In 2018, Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWWU) found themselves in a predicament as the organization upgraded their Maximo system to the latest version. The GIS and Maximo integration tool, which had worked well with version 7.1, was no longer supported in version 7.6 and, as such, was designated for replacement. Although AWWU implemented an interim fix, they knew it was not a reliable long-term solution, and recognized they would need an alternative solution in place for their next Maximo upgrade.
This also proved a significant roadblock for AWWU’s GIS team, adding a hurdle when the organization was ready to upgrade to the latest version of Esri ArcGIS. This inability to update Esri was one of the problems identified during AWWU’s evaluation process of the GIS and Maximo integration tool. An AWWU GIS Analyst recalled, “we knew the old application was deprecated and we were locked into software versions. When we were ready to upgrade, the current solution did not allow us to move forward.”
Having decided to replace their deprecated tool, AWWU went through an extensive Request for Proposal (RFP) process to choose a firm that could not only provide but also configure an alternative solution to solve their business challenges. Ultimately, AWWU chose the Geonexus Platform.
AWWU found the Geonexus solution met all its key requirements outlined in the RFP. It was an out-of-the-box integration solution, fit their budget and timeline, and offered the easiest path for implementation.
After a successful implementation, AWWU now has a strong synchronization and data quality tool to help ensure data integrity between their GIS and Maximo systems. To streamline this process even further, AWWU schedules the synchronization of their GIS and Maximo systems on a nightly basis to ensure all updates, edits, or decommissioning of assets are reflected in both systems.
AWWU appreciates the flexibility and reliability of the platform. A project manager noted that the implementation of the Geonexus Platform, “will allow us to keep up with the technology and upgrade the other systems we already have in-house.”
The tool also allowed AWWU to improve some of their business processes. Improvements included re-establishing and enforcing GIS as the system of record for asset status, thus allowing for data alignment across GIS and Maximo. Reflecting on his work with the AWWU project team, Geonexus Implementation Consultant Mat Krogulecki said, “the Geonexus platform was able to help AWWU solidify business processes to re-establish GIS as the system of record for asset status and ensure that whatever is in GIS is being updated in Maximo moving forward.”
As AWWU plans for the future, they are considering leveraging the Geonexus platform for integration where opportunities exist.
Implementing this new solution brought to light some data integrity issues. The Geonexus platform identified that some of AWWU’s records, shared between GIS and Maximo, were not aligned. For example, with asset specifications, the Geonexus platform found mis-matched shape lengths between the two systems. Using the tool, Geonexus configured a calculated field rounder in the application to solve this problem. They also found assets shown as retired or decommissioned that were still active and vice versa. Leveraging the tool, they were able to configure specific workflows to ensure those assets were properly updated for the project and will continue to be updated in the future.
Additionally, Geonexus reports were able to determine various asset misclassifications, and provide a method for “asset reclassification” to keep the asset ledger accurate and up-to-date. Allowing a check up on business practices when updating the asset database is a major plus for day-to-day operations improvement.
The same AWWU project manager commented on this benefit saying, “the fact that the tool allowed us to improve the accuracy of our data was definitely a plus. It had that functionality built-in and that was extremely beneficial for us.”
For more information on how AWWU leveraged the Geonexus Platform for GIS and Maximo integration, contact info@geo-nexus.com.
Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility is owned by the Municipality of Anchorage. The utility includes over 1,600 miles of water and sewer pipes, appurtenances, and water treatment plants.
Geonexus would like to thank AWWU for their help with this article.
