Field Operations

It’s not easy overseeing the #2 necessity of life, just after air. In addition to managing the intricate water network and maintaining essential services, water utilities must comply with a dizzying number of regulations from federal agency regulations all the way down to small town local ordinances. Oh, and somehow at the end of the day, they must also make enough money to stay (ahem) afloat in a world where expenses from materials to workforce continue to climb. The Fulcrum data collection platform is utilities’ go-to for water infrastructure solutions, helping to navigate these challenges. Let’s explore how Fulcrum empowers water utilities to streamline operations, make informed decisions, and ensure optimal service delivery.

Access to safe drinking water and clean sanitation has long been considered a basic human right. But over two billion people lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation services, a staggering figure on the rise. The need for robust, efficient, and sustainable water and wastewater infrastructure is clear, especially in an era of resource scarcity and extreme climate events. Water utilities infrastructure planning ensures public health and protects our environment. 

As urban spaces grow and evolve, governments often face challenges in finding the right balance in urban infrastructure between sustainable development and residents’ needs.

The 2023 Outlook for Water Utilities by the American Water Works Associate reports that water utility leaders generally view the industry favorably, giving it a 5 out of a possible 7 “optimism rating.”  However, this positive outlook doesn’t imply that everything is smooth sailing. From resource allocation to environmental impact to sustainability to retaining appropriate technical and field staff, water utilities still face stiff headwinds (undertows?). In this blog we’ll look at environmental and operational challenges, and how water utility data management software can make a difference in providing long-term, sustainable solutions.

Electrical utilities may turn to in-house data collection solutions to maintain a sense of operational control. However, this approach leads to serious security vulnerabilities that put data integrity at risk and can have cascading effects on everything from service delivery to reputation. In this finale of our ongoing series, we’ll explore how SaaS data collection solutions strengthen data security for electrical utilities and creates better business and service outcomes. 

If you are a follower of Fulcrum (and we hope you are!), you’ve probably seen our Esri announcements over the past six months or so, starting with our definitive commercial provider agreement and most recently talking about further Esri integration with a host of new features. But today we wanted to single out a couple of advantages to the Fulcrum-Esri pairing that don’t get enough press:  scalability and flexibility.  And as there’s no industry better to showcase these benefits, read on to learn more about GIS integration for utilities and how it optimizes both scalability and flexibility of their operations. 

.ince the acceleration of digital technology, electrical utilities have often relied on in-house or “homemade” software solutions for data collection tools. Piecing together a range of different solutions might provide a degree of control and customization. However, this fragmentary approach also comes with serious challenges that can negatively impact utilities, particularly around IT workload and opportunity costs. 

As part three of our series about the importance of SaaS solutions for electric utilities, we follow up on our previous blogs about time savings and integration by looking at the budgetary benefits of how cloud-based data collection tools optimize resources.

In Part 2 of our series on SaaS data collection tools for electric utilities, we highlight the superiority of SaaS platforms in integrating with other digital systems like GIS, business intelligence, and analytics software. These integrations allow for seamless data exchange and maximize the utility of each system, ultimately helping utilities reduce workflow friction, save money, and scale operations. Keep reading to find out more!

If electric utilities and their contractors need reliable, efficient, and affordable SaaS data collection tools, why do they so often rely on in-house software solutions to manage their field operations?

Wooden utility poles are essential infrastructure but costly to replace. Using inspection software helps utilities reduce replacement frequency by identifying issues early and maintaining each pole’s health more efficiently. Accurate, consistent inspections lower operational costs and enhance safety while extending pole lifespan.

DIEHLUX, an innovative ecological and natural resource consulting firm, switched to the Fulcrum data collection platform in 2019 to revolutionize its field operations. Specializing in energy, telecommunications, water resources, and land development markets, DIEHLUX found itself grappling with the challenges of diverse software interfaces, manual data collection, and inefficient photo integration.

DIEHLUX, LLC (DIEHLUX) is an innovative ecological and natural resource consulting company specializing in nimble and adaptive solutions for energy, telecommunications, water resources, and private land development markets.

