Combining enterprise systems and geospatial solutions brings high-quality data and analytics to inspections, maintenance and construction
The future of digital transformation involves IT/OT integration, and businesses know it. According to Forrester, 76% of utility companies surveyed reported understanding this need. Spending on these projects will continue as energy demand in the U.S. and worldwide grows. The industry is predicted to increase approximately 6% to $ 8.61 billion by 2033. As more utility companies build, repair and replace assets, and more customers demand more energy, improving all aspects of asset management becomes vital. Successfully integrating IT/OT will play a key role.
Utilities Can Connect Systems Using Location
Companies often struggle with integration and asset management and do not know how to bridge the gap between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). This includes IT systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), work order management (WMS), enterprise asset management (EAM), and OT systems such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems.
Modern geospatial technology provides a perfect integration platform to improve IT/OT connectivity and optimize asset management. Using location as a critical connection point to multiple systems, companies can combine data for enhanced analysis. Map visualization offers a fast, intuitive means to comprehend layers of information and make intelligent decisions in the field and back office.
Disconnected Systems and Data No Longer Works
As utilities face increased energy demand, they must contend with complex networks—the rise of energy-producing “prosumers” and distributed energy resources (DERs). This requires updating and expanding the infrastructure and assets supporting the electric grid, gas, water and telecommunications systems.
To address these concerns, companies are constantly looking to improve asset performance and predictive maintenance by taking advantage of remote monitoring and real-time sensors for better fault detection.
Asset optimization is challenging, however, because it involves disconnecting systems, applications, sensors and data. While companies employ EAM and WMS to digitally document asset workflows, these applications can act independently. These disconnected applications contain valuable sensor data that can help with the planning and execution of workflows for asset upgrades and repairs.
Imagine a scenario where a device, whether a valve, regulator, or fuse, has been identified as defective. The organization must immediately replace it, and how data is managed will significantly impact how or when it can respond to that issue.
System connectivity and how IT and OT data is stored, accessed and fed into the maintenance model matters; open accessibility means faster decision making and response. Multiple disparate databases mean more steps in the process.
Adding OT data to IT analytics can quickly address inefficiencies, whether it’s too much power on the line that may cause problems a month down the road or determining how to merge lines in a way that gets the most out of assets.
Improved Asset Management Through Integration
A coordinated IT/OT enterprise brings data-rich value, especially in relation to sensors that can report a fault on a device and how the asset system tracks that device. Traditionally, these two systems may not use the same asset identifiers or keys, which makes it challenging to track assets without duplicate records.
Companies can leverage configurable GIS architectures and APIs to connect IT and OT. When work management, outage management and GIS are connected, asset location can serve as the perfect starting point for creating a single asset ID that can cross the boundaries of any system.
Why? Because everything has a location, and location data gets stored in every system. Electric, gas, water utilities and telecommunications companies can leverage location data, maps and geospatial tools to generate robust models, order materials, perform cost analysis and share results. Location data improves the entire asset management lifecycle, from design to construction, inspections, maintenance and repair and replacement.
For example, design workflows can effectively be connected using sensor data from the OT systems combined with a rules-driven approach from the IT systems. EAM, WMS and GIS work in harmony so that users can edit and manipulate asset data visualized in maps accurately. Designers then develop more prosperous plans and sketches that also include proper construction standards.
Instead of CAD drawings and manual redrafting and remapping, automated steps and application interoperability supply spatial analysis and digital tools for planning and design. Designers can easily attach digital work orders to digital drawing files for crews to take to the field. As they build and perform work, a bill of materials can be edited to reflect changes. Once projects are complete, data goes into an updated GIS system that is accessible across the enterprise.
And this includes asset abandonment. Whereas operating EAM independently from GIS and OT applications results in siloes, full integration helps answer questions to avoid problems proactively. For instance, when deciding to abandon a section of pipeline and build around it, the organization needs to consider:
- Should history continue to be tracked?
- Where does the historical data reside?
This can become confusing. With seamlessly connected applications and data, organizations can quickly decide where to own the abandonment data (in an EAM, for example) yet ensure accessibility and locational accuracy using connected GIS. This also improves the ability to keep up with environmental compliance and reporting.
Adding modern mobile mapping only increases the power of integrated IT/OT capabilities. Unlike a simple map view, today’s modern mobile mapping solutions supply intuitive tools for non-GIS users. Organizations provide their entire field service teams with the ability to view sensor data from SCADA, AMI and more. They use digital maps that contain data overlays of assets, networks, hazards, streets, terrain, customers, public areas and more.
Mobile mapping can also be used with operational data designed around asset management workflows. The solutions automatically pull together relevant data, such as metric readings from regulators that provides the input/output volume or pressure from a gas pipeline, improving asset inspection, verification, installation and modeling.
Staff can launch their mobile solution from the WMS/EAM/OMS app to trigger a work order from the map. They can easily create and update work orders and information directly into the WMS/EAM/OMS system of record. Teams document conditions on the ground while performing asset-related assignments, updating attributes and redlining maps.
This is a dramatic improvement over previous methods, where field inspection receives a work order from one system, takes paper maps or looks at digital maps using another application, and then uses another device to view operational data.
With full integration that extends to the field, data can be moved that was previously only viewable from the control room by engineers. And with the right geospatial-based dashboards, data can be exposed to decision makers in the office using safe, secure, role-based access controls.
Leaders are constantly aware of system performance and able to recognize slight imbalances that cause system errors and inefficiencies. They can ensure optimum reliability in the face of increased demand from more customers while proactively reducing and responding to outages, ultimately improving safety for crews, customers and communities alike.
The gap between engineering, field services, executive leadership, environmental and more gets closed with richer data and greater transparency. Companies make more information available across systems, from the office to the field, in a map format they can easily discern and staff at every level can solve problems faster.
The benefits of integrated IT/OT for utility asset management include:
- Enhanced decision making
- Proactive asset management
- Improved operations
- Optimized distribution
- Increased safety and reliability
Improve Assets with Connected IT/OT
Combining IT and OT using geospatial technology helps utilities fast-track modernization and improve workflows. This approach can connect systems, applications and data that previously were managed independently to provide more information to the decision-making process. Using maps, location analytics, sensor data, real-time feeds and mobile solutions, companies enhance asset management to improve performance, reliability and safety.
Learn more about TRC’s IT/OT and geospatial services.