Tue, 24 Jan 2023

Serenely mastering the energy transition with VertiGIS and SIGGIS: Strasbourg Electricité Réseaux implements VertiGIS solutions

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Strasbourg Electricité Réseaux (SER) supplies more than 575,000 customers, making it the second largest electricity distributor in France. Together with SIGGIS, VertiGIS’ Belgian and French partner, VertiGIS implemented a new GIS system. 

In 2017, SER published a European tender for a new GIS system, since SER could not fulfill with the legacy system all new requirements which it was facing in its dynamically changing work environment. VertiGIS, in consortium with its partner SIGGIS, won the European tender after a very rigorous selection process with UT for ArcGIS, VertiGIS Studio and ConnectMaster. The implementation project – called Project GEODE – then started in December 2018 and presented major challenges to the entire team: Not only did two different map types have to be merged, but also more than 30 datasets and tools had to be homogenized. 

The migration of the current data proved to be complex: Several types of graphical low, medium and high voltage data without common identifiers and different alphanumeric data were first merged by SER itself in an elaborate process. VertiGIS then took over the actual migration. The fiber management data was migrated to VertiGIS’ ConnectMaster data model and the geographic telecom data is documented and handled in UT for ArcGIS, with both systems being tightly integrated. 

For the system of engagement and web clients, SIGGIS implemented VertiGIS Studio: Many intricate web workflows have been designed and implemented by SIGGIS, but soon the internal SER team took on the task of designing their own web apps using their “own” VertiGIS Studio workflows. UT Server widgets for high-quality, vector-based printing and network tracking were also implemented. Mobility is particularly important in the new GIS system, as this is where the greatest efficiency gains can be made: SIGGIS implemented this requirement with VertiGIS Studio Mobile in online and offline modes. An important first application was the mobile app for monitoring tree felling and forest areas and for planning and monitoring field service operations. 

SER has specifically relied on one of the strengths of the VertiGIS solution, using the ability to manage different map types in UT for ArcGIS: a large-scale plan to represent as-built and planned assets, a geo-schematic plan for the low-voltage network, and an ortho-schematic plan for the high-voltage network. In particular, the workflow for planning projects has been refined in the GEODE project: a planning project can be started either in the web client (VertiGIS Studio Web) or in the desktop application and is then transferred semi-automatically to the different inventory map types after completion.  

Another very important requirement was the ability to respond to Call-Before-You-Dig requests. VertiGIS implemented the UT CBYD module for this purpose and coupled it with an internal system that receives the CBYD requests. The processing of approximately 200 requests per day is fully automated. The UT CBYD solution meets the requirements of the French standard “DT-DICT”. 

After all, no enterprise GIS can do without integration with other business systems. Thus, UT for ArcGIS was integrated with an inventory solution, two network calculation systems, a CRM, and an ADMS. Users of the CRM system can jump directly from the meter number to the corresponding service point in the GIS. Generators/consumers from other third-party systems are also linked to the service points in the GIS. System integration with ADMS is currently being implemented on the basis of CIM for LV and MV networks. 

Emmanuel Arnaud, Project Manager for the project GEODE summarizes: “For Strasbourg Electricité Réseaux, the new GIS is the first building block of the system that will enable us to serenely manage the impacts of the Energy Transition on our activities: Beyond geographical accuracy, we can now, for example, perfectly represent the electrical topology of our LV and HV networks. Maintaining sufficient data quality over time to take advantage of these new possibilities is becoming our main challenge. We are consolidating our processes and the skills of our teams to meet this challenge.” 

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