Asset maintenance in complex utility networks is a challenging task. To ensure operational efficiency and productivity, utility companies must have an effective maintenance strategy. Geographic information systems (GIS) enabled maintenance solutions can help in streamlining utility maintenance processes to a great extent.
Real-time spatial data acquired through GIS across networks help utilities pinpoint and identify assets with problems to prevent any sudden downtime, improve asset lifecycle, and respond faster to situations. The system also creates a virtual connection with geographically distributed assets and creates a line of communication with the maintenance and operations team.
GIS-enabled work order systems provide maintenance technicians anytime, anywhere access to the information they need to efficiently complete their work orders. The robust solution delivers a consistent, reliable, and productive asset maintenance experience across a wide range of industries.
Advantages of Using GIS-enabled Work Orders for Utility Maintenance
GIS helps in asset visualization on an organization’s map to help identify and locate assets. Using this information, companies can prioritize and route maintenance activities. With information on asset performance, organizations can make more informed decisions for effective maintenance utilization of their assets. GIS integration also helps utilities automate their work order process.
A GIS-integrated work order management system provides location tracking for assets and their related data to create a single source of truth for all stakeholders. It allows the assignment of location-based work orders to field technicians to minimize travel time. In case of an emergency, real-time communication and location tracking help frontline workers and office teams to collaborate and fulfill the work order effectively. GIS-enabled work orders are a powerful tool that can help organizations transform their maintenance strategy.
Benefits of Using GIS-enabled Work Orders
- Improved asset visibility
- Increased work efficiency
- Enhanced decision-making
Adding GIS to the field apps provides flexibility in work assignments for field teams, reduces error rates to enter work notes/records. It also improves usability and reduces training for mobile tools. Offline access to GIS information provides the managers and teams situational awareness in the field.
Having GIS integrated in the mobile apps drive additional ROI, with available time, workers easily identify additional work orders, notifications assigned to them or near them. Also they get one-touch routing to job locations and the workers have both EAM information and engineering/ GIS information, offline. Integration to maps enables optimization and routing.
Business Value of GIS-enabled Work Orders
- Better efficiency in workflow processes
- Minimized operational risk
- Increased compliance
Innovapptive’s GIS-Powered mWorkOrder For Utility Maintenance Optimization
Armed with GIS mapping and route optimization, Innovapptive’s solution for maintenance – mWorkOrder – empowers schedulers and dispatchers to assign/reassign work orders to technicians closest to the asset needing repair. As soon as technicians receive a work order notification on their mobile devices, they can reach sites through optimized routes and attend to requests in the shortest possible time. Organizations that employ mWorkOrder can respond to problems and spend more time focusing on solution strategy rather than worrying about asset performance.
With mWorkOrder’s route optimization feature, utility companies can send the right worker quickly for the job, every time. They can accelerate their business with increased operational efficiency. Having access to the right information enables technicians to focus on their actual work and complete work orders on their first visit. More completed work orders in a day result in improved wrench time. mWorkOrder works in an offline mode, allowing remote workers to enter asset data from the asset’s location in an offline mode.
With Innovapptive’s GIS-enabled mWorkOrder:
- Technicians access route plans and reach the exact location of a physical asset needing attention.
- Dispatchers/supervisors assign work orders to technicians in a location-based manner which reduces travel time.
- Technicians/maintenance crews quickly attend to critical/high-priority tasks to be completed.
- Maintenance crews instantly access supporting information such as asset location, repair histories, work order details, and material required through mobile devices.
- Technicians continue to work with or without network connectivity for a seamless user experience.
Ready To Power Your Maintenance Strategy With GIS?
Discover how the integration of GIS and EAM into mWorkOrder can drive a map-centric approach to collect essential spatial data and other critical asset data for your business. Click here for a customized live demo or dial 1-844-464-6668 to talk to us.
