21 January 2008, Aylesbury: ESRI (UK) has signed a £1.7 million contract with leading electricity provider ScottishPower to provide an enterprise-wide Geographic Information System (GIS) based on ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.2 technology.

The new ESRI (UK) ‘Foundation GIS’ platform will enable over 2,000 staff across ScottishPower’s north and south regions and eventually third parties, such as local authorities, to access map-based asset information via the web. This will allow authorised users to logon and view pre-defined ‘layers of data’ at preset scales. As well as ensuring users will have access to the most current data, the shift from a paper-based to electronic system will also significantly reduce distribution costs.

ESRI (UK)’s selection follows a competitive tender where all major suppliers of GIS to the UK utilities industry were considered. ESRI (UK) was selected due to the strength of its market- leading technology, expertise in the utilities industry and utilities-specific solution developed with Miner and Miner.
The new ESRI ‘Foundation GIS’ platform will deliver enhanced facilities to key operations in the business, including records management where streamlined editing and maintenance functions and the ability to manage electrical schematics will provide efficiency gains by reducing the need for paper and CAD systems.

To enhance customer service, network tracing facilities will be provided allowing ScottishPower to model the effects of a power outage and more readily identify customers who may be affected by any interruption to the supply. The underlying ArcGIS 9.2 technology enables ‘what-if’ scenarios so that circuits can be isolated by modelling the status of electrical equipment such as a switch, fuse or link-box. ScottishPower can then easily identify the number of premises impacted by network changes and notify customers accordingly.

The contract includes delivery of the total solution from design specification and configuration of the various products to training and roll-out. Critically, ESRI (UK) will also migrate ScottishPower ‘s asset data from the legacy systems to one central database under a jointly defined quality assurance programme.

This contract win follows ESRI (UK)’s successful delivery of ScottishPower’s Spatial Mobilisation Project which included deployment of Sigma Seven’s Geofield product based on ESRI (UK)’s ArcEngine to 800 users at ScottishPower in March 2007. The introduction of the Foundation GIS system will enable close working between ScottishPower’s office and field staff leading to further operational gains across the company.

Dave Clarke, Spatial and Mobile Delivery Manager at ScottishPower said: “The introduction of the Foundation GIS based on the latest ESRI (UK) technology will help us manage all our assets more effectively while providing the whole organisation with easier access to enterprise-critical asset data. It will also support our drive for enhanced customer service and improved operational efficiency. We see GIS as central to our business as an open platform that can integrate with all our operational IT systems.”

Richard Waite, Managing Director, ESRI (UK) said: “This contract with ScottishPower is great news for us and demonstrates how large utility companies are leading the way in putting GIS at the heart of their organisations, exploiting the value of their information. It is also a great example of ESRI (UK)’s market leading technology developed with a particular industry in mind, and reinforces our ability to deliver tailored solutions to meet business objectives.”

ScottishPower are long-standing users of Geospatial information within Energy networks, the business responsible for installing, operating and maintaining more than 100,000km of electricity network, having had a major GIS installation for more than 15 years. They supply electricity to in excess of 4.3 million homes and businesses in Scotland, Merseyside and North Wales. Their investment in the latest geographic information tools supports the company’s business goals of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

About ESRI (UK)
ESRI (UK) is part of the global ESRI network. With the single, largest pool of GIS expertise in the UK, the company is the technical authority on GIS. ESRI (UK) provides solutions, technology and services including off the shelf applications built on the ArcGIS software suite and an extensive range of consulting and training services.