Effective management of utility infrastructure requires operators to think holistically about their networks. Operators need to not only know where their critical assets are but also understand the connections and relationships between those assets. In the event of a water main break, which valves should be closed to ensure that service disruptions impact the fewest customer households and businesses? In the event of a power outage at a wastewater lift station, which maintenance holes are at greatest risk for a sanitary sewer overflow? When catastrophic weather impacts a water treatment plant, how do the power, communications, heating, and water networks interact and influence each other to help head off cascading effects?

Managing assets as part of a network enables utilities to better understand and improve performance. Mapping assets and recording their key attributes—size, age, material type, etc.—are among the core functions of a geographic information system (GIS) which enables mapping with easy-to-use applications and advanced network management and modeling tools. These tools provide web-based networking capabilities that are designed to work on a smartphone as well as they do on a desktop computer. Teams across the organization, from the office to the field, can easily access information whenever they need it.