Reliable, accessible data is crucial to every gas utility’s operations. However, integrating that data can be a significant challenge—especially for organizations still relying on legacy systems. Modern asset management platforms make data integration achievable, enabling gas utilities to improve operational efficiency, safety, uptime, and compliance.
Why Data Integration Plagues Gas Utilities
Many gas utilities struggle with legacy systems that don’t connect with each other or third-party solutions. Each time a new application is introduced—for leak detection, pipeline integrity management, or pressure monitoring functions—the web of disconnected systems expands. The proliferation of SCADA systems and IoT sensors along distribution networks only increases data complexity.
Gas utilities also rely on vast volumes of data originating from disparate sources, often in inconsistent formats. The result: siloed data that impedes access, aggregation, and analysis.
This complex network of systems and data makes it difficult for gas utilities to integrate the information needed to guide field crews and support informed decision-making. As more utilities migrate to Esri Utility Network—a modern GIS framework designed for high fidelity and scalability—they must also integrate legacy data sources like Smallworld Version Managed Data Stores.
At the same time, utilities that deploy crews across widespread service areas require real-time data sharing between mobile workers and back-office systems. Integrated data is also critical for meeting safety regulations, such as those proposed by the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), which include updates to leak survey protocols. And integrated data is essential to the tracking and traceability activities that enable utilities to manage assets and equipment throughout their lifecycle, in accordance with standards like ASTM F2897.
Integrated Field Data Can Transform Gas Utility Operations
Leading gas utilities are discovering that a modern workforce management platform can serve as a single source of truth about field assets and infrastructure, while acting as a key integration hub across disconnected systems. A digitized solution that syncs data between mobile apps, legacy systems, and cloud-based third-party applications gives stakeholders the visibility they need to plan and conduct asset management activities with confidence.
By adopting a platform that facilitates and streamlines data integration, gas utilities can realize important benefits like these:
- More Efficient Asset Management: With accurate, complete information about the location, status, and maintenance history of pipes, fittings, and other field assets, gas utilities can manage them more effectively and efficiently.
- Enhanced Compliance: A digitized platform that integrates data from disparate sources helps utilities comply with regulatory requirements, including those designed to ensure worker and community safety.
- Improved Reporting: A unified data view streamlines data collection and reporting on gas asset inspections, maintenance, and repairs, both for compliance purposes and to guide future planning.
- Optimized Uptime: Better visibility into all relevant data equips gas utilities to plan and schedule preventive maintenance, helping to avoid unexpected failures and improve service uptime for customers.
- Enhanced Safety: Comprehensive, accurate data ensures field crews have the situational awareness to stay safe on the job and allows operations staff to address issues that could jeopardize community safety.
- Lower Costs: Integrated asset data guides efficient, streamlined workflows that optimize resource allocation and reduce labor costs, while informing preventive maintenance decisions that head off major repairs.
- Faster Emergency Response: Accurate data about field assets and infrastructure equips gas utilities to deploy resources faster and more effectively in the event of an unexpected outage or other incident.
- Improved Decision-Making: A unified data view empowers more informed strategic and operational decisions regarding field asset inspections, maintenance, and repairs.
Field Data Integration at Work at San Diego Gas & Electric
When San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) set out to replace its mobile workforce management solution, better data integration was a priority.
The utility employs thousands of field crew members responsible for conducting pipeline inspections, performing routine maintenance and leak surveys, responding to gas leaks and service interruptions, locating underground assets, and ensuring regulatory compliance with safety, environmental, and traceability standards.
SDG&E needed a digitized platform that would provide these mobile employees, as well as the operations staff, with accurate, real-time data about field assets and infrastructure. The utility also needed a solution that seamlessly integrated with its back-office systems, including an SAP application that drives operations.
SDG&E chose the EpochField map-first workforce management platform as its single source of truth for field asset data. Today, utility field crews have ready access to GIS data from an easy-to-use mobile app, while the operations team can use one application to create and track field workflows using data of the highest integrity. EpochField connects front-line, mobile field workers to the utility’s SAP application and other back-office systems, while providing robust offline functionality that keeps work in progress even when Internet access is unreliable. The result: improved efficiency, fewer manual touchpoints, and more productive teams.
Positioning Your Gas Utility for Better Data Integration
The right technology provides a foundation for better field data integration, improving efficiency, safety, compliance, and uptime. That’s why gas utilities partner with Epoch Solutions Group for industry-leading solutions and capabilities that transform field service operations by facilitating data integration.
- EpochField: A mobile workforce management platform that empowers gas utilities to digitally transform, automate, and streamline field service operations. This single application integrates data for a unified view of field activities and asset information, while streamlining workflows and facilitating geospatially enabled back-office scheduling and work order creation.
- EpochSync Pro: A synchronization tool that simplifies GIS data integration between Smallworld Version Managed Data Stores and Esri ArcGIS Enterprise Geodatabases.
- Epoch UN Blueprint: A fast-track framework that streamlines the move to the Esri Utility Network, providing a structured process that includes facilitating the data integration required to leverage this modern network.
Are you looking for a workforce management platform that provides the data integration your gas utility needs to improve efficiency, safety, uptime, and compliance?
Visit Epoch Solutions Group at the 2025 AGA Operations Conference. Our team will be on hand at booth #601, offering live demos of our industry-leading, map-first platform.
Or contact an Epoch Solutions Group sales consultant to learn how our solutions can help you achieve the field service data integration you need to succeed.
