Telecommunications Archives | Epoch Solutions Group

The Future of Vegetation Management: How Digitized Solutions Help Utilities Address the Growing Risk

Posted on March 25, 2025April 14, 2025 by Ciara Tobin

Nearly one-quarter of the power outages in the US are related to vegetation risk, according to research by The College of Nature Resources. The utility sector spends an estimated $6-8 billion annually on vegetation management, per Accenture, making it critical that these resources are used effectively. Many utilities are discovering that a digitized, map-first asset management solution can improve their vegetation management efforts, ensure they allocate resources strategically, and reduce the likelihood of a vegetation-related power outage or wildfire.

The Growing Impact of Vegetation on Utilities

The risk of vegetation contributing to costly and potentially dangerous power outages is on the rise, especially as severe weather events become more frequent due to climate change. The rising prevalence of drought conditions presents a significant challenge.

In the fall of 2024, 48 states experienced some level of drought—a situation The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) deemed “historic.” If a downed power line comes into contact with dry vegetation, it can spark a fire that takes power out of service and threatens properties and lives.

Even in the absence of weather issues, overgrown trees have the potential to extend into overhead power lines and ignite a fire. And while not all wildfires result from power equipment coming into contact with vegetation, the growing frequency of these events—from the 2023 Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas, to the devastating wildfires on Maui and more recently in Los Angeles—has heightened awareness of the urgent need to reduce vegetation as a contributing factor.

Adding to the complexity, utilities must now comply with the updated Transmission Vegetation Management reliability standard from the North American Energy Regulatory Commission (NERC), which went into effect April 1, 2024. FAC-003-5 impacts all NERC Registered Transmission Owners and Generator Owners. As utilities add transmission capacity to address growing energy demand, while simultaneously transitioning to renewable energy, complying with this updated standard adds another layer of complexity.

Transforming Traditional Vegetation Management

When vegetation near utility assets is left unmanaged, it poses serious risks to power companies and their customers. That’s why utilities across the US engage in proactive vegetation management, such as pruning trees, removing trees and flammable brush, and widening rights-of-way to expand the area where they can manage vegetation.

However, the high cost of utility vegetation management and persistent labor shortages require utilities to adopt a more strategic, data-driven approach. Traditionally, vegetation management has been performed on fixed schedules based on historical patterns. But as weather patterns become more unpredictable, this approach becomes inadequate.

Instead, forward-thinking utilities are leveraging advanced technology to better inform their vegetation management strategies, prioritizing high-risk areas and maximizing the impact of their resources.

Where Legacy Systems Fall Short on Vegetation Management

To reduce fall-in, grow-in, and other vegetation risks, utilities need full visibility into where vegetation is encroaching on field assets or otherwise threatening reliable power. Equipped with accurate, real-time data, they can proactively forecast vegetation management needs, efficiently schedule inspections, and direct maintenance teams to the most critical areas.

However, traditional legacy systems and a lack of integration among disparate data sources make vegetation management challenging for today’s utilities. The information needed to inform vegetation management comes from multiple sources, which is often stored and managed within a variety of disconnected systems. For example, drone-captured aerial images and geospatial data from sources like LiDAR (light detection and ranging) are typically gathered using a mix of manual and digitized processes. As a result, the data is collected and housed in various formats that make it difficult to structure, synthesize, and process it for effective use.

Even as satellite technology provides more geographic and geospatial data, processing these massive data volumes requires significant computing power – something that outdated IT infrastructure and legacy systems struggle to handle.

A Digited Solution Reduces Vegetation Risk

Managing vegetation proactively and strategically demands a modern technology platform that supports gathering, synthesizing, and analyzing all the data inputs required to assess risk and direct field resources. Many utilities find that a digitized, geospatial asset management platform greatly improves vegetation management by providing a single repository of real-time data about field assets and the state of nearby vegetation.

By tracking each asset’s geospatial location and integrating data across many sources, a digitized solution provides the visibility utilities need to develop and execute effective vegetation management strategies. The solution standardizes data that is gathered from a variety of sources and exists in many different formats, including data from drones, satellites, mobile devices, and information within manual documents.

With the capability to automate field crews’ workflow end-to-end, a mobile workforce management platform streamlines work order creation, optimizes staff scheduling and deployment, facilitates tracking of vegetation management work progress, and ensures the utility allocates finite resources wisely. A modern, digitized asset management solution further improves vegetation management by giving field crews mobile access to the real-time data they need to carry out work orders efficiently and accurately.

Leading Utilities Improve Vegetation Management with EpochField

To meet today’s challenges, leading utilities are turning to EpochField, a map-first, geospatial asset management solution designed to modernize and streamline vegetation management operations. Purpose-built for utilities and scalable to any size organization, EpochField digitally transforms, automates, and streamlines field service operations, including the mission-critical task of vegetation management. This modern solution provides the spatial intelligence to inform vegetation management activities while seamlessly integrating with legacy systems, enterprise applications, and mobile devices for access to real-time data.

Many of EpochField’s newest enhancements greatly aid utilities in managing vegetation efficiently and effectively. For instance, the enhanced Edit Multiple Work Features tool equips field crews to manage tasks more accurately and simplifies the job of bulk editing work features. Updated Workflow Forms save field crews time by guiding them through the form logically, while allowing them to use the Workflow Builder to create these forms using simple drag-and-drop functionality. The Workflow Builder now includes a Spatial Lookup feature that supports auto-populating category values in workflow forms, using nearby features based on a specified spatial distance. These are just a few of the many EpochField features utilities can use to create vegetation management work orders and implement these tasks in the field.

