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Category: Guide

Moving to the Esri Utility Network: The Ultimate Guide to Achieving a Smooth Transition

Posted on by Ciara Tobin

With power demand and extreme weather wreaking havoc on energy reliability, utility networks are pressured like never before. Legacy networks are not conducive to managing large, complex data sets, nor do they transform that data into insights that facilitate informed, GIS-based decision-making.

For reasons like these, many utilities are migrating to the Esri ArcGIS Utility Network—a modern framework that simplifies the task of managing a complex network with high fidelity and scalability. But while the Utility Network offers significant business benefits, making the switch can feel like an overwhelming undertaking.

This guide will help you achieve a smoother transition to the Esri Utility Network, enabling your organization to capitalize on its powerful advantages while minimizing operational disruption.

Download the Guide to Learn:

  • Why utilities are moving to the Esri Utility Network
  • Top considerations for optimizing your utility network implementation
  • 5 essentials to look for when choosing a network migration partner
  • How a structured blueprint can smooth the network transition

Download the Guide

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Moving to the Esri Utility Network: The Ultimate Guide to Achieving a Smooth Transition

Legacy networks were not built to handle the volume and complexity of data that modern utility operations require. The Esri ArcGIS Utility Network provides a single, scalable model for managing connected networks with high fidelity, replacing manual processes with automated workflows, improving data integrity, and giving operations teams real-time visibility into network conditions and field assets.

Data readiness is one of the most critical factors in a successful migration to the Utility Network. Before deployment, utilities should conduct a thorough assessment that evaluates geometry errors, connectivity issues, attribution errors, and stacked data points. Reconciling, cleansing, and normalizing data before migration reduces the risk of errors that can disrupt network performance and delay project completion.

Yes. The Utility Network offers a highly flexible data model that can be configured to reflect a utility’s specific assets, infrastructure, workflows, and regulatory requirements. Whether managing renewable energy assets like solar panels and wind turbines or separate asset groups for transmission and service lines, the model can be tailored to match virtually any operational structure.

The right partner should bring deep utility industry knowledge, proven geospatial expertise, and strong data migration capabilities. Look for a vendor with demonstrated experience on large-scale Utility Network projects, familiarity with the latest network releases, a proven track record with other utilities, and proprietary tools that streamline data quality control, transformation, and loading.

The Epoch UN Blueprint is a structured, step-by-step implementation framework that combines a proven process, tailored data models, and best practices to complete Utility Network deployments faster and more efficiently. Esri-certified professionals manage all technical details, and the proprietary EpochSync Pro tool handles bidirectional data migration accurately, reducing the burden on the utility and accelerating time to value.

Best Practices for Improving Utility Asset Management: A Guide to Deploying an Effective Asset Management Strategy

Posted on by Epoch Solutions Group

It’s never been a more challenging time to run a thriving, profitable utility company. From rapidly evolving regulations and escalating consumer service expectations to aging infrastructures and disparate legacy systems, utilities face significant operational obstacles in their quest to deliver power reliably, safely, and profitably. These challenges make proper asset management more vital than ever, yet more difficult to accomplish.

This guide is designed to help. It reviews the industry trends that are placing greater pressure on utility operations, the ways in which asset management solutions can help overcome those challenges and support a utility’s most critical business goals, the best practices that can help your organization manage assets more effectively, and how a digitized solution can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your utility asset management efforts.

Download the Guide to Learn:

  • Trends and regulations impacting asset management for utility companies today
  • The vital role that asset management has on a utility’s operating expenses and capital expenditures
  • A five-step best practices approach to utility asset management
  • How a digitized field asset management platform can help streamline work, improve efficiency and productivity, and reduce operating costs

Download the White Paper

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Best Practices for Improving Utility Asset Management: A Guide to Deploying an Effective Asset Management Strategy

Aging infrastructure, evolving regulations, and rising consumer expectations leave utilities with little margin for reactive approaches. Proactive asset management gives operations teams real-time visibility into asset condition, maintenance history, and performance, allowing them to prioritize repairs before failures occur, reduce unplanned outages, and extend the useful life of high-value field assets.

A thorough inventory should capture each asset’s location, manufacturer, model, installation date, inspection history, maintenance and repair records, current condition, and projected remaining useful life. This information forms the foundation for ranking assets by criticality and building a prioritized maintenance and replacement plan that supports reliable service delivery and informed capital planning.

When asset data is stored across separate systems that do not share information, operations teams and field crews often work with incomplete or outdated records. This often forces field staff to pause work and contact back-office teams for clarification, reducing productivity, slowing response times, and increasing the risk of errors that can impact service reliability and regulatory compliance.

Utilities should look for a single, configurable platform with dynamic map-based interfaces, real-time asset data access both online and offline, enterprise data integration with systems like SAP and Oracle, flexible work order and maintenance scheduling tools, and the ability to share data across teams, systems, and locations to support efficient and accurate field operations.

