When the leading provider of mobile inspection services for utilities makes the switch from the incumbent – its proprietary, in-house software for pole assessments and field inspections – to an outside vendor, it’s a big deal. Osmose Utilities Services Company has done just that, swapping out its homegrown mobile pole inspections and evaluations application to Fulcrum’s SaaS field inspection platform.
Osmose leads in grid asset management and infrastructure support for utilities, with 4,000+ employees in 49 states. They prioritize rapid, comprehensive data collection and inspections. Osmose chose Fulcrum to simplify processes, offer vital location intelligence to field teams, and integrate with their enterprise system.
Don’t start from the beginning – start from where you left off
No one wants to reinvent the wheel – and no one wants to throw out the baby with the bathwater. When companies think about transitioning from in-house custom technology solutions to a SaaS partner, a primary concern arises. They fear starting from scratch and losing existing data and the hard work invested in collecting it.
A critical factor in selecting the Fulcrum field operations solution was being able to utilize its existing geolocation data. This meant that instead of starting from scratch as is the case with some other field inspection software, Osmose started from strength – the incredible breadth of GIS information it had painstakingly collected over the course of decades. In addition, as a Powered by Esri partner, Fulcrum is uniquely positioned to integrate this existing data to help field teams get to where they need to go, and deliver location intelligence to help them do their job effectively once they get there.
Fast, user-friendly, flexible, and far-reaching
Upon realizing it could retain its geolocation database, Osmose shifted its focus. The next consideration was whether the switch would enhance team productivity. Will the software be easy to use without onboarding hassles? Will the tech be able to be adjusted to suit our needs, particularly coming from a fully customized in-house solution? And finally, would inspectors be able to work in areas without mobile connectivity, in the actual middle of nowhere? As Osmose has discovered, the answers are emphatically yes, yes, yes, and yes!
Osmose CIO Chuck Musciano said, “Fulcrum is designed for the needs of mobile inspectors, minimizing the learning curve and further simplifying inspections for our field teams, allowing us to perform a greater volume of pole inspections while reporting on our progress in real-time. The end result is greater efficiency and shorter project cycles for us, and faster, more comprehensive delivery for our customers who rely on us to ensure grid resiliency and reliable, safe energy delivery every day.”
Fulcrum is proud to help Osmose continue to deliver best-in-class inspection services to its utility clients. To get more details on Fulcrum’s new partnership with Osmose, please check out our press release – and to our friends at Osmose, welcome aboard!