Don’t let outdated technology hold back your vegetation management strategy. Contact an Epoch sales consultant to learn how our digitized, geospatial asset management solution can help reduce vegetation-related risks and improve operational efficiency. Visit our Utility Operations Resource Center for more insights and resources from the utility experts at Epoch Solutions Group.

Enhancing Form Usability with EpochField’s Show Intelligent Workflow Rule

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Ciara Tobin

A Smarter Way for Utilities to Streamline Data Collection

Efficient data collection for utility companies starts with well-designed forms. Field crews rely on structured, intuitive workflows to capture critical data quickly and accurately. However, a cluttered, overwhelming form can slow operations, frustrate users, and increase the likelihood of data entry errors.

That’s where EpochField’s Show Intelligent Workflow Rule comes in. This feature dynamically adjusts form visibility based on user input, ensuring that only the most relevant fields appear at any given time. The result? A more efficient, intuitive, and user-friendly experience—helping utilities improve field productivity, reduce errors, and enhance regulatory compliance.

What is the Show Intelligent Workflow Rule?

The Show Intelligent Workflow Rule is a built-in feature of EpochField, designed specifically for utilities that need to manage field operations efficiently. It enhances form usability by dynamically displaying or hiding fields based on predefined conditions, ensuring field technicians only see the information they need to complete their tasks.

Key Benefits for Utilities:

Reduces clutter by hiding irrelevant fields.
Improves user experience by making the form intuitive and easy to navigate.
Enhances efficiency by ensuring users only see what’s necessary.
Minimizes errors by guiding users through the form logically.

How Does the Show Intelligent Workflow Rule Work?

1. Initial Form Display

When the form is first loaded, only categories and fields not marked as Hidden by Default will be visible. This ensures a clean layout and streamlined user experience.

2. Dynamic Field Display

As users fill out the form, specific inputs trigger additional fields to appear when necessary. This happens when a user selects an option from a dropdown, checks a box, or provides other qualifying inputs.

3. Field Hiding

Fields that do not meet the workflow conditions remain hidden, ensuring users only see information relevant to their input. This prevents unnecessary distractions and speeds up the data entry process.

4. Required Fields

Only required fields relevant to the user’s selections will be displayed. This ensures that users enter all essential data without having to sift through irrelevant fields.

Real-World Example: Gas Meter Inspection

To demonstrate how EpochField’s Show Intelligent Workflow Rule enhances field operations, let’s explore a utility-specific use case—gas meter inspections.

Scenario:

You are conducting a gas meter inspection, and the form needs to determine whether damage is present.

How the Rule Works:

When the form loads, the category “Damage Present” is visible, with two options: Yes or No.

If the user selects “Yes”, configurable additional fields and categories related to damage appear, prompting the user to provide details such as:
- Type of damage
- Severity
- Additional remarks

If the user selects “No”, the damage-related fields remain hidden, allowing the user to move on to the next section.

This dynamic behavior ensures that only relevant fields are presented, making the inspection process smooth and efficient.

How to Configure the Show Intelligent Workflow Rule

Implementing this feature in EpochField is simple and intuitive. Follow these steps to configure Show Intelligent Workflow Rules for utility field operations:

1. Create a Category or Field

Define a category or field that should be hidden by default.
For step-by-step instructions, refer to the EpochField Knowledge Base.

2. Create a New Intelligent Workflow Rule

Set up an Intelligent Workflow Rule to control when fields should be shown or hidden.
Learn more about setting up workflow rules in EpochField’s Documentation.

3. Define Conditions

Establish conditions that trigger field visibility.
Example: If “Damage Present” is marked “Yes”, additional damage-related fields become visible.

4. Publish the Task Type

Ensure the changes are applied and published to the server.

5. Test and Optimize

Conduct thorough testing to confirm that the fields appear and disappear as expected based on user input.
Validate that the rule improves efficiency and reduces errors in the field.

Utility Companies Trust EpochField for Smarter Workflows

EpochField’s Show Intelligent Workflow Rule is a powerful tool for enhancing form usability and efficiency. This feature helps utilities:

Accelerate inspections and audits
Ensure regulatory compliance with precise data collection
Improve field crew productivity by eliminating unnecessary inputs
Simplify complex forms for faster, more efficient workflows

Whether you’re conducting inspections, collecting survey responses, or processing applications, this feature makes forms more intuitive and user-friendly.

Ready to simplify your utility workflows?

Start leveraging EpochField’s Show Intelligent Workflow Rule today to enhance efficiency, compliance, and field operations.

If your utility isn’t using EpochField yet, contact an Epoch sales consultant to see how our industry-leading solution can transform your field operations.

AI Can Transform Utility Operations—and These Steps Will Help Prepare Your Data for the Shift

Posted on January 24, 2025February 5, 2025 by Ciara Tobin

The demand for more power—delivered reliably, safely, and with resilience—has never been greater. The growth in cloud computing and electrification is fueling demand dramatically, while extreme weather and cyberthreats are placing the grid at higher risk.

Amidst this unprecedented change, utilities are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) as powerful strategic weapons. An IBM study found that three-quarters of energy companies have implemented artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations or are exploring the idea.

