EAM), using ArcGIS Server.
- The Road to DIMP: Are We There Yet?
View Presentation [PDF]
—Brett Beaver, Advantica
- For the past year, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration (PHMSA) has been working on a new set of regulations
concerning distribution integrity. The much anticipated
delivery of the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) is on the
horizon despite several setbacks this year. This presentation will
provide an update on the progress of the DIMP regulations and
details on key efforts utilities are taking in anticipation of the
regulations with respect to GIS.
- Applying Lessons Learned from Transmission
to Distribution Integrity Management
Programs
View Presentation [PDF]
View Document Presentation [PDF]
—Gary Waters, GeoFields
- With pending gas Distribution Integrity Management Program
(DIMP) requirements, companies that maintain and operate gas
distribution facilities are now facing many of the same additions
to business processes that gas transmission companies have
already faced. There are many challenges with meeting these
new regulatory requirements, and they manifest themselves
when attempting to establish a risk modeling algorithm and
subsequent risk scores.
This presentation will focus on how risk modeling programs
facilitate the fulfillment of regulatory requirements and how
these requirements introduce many challenges to utility and
operating companies. Learning from the experiences of people
who have faced these difficult issues provides a great benefit,
and this presentation will include highlights from several pipeline
operating companies who have survived their audits using
advanced risk modeling techniques.
Closing Sessions
EGUG 2007 Closing Session [PDF]
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