Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/747345
Challenge When PowerStream was formed through its original merger of three local distribution companies and subsequent acquisition of a fourth, the company faced a significant hurdle: maintain existing service levels for its customers while consolidating four datasets. The utility needed its network asset data in one place where it could be managed by all staff. Legacy geographic information systems (GIS) and various computer-aided drafting (CAD) and paper mapping systems had to be converted to one GIS. An added challenge was that stakeholders had to appeal to multiple departments to perform their work. Outage management, engineering design, facility mapping, field inspections and locates were carried out in separate systems. The utility needed a single tool that could manage its distribution assets and leverage location within its business processes to efficiently deliver superior service to its customers. PowerStream was also looking to improve efficiencies by eliminating a number of manual processes. For example, locators would create their sketches with a pencil and paper and then fax the sketch back to the office to be redrawn and integrated in the GIS database. Similarly, design technicians would create drawings in AutoCAD, manually enter components onto a costing spreadsheet and later redraw as- built drawings into the GIS for asset management. State of the art operations, maintenance & asset management PowerStream is the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, delivering power to more than 320,000 customers located immediately north of Toronto as well as Central Ontario. It integrated a suite of enterprise applications running on Esri's ArcGIS platform that has extended GIS capabilities across the organization. This investment has positioned the utility as a leader in operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and network reliability amongst its 70 peers in Ontario. 1 Esri Canada | Enterprise GIS solution positions PowerStream as an industry leader