Impactful use cases for AI and ML in utility operations abound. For example, these technologies can predict asset failures, analyze vegetation for heightened fire risk, detect cyber threats, improve demand forecasting based on patterns, reduce unplanned downtime, improve field crew productivity through smarter scheduling, and optimize the grid based on historical use, consumption trends, weather forecasts, and other critical information. AI is especially adept at analyzing massive volumes of data—a capability which utilities can use to spot trends that warrant action and make the most informed decisions.

Data holds the key to turning AI into an operational advantage, but siloed legacy systems and disparate data sources create formidable obstacles for utilities. The following steps can improve data preparedness for utilities that are ready to transform their operations with AI-enabled applications.

Unify Your Data Sources

An effective utility operation depends on data from many sources, including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), outage management systems (OMS), and the geographic information systems (GIS) that provide a complete view of the grid and utility network. Utilities are also operating asset management, work management, and customer information systems that may not integrate with each other—along with smart grid devices and IoT devices.

Given this complicated web of systems and data sources, it’s imperative for utilities to unify their data, integrate systems in real time, and create a single source of truth about network assets. This step is critical to leveraging AI-powered tools and solutions to their fullest.

Develop a Data Management Strategy

Another vital step in preparing for this transformation is the development of strategies for aggregating and managing the data AI will rely on to improve utility operations. This can include meter data, historical data on grid and network performance, microgrid and islanding data, distributed energy resource (DER) data, and many other types.

Utility data management is a complex undertaking that involves tasks such as these, at a minimum:

Implementing a data warehouse solution ideally suited to handling utility-specific data
Developing data integration strategies for microgrid controllers and third-party applications
Establishing data-sharing protocols with DER owners and aggregators
Developing the necessary data infrastructure to support microgrid management and islanding operations
Creating a wide variety of data models, including those that enable microgrid performance analysis and optimization and others that integrate various DER types
Establishing scalable storage, archiving and retrieval processes for a high volume of data, along with retention policies that balance the need for historical data with the associated costs

Several specific data types require additional data management considerations. For example:

The proliferation of intelligent grid sensors and IoT devices requires edge computing strategies that support data streaming for real-time monitoring and integrate weather, satellite, and other data to improve resilience, while maintaining governance.

Gas pipeline integrity management demands the ability to consolidate inspection, maintenance, and risk management data, create quality standards for pipeline material and installation data, and facilitate the required regulatory reporting.

Gas demand forecasting and supply management requires effective management of historical consumption, weather, and market data, along with access to real-time gas flow monitoring and balancing information and reliable meter readings.

Ensure Data Quality and Integrity

AI algorithms demand high-quality, consistent data. Before adding AI-enabled tools and solutions, consider implementing measures for validating data on transformers, pipelines, and other assets in real time, and establishing data quality metrics specific to utility operations.

GIS data is especially vital to effective field operations, allowing utilities to model and analyze the network with accuracy. So it’s vital to implement processes that ensure GIS data is always accurate and keep data consistent across GIS and other systems. As utilities incorporate increasingly advanced geospatial data from sources like LiDAR (light detection and ranging), it’s equally important to develop strategies for integrating this information while maintaining its integrity.

Shore Up Data Governance

Operating in a highly regulated industry demands attention to data monitoring, control, and governance to ensure compliance. That’s why any strategy for incorporating AI into the utility’s operations must be grounded in a sound data governance approach.

Automated reporting mechanisms, strict data quality controls, and complete audit trails can facilitate timely and accurate regulatory submissions. It’s also critical to define ownership for every data utility type data, develop clear data standards and naming conventions, and implement catalog solutions customized to your data types and use cases. A cross-functional data governance committee that spans operational functions is vital to data stewardship.

Enhance Data Analytics for Better Operational Intelligence

A wide range of data analytics can enhance operations, providing a window into key functions like predictive maintenance, energy demand and load forecasting, demand response, and outage management. AI initiatives are more effective when the utility is better prepared to leverage these metrics.

Before moving ahead with AI full-steam, utilities should take measures such as these to improve their data analytics capabilities:

Aggregate and consolidate asset performance, load, weather, outage, grid topology, pricing, and operational data, along with maintenance records
Develop data pipelines that facilitate real-time asset health monitoring and demand response program data integration
Create data feeds and pipelines for real-time power outage management and restoration, along with dynamic load forecasting and pricing
Implement data streaming mechanisms that improve real-time grid and network monitoring, factoring in SCADA, grid sensor, and grid state estimation data
Integrate real-time pricing data with customer systems, while leveraging data to facilitate timely customer notification

Epoch Solutions Group: The Partner that Helps Prepare Your Data for AI

Preparing your data to leverage the power and value of AI is a complex effort. That’s why leading electric and gas utilities partner with the industry specialists at Epoch Solutions Group.

We help utilities prepare for the AI transformation through our industry-leading technology solutions and unrivaled capabilities:

The EpochField map-first mobile workforce management platform empowers your utility to digitally transform, automate, and streamline field service operations. This single application improves all field workflows and facilitates geospatially enabled back-office scheduling, work type authoring, and work order creation. Available on premise or as a SaaS solution, it’s the foundation you need for AI-ready data—simplifying data integration while ensuring quality and fidelity.

The EpochSync Pro tool synchronizes data between Smallworld Version Managed Data Stores and Esri ArcGIS Enterprise Geodatabases—providing a flexible, scalable way to integrate data across multiple geospatial systems with consistency and reliability.
The Epoch UN Blueprint provides a structured process to speed and streamline your transition to the geospatially enabled Esri Utility Network, setting a foundation to implement AI technologies effectively across the operation.
With extensive expertise in geospatial software implementation, Epoch Solutions Group delivers valuable insights on managing and integrating the geospatial data that’s critical to utility-specific AI applications.
Our focus on the utility industry affords our team the knowledge and experience to offer tailored solutions that help prepare your data to leverage AI in utility operations.

