Utilities GIS Digital Use Case Report
Empower digital transformation beyond the knowledge of where.
While GIS has been recognized as an invaluable tool, the strategic significance of GIS for utility digital transformation has not been well understood. Utilities lack insights about the modern GIS capabilities and trends to guide the development of a future-proof GIS strategy.
GIS data management – including maintaining data quality, data accuracy, data currency, and data integration standards remains a major challenge.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
GIS is a critical enabler for utilities modernization. Utilities should plan and manage GIS technologies as a program throughout the entire value stream to maximize the value of the investment.
Impact and Result
- Pull inspiration from a curated collection of best-in-class GIS digital use cases to drive the initiative ideation process.
- While implementation details will differ, overall concepts can often be helpful in designing transformation roadmaps.
- Our analysis offers additional guidance on ROI, primary sources of value, and more.
- Pulling best practices from anonymized use cases increases the odds of successful value capture.
Utilities GIS Digital Use Case Report
Empower digital transformation beyond the knowledge of where.
Analyst Perspective
Break down silos and orchestrate advancement together.
The adoption of various geographic information system (GIS) technologies should not occur in isolation among business groups and IT within utility organizations. Exploring GIS digital use cases in the context of utility business capabilities can help break down these silos and demonstrate the interconnection and dependencies of various business capabilities.
Besides the basic use of GIS to map assets and track utility infrastructure, utilities have been exploring different possibilities and new features available for future enhancements. Utilities leaders not only want to know what benefits can be realized but also what challenges exist in maximizing the investment.
This research uses technology and data insights to demonstrate the broad value of GIS capabilities for utilities and offers key learnings and practical guidelines to truly unlock the potential of GIS.
Jing Wu
Principal Research Director
Utilities, Industry Practice
Info-Tech Research Group
Executive Summary
Your ChallengeThe strategic significance of GIS for utility digital transformation is not widely understood despite GIS being recognized as an invaluable tool. Utilities lack insights about modern GIS capabilities and trends that would help guide the development of a future-proof GIS strategy. Managing GIS data poses major challenges including maintaining data quality, accuracy, currency, and integration standards. |
Common ObstaclesUtility leaders have a limited understanding of the crucial role of GIS and its broad impact on the success of major initiatives. Utilities with legacy GIS systems have difficulty justifying the need to migrate and upgrade to a modern GIS system. Utilities demonstrate lack of urgency toward enhancing GIS data management and integration capabilities. |
Info-Tech’s ApproachIntroduce a curated list of utility GIS digital use cases to drive inspiration and momentum to establish a GIS strategy supported by a roadmap consisting of value-driven initiatives. Help utility leaders understand and discover future GIS capabilities that can enable major transformative initiatives such as grid modernization and digital twinning. Provide practical insights from anonymized use cases to increase the odds of success. |
Info-Tech Insight
GIS is a critical enabler for modernization of utilities. Utilities should plan and manage GIS technologies as a program throughout the entire value stream to maximize the value of the investment.
GIS has a tremendous impact on value creation for utilities
A geospatially mature utility can develop an integrated approach for deploying advanced GIS capabilities to drive value creation for utilities.
Mapping and Service Provision
Mapping of utilities’ assets and work locations for internal use and external collaborations such as open data forums to promote adoption.
Business Process Modeling
Asset mapping, hydraulic modeling, and load profile modeling are an integral part of efficient maintenance and operations of physical assets.
Analytics and Workflow
Business intelligence and spatial analysis can support data-driven decision making.
Integrated Insights
GIS is no longer a siloed practice. Coordination of work often spans multiple departments such as asset management, outage management, system planning, etc.
Community Engagement
Matured utilities have integrated, collaborated, and shared data across government and other industries while following data security practices.
“Utilities are the second industry that Geospatial Technology can create significant high-value impact following the Transportation industry.”
– GeoBuiz, 2019
Unlock the value of utility location data
The untapped potential of GIS for utilities resides within the interconnected business location data waiting to be explored and integrated into geospatial intelligence.