The Challenges

Changing regulations requires aggressive inspection schedules with severe penalties for delays and non- compliance.

Underground storage facilities are often obscured by the changing landscape of aboveground structures, making location of assets a challenge.

Outdated, incomplete accounting of assets means that clients are unaware of potential risks or compliance issues, increasing exposure and hindering planning efforts.

Multiple regulators requiring different inspections can result in many different trips to the same site for wasted time and effort.

Key Outcomes

Fulcrum allows inspections to be performed quickly, with time savings of 80% or more.

Fulcrum captures the geographic data automatically, so location information is independent of surface landmarks.

With accurate reports and raw data made possible using Fulcrum, clients are made into “subject matter experts” of their own assets to mitigate risk and allow for more informed decision making.

Using Fulcrum, GLW can combine trips and perform multiple different functions and inspections while on site at one location.

New federal regulations spurring increased inspections
“While our gas clients drill for gas and produce it year round, there is little demand for it in the summer. So, in order to keep the price for natural gas steady, and ensure there is enough of it to get its customers through the winter months, the gas is stored in formations underground until it’s needed,” explains Iburg. “Over the years there have been incidents with these underground gas storage installations, including leaks and even explosions.” These recurring dangers have prompted the United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the US Department of Transportation to enact new safety standards for underground natural gas storage facilities, starting with inspections.

Great Lakes Wellhead, Inc. (GLW) is a contractor serving the oil and gas industry with exploration and production (E&P), wellhead maintenance, gas storage, and wellhead disposal services. Around half of its business focuses on the gas and storage sector, while the other half caters to E&P projects. To aid in its highly regulated and potentially dangerous work in environmental compliance, Great Lakes Wellhead adopted Fulcrum data collection software in 2020.

Since COVID, employers in just about every industry have been scrambling for workers. This is happening particularly in the trade fields as older workers retire in greater numbers. And while electrical utilities and contractors have not had quite as many issues attracting new workers as, say, the construction industry, they too are struggling to retain workers.

More than a mere inconvenience to customers, power outages represent a costly ordeal with far-reaching implications for electrical utilities, and, by extension, their service contractors. Both the direct costs (e.g., resources dedicated to troubleshooting and restoration) and the indirect costs (e.g., revenue loss from disrupted service and potential compensation to affected consumers) add up quickly – especially when outages are happening more frequently and for longer periods.

The smart water meter market is slated to grow globally at about 27 percent per year[i] – not surprising considering the many advantages of smart water meters such as reducing water waste, improving water quality, and increasing system efficiency[ii]. There’s only one problem: the meters don’t upgrade themselves.

To guarantee safety, improve efficiency, and meet regulatory requirements, electrical utilities must collect reliable, consistent, and accurate data from a vast range of inspections and field operations, including pole inspections, vegetation management tasks, and more.

While vital for environmental health, conducting stormwater inspections can nonetheless be a slow, inefficient, and costly process.

Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) are increasingly critical to managing human environmental impact, safeguarding communities, and mitigating potential legal and financial liabilities. They’re crucial for the sale, reuse, or redevelopment of a property, and serve to provide a baseline understanding of its environmental condition by identifying potential or existing contaminations or issues of concern, and assessing if they pose any risks to inhabitants and employees. 

The Challenges

Clients have varying data collection processes, data formats, and platform demands
Emergency response teams need to get to work quickly, without waiting for client GIS data to load or worse, relying on paper maps
Clients require regular updates on work progress from the field
Quality control on the work of field teams is difficult to do at a distance
Working with electricity and in remote locations, it’s important for crews to be up-to-date on safety protocols

Key Outcomes

Through integration of Fulcrum data with Microsoft SQL Server, GeoForce can give clients their data in any form needed
With a single address or coordinates, GeoForce crews can get started tracking down the location of problems, getting ahead of other crews to return field data much more quickly
Giving clients access to GeoForce’s inspection processes through the Fulcrum app lets them see what’s going on in real-time
By monitoring work done throughout the day through the app, managers are able to detect – and correct – errors before they become habit
After safety training, workers can access training documents as reference materials in Fulcrum, and acknowledge receipt of their training to ensure compliance with safety regulations

Background
GeoForce Utility Technologies (GeoForce) was founded in 1990 as a utilities contractor, providing GIS and building field data collection software for its clients. About 15 years ago, GeoForce pivoted its focus to providing the field work itself.