Building the foundation to facilitate AI implementation is critical for electric and gas utilities that are ready to tackle the challenges of a rapidly changing industry and future-proof their operations. By leveraging Epoch Solutions Group’s deep industry expertise and purpose-built technology solutions, you can create an AI-ready data infrastructure, accelerate your AI transformation, and position your organization for long-term success.

Contact an Epoch Solutions Group sales consultant or visit our website to learn more.

2025 Esri User Conference

JULY 14-18, 2025 | SAN DIEGO, CA

Visit with Epoch Solutions Group in Booth #912

Join Epoch Solutions Group in booth #912 for the 2025 Esri User Conference, the world’s largest GIS conference. Join us in discovering new opportunities to streamline your utility field operations with EpochField, leveraging GIS technology and Esri.

Schedule a demo with one of our solution engineers to learn about implementing the best-in-class utility field service software.

Demo Date	Demo Time
Tuesday, July 15th, 2025	9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, July 16th, 2025	9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday, July 17th, 2025	9:00 AM - 2:30 PM

With EpochField, Learn How to:

Leverage real-time insights to take control of your scheduling and dispatching.
Manage your workforce on the go with Mobile Workforce Management.
Plan, track, and manage your work orders and field service workforce—from the field to the back office.
Capture operational data for coordinated asset management, automation, and visibility at all times.

With EpochSync Pro, Learn How to:

Synchronize data between Smallworld Version Managed Data Stores and Esri ArcGIS Enterprise Geodatabases.
Define custom mappings for the development of hybrid data models and attribute manipulation.
Transition your team with minimal training.
Leverage industry-standard development languages such as .NET, Java and Objective C to build applications on Windows, iOS and Android platforms.

With EpochUN Blueprint, Learn How to:

Accelerate Your Migration: Quickly implement the Esri ArcGIS Utility Network with a structured, step-by-step approach, reducing time to productivity.
Leverage Certified Expertise: Benefit from the guidance of Esri-certified professionals who have successfully deployed numerous large-scale Utility Network projects.
Utilize Industry-Specific Models: Rely on tailored data models designed specifically for the utility industry to ensure a smooth transition.
Integrate Multiple Data Sources: Seamlessly migrate from various data sources, like Smallworld and Esri geometric networks, using EpochSync Pro or other tools.

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

Posted on June 7, 2023June 7, 2023 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

Is Your Field Solution Configurable to Meet Your Telecom Operation Needs?

Posted on March 15, 2023June 23, 2023 by Epoch Solutions Group

The technology environment that powers telecom field operations has never been more complex. Legacy systems must work alongside and connect with a growing number of other systems and applications, within a distributed network environment, often involving a mix of cloud-based, on-site, and mobile solutions.

Telecom field operations are also challenged by many pressures—from customers’ escalating demands for fast and reliable service, to aging equipment and network infrastructure assets and evolving regulatory requirements. In this environment, it’s critical that you can deploy your field crews effectively and accurately across a wide service area, so they can maintain your assets and infrastructure efficiently.

To overcome these challenges, telecom providers increasingly rely on GPS-based field workforce management solutions that digitize field operations, reduce manual touchpoints by automating workflows, boost field productivity, and allow teams to provide first-issue resolution to service requests. Capitalizing on these advantages requires not only choosing the right solution and partner, but configuring the platform to meet your telecom’s specific requirements and suit the way you work.

Leveraging the Power of Geospatial Technology and Digitization

Whether they’re installing or maintaining cable, poles, or cell towers, or resolving customer service-related issues, telecom field technicians and the dispatchers who schedule them need accurate, real-time information about field asset location and condition. That’s where robust telecom asset management software makes the difference.

Today’s digitized platforms capitalize on the power of geospatial technology to deliver real-time data on field crews and assets—enabling telecom providers to speed and streamline critical workflows, provide first-issue resolution, and boost productivity.

To deliver these benefits, field workforce management solutions need to capture, sync, and share field operations data in real time and provide an accurate view of conditions on the ground. Within an increasingly complicated telecom network environment, these platforms must be able to process and access field asset data across multiple systems, applications, and devices throughout the enterprise—from back-office servers to cloud-based applications and mobile devices.

It Starts with the Right Digitized Field Operations Platform

The telecom industry’s unique operational demands require infrastructure solutions that are flexible and configurable to the requirements of each enterprise. Before standardizing on a field workforce digitization platform, you need assurance it can evolve as your telecom business does—whether you’re adding or upgrading assets or expanding your service area.

The essential foundation is a field workforce management solution that’s purpose-built for the telecom industry and able to be configured to the way you work. When selecting a telecom-specific field workforce management solution, features like these should be high on the list of criteria:

A solution that digitizes both asset data and field crew data
A platform that integrates and communicates with your entire application stack and all your databases, including business process and CRM applications from third parties like Esri, SAP, and Oracle
Automation of all the workflows associated with field workforce management—from assigning and dispatching crews, to creating work orders, scheduling maintenance, and more
Real-time, two-way data synchronization between the field team’s mobile devices and the company’s back-end systems and cloud-based applications, with a mobile app that’s compatible with Android, Windows, and iOS devices
A GIS-based solution that leverages field mapping data for fast, efficient deployment of field crews and other resources
A holistic, digitized map view of the field service area, automatically updated as work is completed and crews are deployed to the next job
An interface that streamlines and simplifies the work, with dashboards that provide an accurate view of the service area and drag-and-drop features for assigning crews

Configuring A Platform That Supports How Your Telecom Crews Work

Beyond a feature-rich platform purpose-built for the telecom industry, you need the ability to configure the solution to support how your company works. Since no two telecom providers operate the same way, configurability is paramount to a successful experience.