Location Information
Operations and Maintenance Schedule
- Location of asset repair and maintenance
Material Inventory
- Stocked items warehouse location
Customer
- Customer geographic demographics
Workforce
- Employee location and route planning
Fleet
- Utility vehicle and equipment location
Asset Portfolio
- Address of assets and facilities
Source: GeoBuiz, 2019
The strategic significance of GIS for utilities is not well recognized
xPSD Citywide’s 2022 GIS Maturity Index survey of North American Public Sectors (including public utility organizations) highlighted some common obstacles preventing organizations from accelerating their GIS maturity development.
GIS Strategic Plan
A large percentage of organizations (44%) do not have a GIS strategic plan, though most organizations have a formal GIS department. This reflects why the business benefits achieved from GIS programs are relatively low compared to readiness and implementation within the maturity index stats.
GIS Communication Plan
The benefits and value of a GIS program and data have not been communicated effectively across many organizations (69%). There are few continuous and regular communication plans including training programs. Without an effective communication plan, the impact of GIS-related initiatives often goes unnoticed.
GIS Staff Capacity
Lack of resource availability will hinder the delivery of key utility initiatives (59%). Many utilities are struggling with maintaining their current GIS mandates let alone future capability development. How to improve operational efficiency with limited resources becomes a key driver for leveraging technology.
Data challenges inhibit GIS advancement
GIS foundational challenges such as data management and integrations barriers make it difficult to maximize the potential value of data:
33%
Less than one-third of North American public sector organizations (including public utilities) have their GIS data layers catalogued.
19%
Less than one-fifth of North American public sector organizations have a GIS data security policy in place.
Source: PSD Citywide, N=97,2022
“Data is the fuel that drives the GIS engine. You can have the best tools and technologies in the world to analyze data. Unless you have the data you need that is relevant and compatible with the intended use, you are coming up short.”
– Andrew Fox, PhD, PMP
Senior Project Manager,
Timmons Group
GIS digital technology unlocks immense value
Value Added |
Augment human-machine interactionsIncrease efficiency and streamline GIS-powered asset management operations Enhance customer/employee experience via GIS-layered data democratization Improve health and safety of employees |
Leverage improved connectivity & computational powerEnable frontline operation visibility via network connectivity Improve situational awareness from real-time presentation of geographically accurate and physically modeled asset information |
Drive decisions through data & analyticsIncrease availability and accessibility to integrated, large, and multi-source data sets to support decision making Enable advanced analytics to automate, augment, and accelerate insight generation |
Optimize design & delivery via advanced engineeringStreamline planning, design, construction, and commission lifecycle of vertical and horizontal engineering and construction projects Improve quality assurance through advanced engineering technologies and techniques |
Example GIS Technologies |
GIS web portal for data storytelling and collaboration GIS publishable services for sharing common layers Autonomous GIS systems for adopting large language models’ generative abilities |
Network modeling with real-world details and high data fidelity High-definition (HD) maps with highly accurate information GIS mobile app for online and offline data integration Blockchain for privacy and security |
Geospatial analytics powered by cloud computing and artificial intelligence/machine learning Real-time collection via edge/ Internet of Things like smart transformers/meters/hydrants, etc. Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) |
3D modeling and visualization (generative AI) for spatial contextualization Extended reality (virtual, augmented, etc.) for immersive experiences |
Source: Water Finance & Management, 2023; University of South Carolina, 2023
Info-Tech’s approach and team can help irrespective of where you are in your transformation journey
Measure the value of this document
Document objective
Highlight best-in-class use cases to spur the initiative planning and ideation process.
Measuring your success against that objective
There are multiple qualitative and quantitative, direct and indirect metrics for which you can measure the progress of your initiative pipeline’s development. Some examples of this are:
- Increased initiative pipeline value
- Number of capabilities impacted by initiative pipeline
- Enhanced understanding of initiatives’ impact aligned to organization’s capability map
- Better understanding of which sources of value are being addressed or under-addressed in the organization’s initiative pipeline
See Establish Your Transformation Infrastructure in the Digital Transformation Center for more details.
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Unlock Sample ResearchContributors
- Eduardo Brambila, IT Director, San Jose Wager Group
- Totran Mai, GIS Manager, San Jose Wager Group
- Andrew Fox, Senior Project Manager, Timmons Group
- Ally Reynolds, Project Manager, Utility Network Lead, Timmons Group
- Jackson Stoss, GIS Manager, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority
- Pete Seth Penttinen, GIS Consultant, Pling Consulting Services