Whether electrical utility contractor GeoForce is tackling power outages with lightning speed, performing digital utility pole inspections with precision and efficiency, or creating bespoke solutions for its clients, GeoForce’s secret weapon is Fulcrum’s intuitive interface and advanced GIS integration.

Congratulations on finally shelving your paper-based system of field service management! 

It is more important than ever for electrical utilities to ensure the safety and security of their facilities from threats and attacks from trespassers, tampering, and saboteurs. Join us as we discuss how field inspection management software helps utilities keep their facilities safe and secure from physical threats.

Undergrounding relocates overhead utility lines and infrastructure below ground. Cities and utility companies are increasingly adopting this to enhance the reliability and look of their electrical systems.

We love sharing the innovative ways our clients use Fulcrum to make their field inspection tasks easier, faster, and more comprehensive. Today we focus on clients using Fulcrum to inspect properties, both indoors and outdoors, for their customers and the public. Read on to learn how Fulcrum has transformed the way they do their work!

In this webinar, we’ll discuss how digitization of safety and quality inspections and SOPs can increase productivity, streamline communication, generate safety and quality data, and automatically generate documentation in real time.

As an environmental engineer, you count on field inspections to make sure your teams are safe and that you’re following the moving target of environmental regulations. Picking the right field inspection management software can make the difference between compliance and lots of face time with EPA regulators or OSHA investigators.  Read on to see how the must-haves of environmental engineering are answered by field inspection management software.

 Mobile  data collection is the most common business activity in the world. You may not recognize the term or even call it something else, but you’ve probably already collected field data at your job today. Whether you’re going through a checklist, taking product inventory, or doing an inspection, you’re collecting information to help you decide if the checklist is complete or not, whether you need to stock up, or if SOPs were followed. 

Health and safety risks are ongoing concerns for any organization with field operations, particularly when teams are isolated from the home office or deployed to unfamiliar environments. When field teams don’t have the right knowledge or tools to identify and mitigate potential hazards, safety risks increase, especially if they are isolated or lack resources in emergencies. 

A circuit protection checklist provides a comprehensive list to ensure that your electric power system is meeting all the safety requirements. It also ensures the system is providing protection to your facility against any kind of electrical hazards.

Data collection in the field can be more demanding and harder to manage than anything you would see in an office. It’s harder to maintain process consistency, get clean data, and share information with stakeholders. Digital inspections can help, but it’s important to take advantage of all of the capabilities your digital platform offers if you’re going to really move the needle. This webinar will focus on some of the specific requirements you’ll need to optimize digital data collection in the field. It applies to field safety and quality inspections, lone worker scenarios, standard operating procedures, and other data collection requirements. Using Fulcrum as an example, we’ll discuss capabilities that include:

 Utility poles are everywhere, so much a part of the landscape that we don’t even notice them. That is, unless something goes wrong. A power or cable outage due to a defective utility pole is bad, sure. But did you know that about 10% of California’s wildfires are caused by utility pole failures, including Camp Fire, the worst wildfire in California state history? Utility companies face high stakes, necessitating a strict inspection schedule to maintain their utility poles in optimal condition.

Are you considering the transition to digital field inspections but apprehensive about the challenges that lie ahead? Don’t let uncertainties hold you back from embracing the future. Our comprehensive infographic dives into the world of digitizing field inspections, addressing common obstacles and offering actionable strategies to ensure a seamless transition for your team.

Watch a demonstration of Fulcrum’s integration with Esri’s ArcGIS Online!

Get the right data to the right people in the field
While we’re collecting more field data than ever, it’s still hard to get the right data to people who are out in the field. This free Directions Magazine webinar will talk about (and demonstrate, using the Fulcrum platform) some of the specific ways to integrate field data collection and SOPs with GIS to improve the situation on the ground, on our screens, and in our thinking.