Digitized platforms eliminate manual processes, reduce data gaps, and give operations teams the visibility needed to schedule preventive maintenance more efficiently. According to McKinsey & Company, one utility leveraged asset management data analytics to reduce operating expenses by 20 to 25 percent and capital expenditures by 40 to 60 percent, demonstrating the significant financial impact that a well-executed digital approach can deliver.

Improving Telecom Workflows for Better Customer Service: A Guide to Enhancing the Customer Experience Through Better Field Force Automation

Posted on by Epoch Solutions Group

It’s well-documented that higher customer satisfaction directly impacts customer loyalty and retention—and that ultimately boosts customer lifetime value and profitability. In a highly competitive industry like telecommunications, the ability to deliver exceptional customer service can reduce the odds of consumers or businesses switching providers and drive down customer acquisition costs.

Yet, telecom providers face a host of challenges when it comes to delivering the service experience their customers expect, from regulatory obstacles to labor constraints to rising costs. With subscriber volume and data usage increasing exponentially, it’s not uncommon for customers to suffer through long on-hold times or experience delays and difficulties in getting their service issues resolved satisfactorily.

Download the Guide to Learn:

  • Trends impacting telecom customer service
  • Challenges that telecom providers face in delivering the service experience today’s consumers and businesses demand
  • Five telecom workflows that can improve customer service through automation
  • Use cases that illustrate the impact that telecom asset management software can have on customer service

Download the White Paper

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Improving Telecom Workflows for Better Customer Service

Field crews are often the first point of contact customers have with a telecom provider, and how efficiently they are scheduled, dispatched, and equipped determines whether issues get resolved quickly. Delays caused by manual processes, poor routing, or incomplete work orders can lead to lower customer satisfaction and higher risk of subscriber loss.

The average cost of a service truck roll ranges from $600 to $1,000, and even simple no-fault-found dispatches can cost telecoms millions annually. Automating field workflows reduces unnecessary rolls by improving how crews are assigned and dispatched, cutting costs while speeding resolution times and improving the overall customer experience.

GIS-based platforms provide real-time, map-based visibility into crew locations, asset conditions, and scheduled work across an entire service area. This allows dispatch teams to make faster, more informed decisions about where to deploy field crews, reducing travel time, improving on-time arrivals, and helping telecoms deliver the first-call resolution customers expect.

Automated field workforce management systems account for real-time variables including weather conditions, crew availability, and unplanned days off. When disruptions occur, back-office teams can quickly identify the nearest qualified crew and reroute them to the highest priority location, minimizing service delays and keeping customers informed throughout the process.

The five workflows with the greatest impact are field crew scheduling, crew assigning and dispatching, proactive maintenance scheduling, work order creation, and vegetation management. Automating each of these reduces manual errors, improves response times, and gives telecom providers the operational visibility needed to consistently deliver a superior customer experience.

Working Faster & Smarter: A Guide to Automated Field Crew Scheduling

Posted on by Epoch Solutions Group

For utility companies today, field crew scheduling is one of the costliest and most complex tasks they undertake – and one of the more critically important. According to industry research, field operation labor costs typically represent as much as 60% of the overall asset maintenance costs utility companies incur. For many water and gas utilities, these costs can be as high as 80% of total spend.

This is because so much of the scheduling and workforce management processes are carried out manually by utility personnel. While this labor-intensive approach was sufficient for the needs of the industry years ago, today’s public is accustomed to much faster, more responsive services from the organizations that touch their lives (think Amazon and Netflix), and utilities must digitally transform their service models to keep their operations in step with what consumers today expect from them.

In this report, we cover the benefits of using an automated work scheduling solution to increase utility companies’ worker efficiency and productivity.

Read the guide to learn:

  • How the utility industry workforce is changing, leaving companies shorthanded and missing key institutional knowledge and skills

  • How automated work scheduling software can increase worker productivity and efficiency, allowing them to spend more time completing work rather than on manually tracking and transferring data

  • How to find the right scheduling tool for your company’s field automation needs

Download the White Paper

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Working Faster & Smarter: A Guide to Automated Field Crew Scheduling

Field crew scheduling is complex because utilities must coordinate large, distributed workforces across vast geographies, often with limited connectivity and mixed crew availability. Manual scheduling struggles to keep pace with real-time demands, emergency work, and regulatory requirements, making it one of the most resource-intensive and operationally critical functions.

Automated scheduling improves productivity by streamlining dispatch, reducing manual coordination, and optimizing crew assignments using real-time data. Utilities can increase field worker availability by up to 50% and reduce routine job time by 25%, enabling more work to be completed with fewer resources while maintaining operational consistency.

Automated scheduling enables faster emergency response by analyzing real-time geospatial data to identify impacted areas and determine optimal crew routes. Dispatchers can dynamically reassign crews and resources, ensuring faster restoration times, reduced downtime, and more efficient coordination during outages, storms, or infrastructure failures.