Configurability features like these are essential when choosing a digitized field workforce management platform:

Workflow builder. A flexible workflow builder application makes it easy to build, view, edit, and configure the work forms that field crews use on their mobile devices. The best platforms support creating intelligent work forms with appropriate fields and validation rules for data entry and values.
Optimized scheduling/routing. A configurable field workforce management platform makes it easy to set parameters and rules for how crews are scheduled, dispatched, and routed for high efficiency—for example, accounting for a unplanned sick day or a scheduled vacation day. It’s equally essential to have the ability to segment scheduling by user or by user roles and groups you define, with automated notifications by text or email. The use of Python scripts allows automation of these tasks to be configured in ways that best suit each telecom provider’s requirements.
Queue mechanisms. A well-designed field workforce management platform will incorporate queue mechanisms for handling long-term processing tasks. For example, creating work orders for telecom field crews requires tracing a fiber optic cable to identify all fibers in need of inspection and/or replacement.

Supporting Your Digitized Platform

Standardizing on a field workforce platform that can be configured to meet your needs today as well as keep up with your evolving needs is vital. Yet it’s equally important to consider the service and support that will back up your chosen solution.

Look for a partner that provides ready access to technical experts with the engineering knowledge and industry-specific experience it takes to support a telecom field workforce management solution effectively. You should expect advice and insights on ways to evolve and configure your platform to keep up with your changing needs.

Your selected vendor also should be fully staffed with engineers, project managers, and other specialists who will work with your team to configure the platform’s features and functionality to suit how you operate. That’s especially critical when it comes to architecting workflows that improve field crew productivity and efficiency. Your platform partner can help bring together the various stakeholders you need input from on the front end, conducting pre-design workshops that ensure your platform is configured to achieve your desired outcomes.

How Epoch Solutions Group Can Help

Making the transition from handling field workforce management tasks manually to digitally transforming the process might sound daunting. But platforms like EpochField make the move smooth and easy.

The EpochField interface is intuitive to use, simplifying the transition for your field crews and operations staff. And with the highly experienced Epoch Solutions Group technical team as your partner, you can be assured your EpochField platform will be implemented in the configuration your telecom company needs to optimize your resources, expedite response times, and deliver the reliable service your customers expect.

Discover how the EpochField platform can transform your telecom field workforce management. Schedule a demo today!

Guide to Improving Telecom Workflows for Better Customer Service

5 Ways Automation is Transforming Telecom Field Operations Workflows

Posted on March 2, 2023October 6, 2023 by Epoch Solutions Group

With demand for mobile data services skyrocketing in the last several years, telecommunications providers are devoting significant resources to expand their network capacity and ensure fast, reliable connectivity for customers. Achieving these vital goals depends on effective and efficient telecom field operations workflows.

Telecommunications companies can no longer rely on manual, labor-intensive, inefficient processes to manage critical tasks like scheduling work crews, dispatching teams to where they are most needed, or deciding how to best manage vegetation to avoid fall-in and grow-in risks. To improve how they install, maintain, and repair equipment and infrastructure in the field and optimize field technician deployment, leading telecom companies are turning to geospatial software specifically designed and built to improve telecom field operations.

Geospatial and digitization technology has the power to transform telecom operations by automating field operations workflows—improving field-to-office communication, reducing manual touchpoints, increasing field crew efficiency and productivity, and improving the customer experience. These solutions also make critical infrastructure data easily accessible for real-time reporting, analysis, and decision making.

Here are five telecom field operations workflows that geospatial and digitization technologies can greatly improve through automation.

1. Scheduling Field Crews

It can be challenging for telecom companies to schedule huge teams of field personnel across large geographic areas. Navigating obstacles like difficult landscapes, large data volumes, and remote regions can make the scheduling task especially tough. Yet an effective field operation demands efficient field crew scheduling.

By using a GIS solution that digitizes and synchs field data across disparate applications, telecom back-office teams can gain greater control in managing field staff scheduling, while streamlining the process by eliminating manual steps. Map-based geospatial software for telecommunications makes it easy to visualize both scheduled work and work to be scheduled in real time, for a more proactive approach to scheduling. And by mapping the telecom infrastructure, these solutions facilitate more informed crew scheduling decisions based on situational awareness of on-the-ground conditions, while accounting for factors like an employee’s upcoming time off or other unavailable time blocks.

2. Assigning and Dispatching Field Crews

Making the best decisions about where to assign and deploy telecom work crews is essential to an effective field operation, but it’s highly dependent on a significant volume of data, often residing across different systems. That makes the task of assigning and dispatching field crews an ideal case for automation.

A robust telecom field workforce management solution can ensure all the data that’s relevant to effective assignments and dispatching is captured and stored in a single database for easy access by back-office teams. Using a visual map-based dashboard, these telecom teams can see where field work crews, equipment, and other resources are currently located and make informed decisions about where to deploy those resources next. The most advanced solutions can even generate automatic dispatch instructions. As technologies like AI become more widely used, field workforce management platforms will begin to leverage historical data to develop predictive models that further improve how telecom companies assign and dispatch field crews.