The Challenges

Legacy paper-based processes that included time-consuming – and error-creating – transcription tasks

Workflow coordination and connectivity challenges are encountered when coordinating multiple crews, especially in areas with limited connectivity

Inability to easily incorporate national standards and client requirements into inspection processes

Preserving institutional knowledge

Key Outcomes

Fulcrum provides a simple, mobile interface that replaces paper forms, streamlining data collection and reducing errors

Fulcrum’s geospatial integration mapping and offline data collection capabilities allows for smoother workflow coordination, ensuring that inspection crews can work efficiently without being hindered by connectivity issues or location discrepancies

Fulcrum’s customization features enable the rapid creation and deployment of inspection applications, utilizing standardized forms as a starting point to provide guidance and minimize setup time

Fulcrum serves as a repository for critical data, facilitating knowledge transfer and ensuring operational continuity

Background

Brown and Caldwell is 100% employee owned, with 50 offices and over 2,100 professionals across North America and the Pacific. Senior Principal Engineer Sean Kilpatrick has been with Brown and Caldwell for over 25 years and was one of the early champions of adopting a SaaS field data collection and process management solution.

Mobile users can now view safety sheets, SOPs, and other critical documents as attachments directly within their Fulcrum apps.

With Fulcrum’s reference file attachments feature, mobile users can access digital versions of the documents they need to assure safety, quality, and compliance in the field directly from the app they are already using to complete their field tasks.

Download this substation inspection checklist to ensure structural and functional integrity of electrical substations.

Regular substation inspections help electric utilities maintain and repair their facilities to keep costs down and power flowing to their customers.

Fulcrum sets your program up for success with intuitive new features.

Fulcrum sets your program up for success with intuitive new features that provide you and your field inspectors with the right information at the right time.

Field operations managers face daily challenges, from ensuring compliance to tracking resources and managing team performance. However, with the right strategies, location-based field data can help streamline workflows, reduce inefficiencies, and drive smarter decision-making. This resource highlights actionable steps to modernize your processes, ensuring every project runs smoothly and efficiently.

The oil and gas industry faces complex safety and compliance demands. From harsh environments to strict regulatory standards, inspections are critical to maintaining safe, efficient operations. Identifying the right oil and gas inspections tools can transform how your teams meet these demands while reducing risks and costs.

Enhance your construction field inspections with practical, data-driven solutions. This datasheet provides actionable insights to boost efficiency, safety, and accountability. Download it to explore ways to improve your inspection workflows and ensure high standards across all projects.

Fulcrum you can develop custom field inspection management software that will help you keep up with your people and assets in the field.

Even when your team does most of its work outside an office – in remote areas, without readily-available landmarks, out of the reach of mobile networks – you’ve got to keep track of your people and assets and ensure their tasks get done well and quickly. The question is, how?

Lost equipment is lost money. Without a reliable digital asset management strategy, your organization risks wasting time, productivity, and profits on tracking down misplaced tools and machinery. Outdated systems like spreadsheets or rigid software fail to provide the accurate, real-time information you need to keep operations running smoothly.

Discover how the Fulcrum platform can elevate the efficiency of state and local governments, ensuring higher productivity, enhanced safety, and the elimination of rework and backlogs. Fulcrum has struck the perfect balance between formality and user-friendliness, now facilitating thorough inspections and data management with unparalleled precision.

Whether critical installations or safety inspections, field teams perform a wide range of essential functions for many companies. By the nature of their work, however, field teams risk being isolated from not just the main office, but from the very processes which produce quality work. When field teams fall behind a quality curve, potential rework and unchecked safety hazards can threaten both bottom-lines and business reputations. And if they’re isolated, field teams may not adopt the culture of quality that safety managers strive so hard to cultivate.

To do their jobs effectively, today’s field workforces need location-aware apps: apps that connect what’s happening — inspection data that’s being collected, or steps in a checklist that someone is checking off — with where it’s happening, or that provide users with maps to understand the location context of what they’re doing.

For the last installment of Fulcrum for Field Data Collection software, we explore the stories of some of our government clients – enjoy!