Utility GIS Meets Infrastructure, Customer Needs for Ireland’s Electricity Distribution System

The Challenge

ESB Networks, the licensed operator of the electricity distribution system in the Republic of Ireland, relied on a highly bespoke geographic information system (GIS) from Hexagon to meet the specific, daily workflows of its users. While it served the company well for years, the 20-year-old system was no longer supported, and was hosted on aging IT infrastructure.

With outdated IT systems and infrastructure, ESB Networks faced potential power delivery, field crew safety, and customer satisfaction issues. To mitigate against these risks and satisfy business requirements, the utility provider undertook an ambitious program to implement a new GIS solution and comprehensively integrate it with corporate IT systems and infrastructure.

The Solution

Following a highly competitive procurement process, ESB Networks contracted with Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division and its partner, Irish Mapping & GIS Solution Ltd. (IMGS), to deliver Hexagon’s advanced telecommunications GIS software. The technology enables EBS Networks to maintain a source of reliable, location-based information about utility networks and their connectivity and share these definitive records with users and systems across the enterprise.

In addition to the core capabilities of Hexagon’s solution, the team also deployed its electricity data model. The system now serves as a single enterprise solution for the full life cycle management of ESB Networks’ network assets, improving workflows and the efficiency of a host of company activities and operations.