Utilities have spent the last decade modernizing GIS, moving from desktop-centric systems toward web, mobile, and increasingly cloud-based architectures. Technology has changed dramatically. But have utilities changed the way they work at the same pace?
For many organizations, the next challenge is not another technology deployment. It is closing the gap between modern GIS capabilities and adding value to everyday operations.
Pat Hohl: Mike, utilities have invested heavily in GIS modernization. What’s the problem we're still trying to solve?
Mike Mitchell: Access isn't really the problem anymore. Most utilities can put authoritative network information in front of engineering, operations, and field teams.
The bigger question is: Are people actually working differently because of it?
You can successfully deploy modern GIS and still have crews using paper for parts of a workflow, supervisors relying on spreadsheets, or data quality being addressed after the work rather than during it. That's the gap we need to close.
Pat: 100%, I’ve seen it. I like that you’re distinguishing between technology modernization and operational modernization.
Mike: Exactly.
Technology can remove barriers to information, but it doesn't automatically redesign the work.
We sometimes declare victory when the software is deployed, the applications work, and users have access. Those things matter, but the real measure should be whether the organization is operating better because of them.
Pat: Mike, you’ve heard me say, if the tech doesn’t vastly improve the user’s world, we’ve missed the mark.
Mike: A field worker shouldn't need to understand the underlying tech. The workflow should simply help them complete the job faster, capture the right information, and make better decisions.
One principle we've learned repeatedly is simple:
Technology should support the work, not become the work.
If a new application adds complexity to a process that crews already understand, adoption becomes much harder.
Pat: I couldn’t agree more! In your experience, does modernization sometimes overlook the operational knowledge already inside the utility?
Mike: Absolutely, and that's an important point.
Utilities have decades of operational knowledge embedded in their people and processes. Modernization shouldn't throw that away.
The best transformations take proven operational practices and translate them into modern digital workflows. You're improving how people work rather than asking them to abandon everything they know just because a new system has arrived.
Pat: Data quality is an issue I’ve been sensitive to for a long time. Crews are making safety inspections every day at every worksite. That information can be used immediately.
Mike: Data quality must become part of the work itself. If you're relying on periodic cleanup projects to correct data, you're already behind.
Validation, business rules, and workflow guidance should occur during the work. The best systems prevent errors, or identify them immediately, rather than discovering them weeks or months later.
That's where GIS starts becoming operational infrastructure rather than simply a system of record.
Pat: What separates utilities that get this right from those that struggle?
Mike: The successful organizations tend to do a few things consistently.
They involve field personnel and operational leaders early. They focus first on a manageable number of high-value workflows. They establish clear ownership and useful metrics. And they recognize that go-live isn't the finish line.
Technology projects end; operational transformation doesn't.
Pat: Being very practical, what guidelines can you suggest for gauging one’s maturity in this operational transformation?
Mike: I'd start by asking a few simple questions:
• Are we measuring adoption, or deployment?
• Are field crews helping design the workflows they're expected to use?
• Are we improving data quality while work happens?
• Are our governance processes making operations easier or adding bureaucracy?
• And, most importantly, what happens after go-live?
If continuous improvement isn't part of the plan, you're treating modernization as a project rather than an operational capability.
Pat: Where do you see this operational transformation heading?
Mike: I think we're moving through a natural maturity curve.
Desktop GIS centralized specialized knowledge. Web GIS expanded visibility. Mobile GIS brought GIS into the field. The next step is Operational GIS, where GIS becomes embedded in daily business processes, workflows, and decisions.
Beyond that is Intelligent GIS, where AI, analytics, automation, and digital twins increasingly help utilities anticipate what needs to happen rather than simply document what already happened. But there's a crucial point: you can't skip operational maturity on the way to intelligence.
AI running on inconsistent workflows and poor-quality operational data doesn't solve the underlying problem.
Pat: If readers take one idea away from this conversation, what should it be?
Mike: Modern GIS isn't about giving more people access to maps and data. It's about creating a better way of operating.
When GIS becomes part of everyday decisions, field activities, and asset lifecycles, utilities gain faster decision-making, better network data, and stronger collaboration across the organization.
The future of utility GIS won't be defined solely by better technology. It will be defined by better operations.
From Desktop GIS to Intelligent GIS
Stage Capability Business Outcome
1. Desktop GIS Specialists maintain the network Knowledge is centralized
2. Web GIS Everyone can view authoritative data Visibility improves
3. Mobile GIS Field crews access and update information Work accelerates
4. Operational GIS GIS drives daily business processes Productivity and data quality improve
5. Intelligent GIS AI, analytics, automation and digital twins Predictive, data-driven operations
Mike Mitchell is VP of Sales & Customer Success at Epoch Solutions Group, where he works with utilities to modernize GIS, field operations, and workforce management. With more than 25 years of experience across utilities and GIS, Mike focuses on helping organizations turn technology investments into practical operational improvements.
Learn More
See how utilities are moving beyond GIS deployment and embedding location intelligence into everyday operations. https://epochsg.com/epochfield/