3. Scheduling Proactive Maintenance

To ensure optimal uptime and access for customers, telecom providers need the ability to identify the field assets in most need of service based on their condition and maintenance history. With easy access to that information, back-office teams can assign field crews to the critical task of infrastructure maintenance, optimally and efficiently.

Automating this workflow with GIS mapping technology gives telecom providers the power to trace and track infrastructure asset condition throughout its lifecycle while also tracking field crew and equipment location in real time—all through a single, map-based interface. These advanced field workforce management tools enable back-office teams to assess the inspection, maintenance, and repair records of each asset on the map, then assign and dispatch field crews accordingly, at the touch of a screen.

4. Creating Work Orders

Today’s consumers increasingly expect first-issue resolution from every company they do business with, achieving a satisfactory resolution after their initial service inquiry. To meet that expectation, field crews need accurate work orders that enable them to get the job done quickly and efficiently on behalf of the telecom’s customers. But when this workflow is handled manually, errors and delays are likely to occur—reducing field crews’ productivity and preventing telecom companies from providing the exceptional service experience and first-issue resolution that customers demand.

Advanced geospatial field force management solutions automate and improve how telecom companies create work orders for their field crews. Accurate work orders are generated from the results of network tracing operations; then those work orders are immediately accessible for back-office teams and field crews to view and process. The most robust solutions even include route optimization capabilities, equipping field crews with the fastest route to the next assignment.

5. Managing Vegetation

Unless it’s controlled and managed properly, vegetation can become overgrown and encroach on telecommunications field equipment, especially cell tower sites. To keep vegetation from interrupting mobile service to customers, damaging property, or endangering lives, telecom companies need accurate data on the state of vegetation near every field asset. But that data often originates from many different sources (including aerial images and field crew documentation) and typically exists in a mix of both manual and digital formats.

Today’s field force management solutions make it easier for telecom companies to plan how to manage vegetation by collecting and providing access to accurate, real-time data on the state of vegetation around their valuable field assets and infrastructure. With a dynamic view of how vegetation is growing across large geographic areas, telecom providers can employ the most effective vegetation management practices to reduce fall-in and grow-in risks and stay compliant with federal, state, and local regulations.

With a robust field management solution like EpochField that utilizes geospatial technology, your telecommunications company can easily automate your most important telecom field operations workflows while making it easy for your field workforce to use. EpochField transforms how your telecom field crews and back-office teams work—enabling you to improve efficiency and productivity, reduce operational costs, and deliver the fast, reliable connectivity and service your customers demand.

Schedule an EpochField demonstration to learn how we can deliver these benefits for your telecom company.

Digitize Telecom Field Operations for First-Issue Resolution, Every Time

Posted on February 16, 2023June 23, 2023 by Epoch Solutions Group

Customer service is a challenging proposition for telecommunications companies. Managing the service work performed by field crews involves directing a large and dispersed workforce, tracking and managing equipment, personnel, and technological assets, and ensuring that the customer experience you provide leaves a positive impression of your employees, service offering, and company overall.

Consider also that the service requirements of consumers have never been higher. Today, customers are used to getting first-issue resolution from the brands they frequent, whereby their problems are resolved immediately, during the initial service inquiry. Addressing customer concerns during these pivotal interactions takes informed field crews, and that requires them to have easy, broad access to operational data. Not to mention that many customers expect their access to be proactively managed and outages to be virtually eliminated when it comes to their Internet access.

Here’s why first-issue resolution is so important to a telecom’s business model, and how implementing an enterprise-wide digitization platform for workforce management can translate into better, more informed service experiences.

Customers Hate to Wait

According to HubSpot Research, 33% of customers “are most frustrated by having to wait for service and 33% are most frustrated by having to repeat themselves to multiple support reps.” When a customer interacts with a field worker, they expect that person to have access to all the information they need to do their job. They do not want to have repeat the problems they have experienced or find out the service technician doesn’t have the equipment they need to fix the issue. Today’s consumer is accustomed to the kind of real-time data access delivered by the likes of Amazon and Uber.

Implementing an enterprise-grade telecom asset management platform allows back-office administrators and field crews to have access to all the data they need to do their jobs well. This is because these enterprise-wide solutions enable integration across systems, applications, and users, allowing field data to be disseminated and synched across the environment in real time.

With operational data dynamically updating for everyone, they can easily pinpoint when and where outages have occurred, which customers are impacted, and which field crews are located in proximity to the site in question. This data can then guide decision making so service is expedited, and issues are resolved quickly – often with just a single service interaction.

Information Drives Customer Confidence, Grows Relationships

Research conducted by Qualtrics XM Institute shows that “compared to after a 1-2- star experience, after a 5-star experience consumers are 3.6x more likely to recommend, 3.3x more likely to trust, and 2.6x more likely to purchase more.”

However, the telecommunications industry is highly competitive, with customers constantly being wooed by a long list of providers. As a telecom, your service model must deliver a 5-star experience for customers at every touchpoint – or they are likely to seek services elsewhere.

With the real-time data access enabled by platform-grade telecom asset management solutions, your teams can keep customers informed on the progress of field service work once it is ordered. Accordingly, customers always know when field crews will arrive on-site, what issues are being addressed, and when service will be restored. The ability to track your progress puts customers at ease as they feel heard, informed, and valued, a paradigm that instills confidence in your brand.