Utilities reduce labor costs by automating scheduling and dispatch processes, minimizing the need for manual coordination. Advanced systems can improve scheduler-to-crew ratios from 1:15 to 1:80, reduce overtime, and optimize workforce allocation—significantly lowering operational costs while improving service delivery and efficiency.

Utilities should look for map-based scheduling, real-time crew and asset tracking, automated work order generation, route optimization, and seamless integration with GIS, ERP, and asset management systems. Mobile access, offline capability, and configurable workflows are also essential for supporting field operations across diverse environments.

Automating Tracking and Traceability Processes: Minimizing Human Error for Better Field Outcomes

Posted on by Epoch Solutions Group

With industry technology digitally transforming so quickly, the pressure is on for natural gas companies to embrace new tracking and traceability tools as they are brought to market and to modernize their systems, applications, and organizations.

In this report, we explore how digital tracking and traceability tools are revolutionizing the natural gas industry and providing for easier, safer, and more efficient field operations.

Read the guide to learn:

  • The latest regulatory requirements affecting the natural gas industry, such as ASTM F2897
  • Why it’s important to make the investment now in automated tracking and traceability technology
  • Key features to look for when selecting a digitized workforce management solution

Download the White Paper

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Automating Tracking and Traceability Processes

Automating tracking and traceability processes reduces manual data entry and minimizes human error in documenting asset conditions, locations, and field activities. As gas utilities face evolving regulatory requirements and increasing operational complexity, digital traceability ensures accurate, real-time records that improve compliance, safety, and overall field performance.

Digital tracking solutions create detailed, time-stamped records of asset materials, locations, inspections, and field activities. This helps gas utilities comply with regulations such as ASTM F2897 and PHMSA mandates while improving audit readiness. Real-time, standardized data reduces human error, strengthens documentation accuracy, and enhances overall pipeline safety and accountability.

Manual asset tracking increases human error, delays data entry, and creates inconsistent records. Paper-based processes and disconnected systems can compromise compliance, inspection accuracy, and emergency response. Digitizing tracking eliminates manual touchpoints, improves data integrity, and ensures utilities maintain accurate, real-time visibility into pipeline assets and field activities.

Gas utilities should look for map-centric mobile apps with offline capability, GNSS integration, configurable forms, scheduling and dispatch tools, and seamless GIS and enterprise system integration. The ideal solution supports real-time data synchronization, work order management, and scalable deployment across crews and service territories.

Automated tracking provides real-time visibility into asset conditions, crew locations, and active work orders during emergencies. This enables faster dispatch, precise network tracing, and coordinated response across multiple teams. Digital traceability improves restoration speed, reduces downtime, and strengthens safety during storms, leaks, or infrastructure failures.

Digitization in Mobile Workforce Management: Overcoming 5 Barriers in Field Operations

Posted on by Epoch Solutions Group

The pandemic added a level of urgency to digitization in utilities unlike anything the industry has ever seen. And yet, for many companies, the ongoing work towards digital transformation has been anything but smooth.

In this report, we cover some of the barriers we’ve seen firsthand as companies follow the path to streamlining and simplifying end-to-end mobile workforce management.

Read the guide to learn:

  • How digitization is reshaping field operations and bridging the gap between field and office workflows
  • The top 5 obstacles companies face when implementing technologies meant to promote digital ways of working
  • How to overcome these challenges with a phased, achievable roadmap to digitization

Download the White Paper

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Digitization in Mobile Workforce Management

Utilities often face challenges such as legacy systems, disconnected field and office workflows, resistance to change, limited real-time visibility, and difficulty integrating new technologies with existing infrastructure. Overcoming these barriers requires a phased, strategic approach to digitization that streamlines workflows, improves communication between field and back-office teams, and centralizes operational data.

Digitizing mobile workforce management connects field crews with real-time data, automated scheduling, and centralized work order management tools. This reduces manual processes, bridges gaps between field and office operations, accelerates decision-making, and enables utilities to operate more efficiently across large and complex service territories.

GIS integration is critical because utilities rely on accurate asset location, network tracing, and real-time outage visibility. Without integration between mobile workforce and GIS systems, routing, scheduling, and impact analysis suffer. A map-first solution ensures crews can access reliable data online or offline, improving precision, speed, and operational decision-making.

Utilities create a single source of truth by integrating ERP, OMS, GIS, and mobile systems into a centralized platform. Eliminating data silos reduces errors, duplicate work, and IT burden. Standardized workflows ensure field and office teams use the same real-time information, improving visibility, reporting accuracy, and resource allocation.

Utilities should follow a phased roadmap: define the business case, assess current systems, implement aligned technology, train crews, and continuously optimize. Aligning workflows with enterprise strategy and working with an experienced implementation partner reduces disruption and ensures scalable, long-term digital transformation.