Fulcrum Case Studies Northpower Enhances Infrastructure Inspection with Fulcrum

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	Northpower Enhances Infrastructure Inspection with Fulcrum Fulcrum

Northpower Enhances Infrastructure Inspection with Fulcrum

Fulcrum

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration Sensors - GPS
Applicable Industries	Utilities
Applicable Functions	Maintenance
Use Cases	Real-Time Location System (RTLS) Remote Asset Management
Services	System Integration
Challenge	Northpower, a multi-utility contractor in New Zealand, was facing challenges with their pillar inspection process. They were using Windows Mobile-based phones with an ArcGIS forms solution to capture inspection results, and paper-based maps to log and navigate to each pillar. This process was inefficient and had several issues. The form created by a third party couldn't be easily updated or maintained, and Windows Mobile was no longer a widely-supported platform. The system wasn't trusted enough to maintain data integrity, forcing inspectors to hand-write inspection results before entering data. Without electronic maps to pinpoint pillar locations, 10% or more could be missed on a patrol. The interface with the back-end systems lacked validation & automation capability. Read More
About Customer	Northpower is a Northland-owned and operated electricity distribution network that has grown to become one of the largest multi-utility contractors in New Zealand. The company was established in 1920 and has a reputation for excellence and innovation. Northpower has two distinct divisions — Northpower Network, which provides electricity and fibre infrastructure to Whangarei and Kaipara, and Northpower Contracting, which operates throughout the North Island of New Zealand and in Perth and Melbourne in Australia. The company performs 85,000 pillar inspections over a cycle of 3 years. Read More
Solution	Northpower implemented Fulcrum on iPads to improve their pillar inspection process. Fulcrum allowed the company to increase the rate of inspections from 45 per day to 60 per day, and eliminated the need for an additional contractor. The use of iPads by pillar inspectors improved the overall efficiency and accuracy of data collected in the field. Inspectors could plan their routes better with a map representation of all pillars to be inspected. They were now able to visit all pillars in a patrol, and missed pillars became a thing of the past. Fulcrum also allowed inspectors to add newly discovered pillars dynamically and on-the-fly, avoiding the need for a separate team to visit the site to locate the pillar in the GIS system. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Sensors - GPS

Applicable Industries

Utilities

Applicable Functions

Maintenance

Use Cases

Real-Time Location System (RTLS)

Remote Asset Management

Services

System Integration

Challenge

Northpower, a multi-utility contractor in New Zealand, was facing challenges with their pillar inspection process. They were using Windows Mobile-based phones with an ArcGIS forms solution to capture inspection results, and paper-based maps to log and navigate to each pillar. This process was inefficient and had several issues. The form created by a third party couldn't be easily updated or maintained, and Windows Mobile was no longer a widely-supported platform. The system wasn't trusted enough to maintain data integrity, forcing inspectors to hand-write inspection results before entering data. Without electronic maps to pinpoint pillar locations, 10% or more could be missed on a patrol. The interface with the back-end systems lacked validation & automation capability.

About Customer

Northpower is a Northland-owned and operated electricity distribution network that has grown to become one of the largest multi-utility contractors in New Zealand. The company was established in 1920 and has a reputation for excellence and innovation. Northpower has two distinct divisions — Northpower Network, which provides electricity and fibre infrastructure to Whangarei and Kaipara, and Northpower Contracting, which operates throughout the North Island of New Zealand and in Perth and Melbourne in Australia. The company performs 85,000 pillar inspections over a cycle of 3 years.

Solution

Northpower implemented Fulcrum on iPads to improve their pillar inspection process. Fulcrum allowed the company to increase the rate of inspections from 45 per day to 60 per day, and eliminated the need for an additional contractor. The use of iPads by pillar inspectors improved the overall efficiency and accuracy of data collected in the field. Inspectors could plan their routes better with a map representation of all pillars to be inspected. They were now able to visit all pillars in a patrol, and missed pillars became a thing of the past. Fulcrum also allowed inspectors to add newly discovered pillars dynamically and on-the-fly, avoiding the need for a separate team to visit the site to locate the pillar in the GIS system.

Impact #1	Improved efficiency and accuracy of data collected in the field.
Impact #2	Inspectors can plan their routes better with a map representation of all pillars to be inspected.
Impact #3	All pillars in a patrol can now be visited, missed pillars are a thing of the past.

Impact #1

Improved efficiency and accuracy of data collected in the field.

Impact #2

Inspectors can plan their routes better with a map representation of all pillars to be inspected.

Impact #3

All pillars in a patrol can now be visited, missed pillars are a thing of the past.

Benefit #1	Increased rate of inspections from 45 per day to 60 per day.
Benefit #2	Eliminated the need for an additional contractor.
Benefit #3	Previously, 10% of pillars would go uninspected due to vegetation overgrowth. Now, all pillars can be found and inspected.

Benefit #1

Increased rate of inspections from 45 per day to 60 per day.

Benefit #2

Eliminated the need for an additional contractor.

Benefit #3

Previously, 10% of pillars would go uninspected due to vegetation overgrowth. Now, all pillars can be found and inspected.

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Overview

Northpower Enhances Infrastructure Inspection with Fulcrum

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit