This article was first published in 2017 and updated July 2024.
Asset managers are using GIS technology to share data and collaborate on public works, leading to less disruption and reduced costs.
How often have you been held up by the same stretch of road or footpath being dug up for separate maintenance works within weeks or even days?
Lack of communication and collaboration between council departments, government agencies, construction companies and utility providers is inconvenient, inefficient and expensive.
The desire to minimise disruption and streamline public works was the driving force for Esri Australia to build a solution for multiple organisations to view, share and collaborate on public works: SmarterWX.
SmarterWX is a national platform for all organisations – including gas, electricity, communications, transport – to share data on capital works programs in a secure collaboration environment. This reduces traffic congestion, safety issues and loss of business revenue.
SmarterWX is built on a scalable cloud platform with intelligent mapping at its core. It presents layer upon layer of capital works data as a common operating picture.
The result is more efficient work planning and greater savings, with costs shared across organisations.
One of the features I love about SmarterWX is that it automatically sends notifications to asset managers about where there are opportunities to collaborate, showing the location, extent and proposed date of capital works projects.
It also drives smarter scheduling, ensuring works are completed in the most logical order – for example, installing a new water main before council resurfaces the road.
Innovative technology like SmarterWX delivers value to organisations and builds trust with citizens.
Results are already being seen by a cooperative of Sydney councils and utilities using SmarterWX as the basis for a system to coordinate works such as road resurfacing, surveying and traffic management.
Sydney Water estimates savings of $1 million annually in the first couple of years alone. Stuart McDonald, Network Asset Programs at Sydney Water, says that one of the company’s key business drivers is to become a more customer-centric, future-focused organisation.
“Using these collaborative smart tools, we aim to reduce both waste and the amount of inconvenience experienced by the community, bringing us closer to our customer service goals,” Mr McDonald said.
Digital innovation requires leaders to take a step outside the familiar – to encourage change and bring disparate agencies together into a smarter way of working.
The technology needed to drive innovation is already here. It’s already being used and I can see that it’s already delivering significant results: reducing impact, improving the life of assets and reducing project costs.
The question is, what steps are you taking to ensure your community is working smarter?
To find out more about GIS in smart communities, call 1800 870 750 or send an email. Alternatively, check out the SmarterWX website.