More Data Means Fewer Service Requests

With the deep data visibility enabled through digitization, your teams can coordinate more effectively and take a more proactive stance as well in addressing network maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. As a result, your company can more effectively run predictive models on network performance and troubleshoot many potential problems before they occur.

Ultimately, the best service experience you can provide for customers is one of reliability. And the best way to deliver service uptime is by preventing issues in the first place. With an enterprise-grade workforce management platform in place, your teams are well supported with the universal data access they need to prevent network issues – and better meet customer needs for first-issue resolution when problems occur.

When service calls are needed on their end, and the data your field team needs to complete the work successfully and on time, your customers are happier, and your internal teams can remain focused on what they do best: improving network performance and driving innovation to keep customers engaged and loyal to your brand for the long term.

See how an enterprise-grade telecom workforce asset management platform can unlock data, transform your service model, and grow customer relationships.

7 Ways to Transform Your Telecom with GIS Field Management Technology

Posted on January 25, 2023June 7, 2023 by Ciara Tobin

For telecommunications companies, effectively managing assets, documenting those activities, and scheduling any necessary maintenance or damage response are all essential to promoting operational efficiencies and service uptime. Having real-time data on how personnel, equipment, and infrastructure are performing across the service area allows telecom field crews and back-office teams to streamline the scheduling of routine maintenance, inspections, and service calls, and enables the swift response times consumers expect when outages occur.

To unlock the high levels of situational awareness telecom companies need today, they are increasingly investing in advanced GIS mapping solutions that capture and process field asset data digitally, in real time. With this critical infrastructure data at their fingertips, field operations teams can quickly assess conditions on the ground and make more informed scheduling, dispatching, and planning decisions accordingly, meeting the ever-rising expectations of their customers.

So, how can telecom companies leverage GIS asset management technologies to improve their operations, reduce outages, and deliver exceptional service to their customers? Here are a few pivotal use cases for GIS mapping solutions that speak to the benefits of the technology.

1. Using Data to Drive Maintenance and Repair Decisions

GIS mapping technology allows telecoms to automatically trace and track the history and condition of infrastructure assets throughout their lifecycles. With this technology, internal teams can also track the exact whereabouts of field crews, equipment, and vehicles in real time – and view all this field data through one holistic, digital map-based interface. Using intuitive navigation tools, these interactive dashboards allow back-office teams to drill down into inspection, maintenance, and repair records for infrastructure assets displayed on the map, determine which assets are in most need of servicing, and – with touch-screen simplicity – automatically generate field crew assignments, work orders, and dispatching instructions. Automating Workflows

With the right telecom asset management platform, companies can automate many manual processes impacting their productivity. For example, an advanced, enterprise-grade solution can automatically trace and track where field crews and equipment are located as they move from place to place. Intuitive, touch-screen interfaces allow field data to be displayed dynamically, in real-time and in detail, on interactive digital maps that populate via GIS software and are operated with touch-screen simplicity.

When selecting a telecom management software solution, look for features that allows teams to schedule and dispatch crews automatically, segmented by user, user roles, and groups – and that automatically notify crews of their assignments by text and email, including where and when to report for service calls, what equipment is needed, and the optimum routes to get there.

2. Leveraging Data to Expedite Field Crew Scheduling

Modern GIS mapping solutions drive scheduling across the entire service area as well, allowing back-office teams to automate the many processes and workflows involved in field operations management. Because field data is seamlessly integrated across a telecom’s enterprise, field crew scheduling can be conducted based on a breadth of information, including which crew members are available at any given time, what their skillsets are, and their proximity to infrastructure assets in need of attention. Once field work is scheduled, the work orders are immediately accessible for viewing and processing by all stakeholders, from back-office teams to crews out in the field. The most advanced solutions on the market also include route optimization tools that automatically provide field workers with the fastest route to get to their next assignments, which is particularly important when managing unplanned work.

3. Reducing Manual Touchpoints – And the Associated Human Errors

Field data collection today is still typically handled through a hybrid model whereby information is captured through both digital and manual processes. For back-office scheduling and dispatching teams, that often means scanning and keying in data from hand-written field crew notes and schematics and combining it with digital photos, video footage, online communications, and other data sources. This labor-intensive data collection process slows operational productivity, hampers decision-making processes, and is prone to human error. With an advanced GIS mapping solution in place, telecommunications companies can take advantage of integrated workflow automation technology to digitally collect, process, store, and synch field data across systems and applications. As a result, they can dramatically reduce the manual labor involved in data collection – and eliminate opportunities for clerical errors.

4. Establishing a Comprehensive, Centralized Data Repository

Crews need real-time access to field data to get their work done properly once on site. When data access is limited – or when field data is outdated altogether – crews must pause what they are doing and check in with the home office by phone or email to clarify their next steps. Using an advanced GIS mapping solution allows all stakeholders, from frontline field crews to back-office schedulers and dispatchers, to be working off the same page, with data on infrastructure assets synched in real time across all the systems, applications, and devices they use. In turn, field crews arrive on site with full visibility into what needs to be done so they can conduct routine work more efficiently and strategically address any unplanned issues as well.

