Innovative utility inspections using Fulcrum, GIS and 3D imaging
Customer Company Size
Mid-size Company
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Fulcrum’s Field Inspection Management platform
- Esri ArcGIS Online geospatial information system (GIS)
- 3D imaging software
Tech Stack
- GIS
- 3D Imaging
- Mobile Inspection Apps
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Productivity Improvements
- Digital Expertise
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Applicable Industries
- Utilities
- Cities & Municipalities
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Asset Health Management (AHM)
- Infrastructure Inspection
- Real-Time Location System (RTLS)
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
TREKK Design Group, LLC (TREKK) is a Missouri-based civil engineering firm founded in 2002. The company's mission is to engineer holistic, commonsense solutions that support the growth and restoration of the communities it serves. TREKK provides a wide range of expertise to municipalities, specifically for utilities and transportation, encompassing design and planning, geospatial information systems and asset management, and construction engineering and inspections. They describe their services portfolio as follows: “Need a road designed? We can help. Want to understand your underground infrastructure? We can do that, too. Have a problem and just need a commonsense solution? We’ve got you covered.”
The Challenge
TREKK Design Group, a civil engineering firm, was facing several challenges with their inspection and data collection processes. They were using outdated paper-based inspections which were not compatible with their existing Access databases and EsriTM ArcGIS OnlineTM. They were also facing quality control issues with their field data collection, including inaccurate or irrelevant data and missing location information. Inspections of incorrect assets or structures within complex lines or grids were also a problem due to inaccessible or missing spatial components. The teams were also frustrated with non-purpose built inspection and data collection tools while trying to deliver on customer reporting and compliance requirements. Unreliable hotspots and Internet connection also resulted in teams “flying blind” in the field, unable to access databases or reliably collect information.
The Solution
TREKK leveraged a powerful technology portfolio which includes Fulcrum’s Field Inspection Management platform, the Esri ArcGIS Online geospatial information system (GIS), and 3D imaging software to deliver to its clients a 360° view of their field assets and utility operations. They used Fulcrum to develop 'smart' client and project-specific mobile inspection apps that enable data integration and use across GIS, asset management, and other client operations platforms. Fulcrum's features such as automatic geotagging of all inspection records and data points using mobile device location intelligence, as well as mandatory, unskippable fields and conditional logic, ensured thoroughness and accuracy of inspections and field assessments. The platform also allowed teams to use databases and collect geotagged information for later syncing, without worrying about a network.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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