5. Leveraging Mobile Devices in the Field

Field crews are comprised of a mix of full-time, part-time, and contracted workers, each with their own smartphones, tablets, and other computing devices. And they are employed by telecoms in the thousands. To keep field crews seamlessly connected and communicating with back-office teams, the most advanced GIS mapping solutions on the market come with a mobile app that is easily downloaded and operated from any Windows, Android, or iOS-based device. Empowering field crews with the ability to conduct and report on their work via their own smartphones equips all employees with the data they need to nimbly and intelligently respond to conditions in the field, collaborate and troubleshoot more effectively, provide first time resolution, and better ensure that infrastructure assets are performing optimally.

6. Improving Customer Experiences

Today’s digital-first consumers and businesses have come to expect broad real-time data access for virtually any service they use – from Amazon deliveries to Uber ridesharing and restaurant wait times – and they expect the same kind of experience from a telecommunications provider. The deep situational awareness enabled by GIS asset management tools allows telecom employees that interact with the public – from contact center agents to field crew teams – to keep customers informed on exactly when workers will arrive, what type of work is being performed, and how quickly services will be completed.

7. Saving Time, Labor, and Costs

Without the deep data access and visibility enabled by GIS mapping technologies, telecommunications companies may find their crews crisscrossing the vast service areas they manage to address issues that pop up unexpectedly in a scattershot manner. By contrast, having geospatial data universally accessible allows telecom employees to move from a reactive posture to a more proactive stance, in which they can identify and mitigate infrastructure issues and risks before costly outages occur. As a result, an investment in GIS asset management technology helps telecommunications companies operate more efficiently and strategically, cut their response times, save time and labor, and deliver better outcomes for the communities they serve.

3 Ways to Enhance Your Telecom Team’s Service Proposition

Posted on January 18, 2023April 19, 2024 by Ciara Tobin

For telecommunications companies today, the ability to operate more efficiently is imperative to sustainable growth and success going forward. Rising costs due to inflation and the complexities involved in deploying new telecommunications GIS and networking technologies are making it increasingly challenging for providers to ensure the reliable, affordable service and prompt issue resolution customers expect.

Additionally, the sheer expanse of telecommunications networks and the vast, hybrid workforce required to keep infrastructure and equipment up and running offer prime opportunities to use effective digital solutions. While companies industry-wide recognize the need to modernize their telecom software solutions, as noted by EY, their “ability to transform through new technologies is hampered by complexity in various forms. Human factors are also limiting progress.”

To meet their operational challenges, telecommunications companies must invest in digitization and telecom automation technologies to aide in workforce management. While these technologies hold promise to streamline and accelerate critical workflows, there are many telecom asset management software solutions available, from dedicated point tools that address specific processes to enterprise-wide platforms that integrate the infrastructure and drive workflows across the continuum.

Here are three reasons to embrace a holistic, platform-level approach to telecommunications lifecycle management. Read on to see how investing in the right asset management software solution can increase productivity for improved uptime, faster, more informed service interactions, and better customer experiences overall.

Unlocking Data

Investing in an enterprise-grade, digitized workforce management platform can help telecommunications companies speed response times to service requests. With the right solution in place, operations data can be captured, synched, and shared in real time, providing agents, field crews, customers, and other stakeholders with the ongoing, 360-degree view of network operations needed to promptly address issues and troubleshoot potential problems before they occur.

The most advanced telecom asset management software solutions on the market allow data to be stored, processed, and accessed across all systems and applications – from the thousands of mobile devices field workers carry with them to back-office servers and solutions deployed in the cloud. Universal real-time access to operations data allows telecommunications companies to make more informed, strategic decisions at the macro level – and to keep customers updated on the progress of their individual service requests as work is being performed.

Automating Workflows

Embracing Innovation

An advanced platform-level digitization and telecom automation solution should also serve the needs of your customers for years to come. Accordingly, it should allow you to expand and upgrade the network with new features and applications that will improve uptime and enhance service experiences as a result.

The platform you select should tie systems and applications together into one, holistic technological ecosystem, including all software and hardware assets you have deployed, from mobile field apps to GIS and CRM applications driving your business. The platform should also be highly flexible, configurable, and extensible by design, so you can scale your operations according to fluctuating demands while deploying new AI, machine learning, and other data-intensive applications that continue to transform the industry.

The ability to migrate applications, data, and workflows from on-premise servers to cloud resources is essential as well as this paradigm will allow your IT staff to work at velocity as they implement new features and applications in service to customers. And the ability to operate the solution’s mobile companion app offline will allow field workers to seamlessly capture and record data for real-time dissemination across all systems and applications once Internet connections are restored.

Beyond Technology

To ensure that you deliver on your customers’ expectations now and in the future takes more than just the right technologies. It also requires your company to align with partners who understand well your service challenges and can help you construct a technological roadmap to advance your goals and vision.

To that end, be sure you are partnering with a technology provider that will work with you to design a comprehensive plan for your future infrastructure – and that offers the development, deployment, service, and support resources needed to deploy new technologies as they are brought to market.

At Epoch Solutions Group, we offer the technology, service, and support resources you need to achieve just that. Our EpochField enterprise-grade telecom asset management platform digitizes field data to deliver real-time situational awareness across the network while automating critical manual processes to ease staff members’ workloads and accelerate service response times for customers. And it is available as both an on-premise or SaaS solution.

Our training, implementation, and support teams are there for you every step of the way, from the design and development phases of a project through the platform’s roll-out and beyond. And because our track record in the industry extends back decades, we bring to your implementation a deep understanding of the technological, operational, and customer service challenges you face today – and proven best practices you can easily adopt now to improve experiences and outcomes down the road.