Welcome to the Iamdata Solutions Asset Management Monthly Newsletter - March 2023
Remember the days of paper maps and manual record-keeping? Although paper maps and manual record-keeping practices are still a thing (unfortunately!), gone are the days of having to spend half the day rifling through dusty old filing cabinets and manual tracking systems to find the information we need to do our jobs.
I began my working life as an RPG II Programmer many years ago way, way back before Microsoft was even a thing, so you can imagine the changes I've seen over the years. But recently, there seems to have been an explosion of new technology along with enhanced older technology available, perhaps due to the COVID pandemic that had a large proportion of the population in lock-down and working from home. This explosion of technology is helping us to be more efficient, saving money and time, and, with the vast data resources we have available at our fingertips now, we are making more informed and evidence-based decisions.
The possibilities for what we can achieve in the coming years are endless. I'm excited!
For this month's blog, I thought I'd list a few of my favourite technologies that I use and love.
Here are my Top 5 Technologies that has helped me do my job better
Number 1 - Microsoft SQL Server database to manage and maintain spatial data.
No more TAB files clogging up the G:Drive. Corporate spatial data securely safe in a MS SQL Server database. Easy integration with other corporate systems.
This is definitely my Number 1 technology that helps me do my job better.
Some fun facts about Microsoft SQL Databases
Microsoft SQL Database is a powerful and widely used relational database management system (RDBMS) that offers numerous benefits for managing spatial data. Here are some of the key benefits:
Spatial Data Types
Microsoft SQL Server includes built-in spatial data types, such as Point, Line, and Polygon, which enable storage, manipulation, and analysis of spatial data. This allows users to store and query spatial data directly within the database, without the need for additional specialized software.
Efficient Indexing
Microsoft SQL Server includes spatial indexing, which enables fast querying and analysis of spatial data. Spatial indexing allows the database to quickly identify the spatial relationship between features and return results in real-time, making it ideal for applications that require fast access to spatial data.
Integration with Other Microsoft Products
Microsoft SQL Server integrates with other Microsoft products such as Excel, SharePoint, and Power BI, making it easy to share and visualise spatial data across different applications.
Security and Access Control
Microsoft SQL Server provides robust security features and access controls to protect your spatial data from unauthorised access, ensuring data privacy and compliance with industry regulations.
Scalability
Microsoft SQL Server is highly scalable, making it suitable for managing large volumes of spatial data. It supports multiple users and concurrent transactions, ensuring that your application remains responsive even under heavy load.
Support
Microsoft provides extensive documentation, resources, and technical support for Microsoft SQL Server, making it easy to get started and maintain your spatial data management system.
Building and designing a Microsoft SQL spatial database
Building and designing a Microsoft SQL spatial database is quite easy. Here are the main steps to building your spatial database to manage and maintain your spatial data efficiently and securely:
Plan the database structure - Determine the data to be stored in the database and the relationships between the data.
Install SQL Server - Install Microsoft SQL Server and create a new database.
Create tables - Create tables to store data such as points, lines, and polygon shapes. Consider using the geography or geometry data types to store spatial data.
Normalise the data - Normalise the data to minimize redundancy and ensure data integrity.
Define primary keys - Assign primary keys to each table to ensure data uniqueness.
Establish relationships - Establish relationships between tables, such as one-to-many or many-to-many, to define the relationships between the data.
Index spatial data - Index the spatial data to improve query performance.
Populate the database -Populate the database with data using SQL statements or a bulk import process.
Test and validate - Test the database and validate the data to ensure the database is working as expected.
Maintenance - Regularly maintain the database, including backups, index updates, and performance tuning, to ensure the data is accurate and the database is efficient.
You can read more about Microsoft SQL Server databases for spatial data here: the-gis-officer-spatial-data-integrations-with-ms-sql-server-visual-studio
Number 2 - GIS Technology. The Backbone of Infrastructure Asset Management
If you're a local government professional, you know the importance of managing infrastructure assets. GIS is the superhero of spatial data and spatial data analysis for infrastructure asset management in local government. The GIS allows you to perform very complex spatial data analysis to help you make informed data driven decisions about your assets.
Here are just a few examples of how a GIS can help us work more efficiently:
Planning and zoning
GIS can help councils with land-use planning and zoning by providing accurate spatial data on land-use, population density, transportation networks, and other factors that may affect zoning decisions.
Emergency management
GIS can be used to help councils respond to emergencies by mapping out critical infrastructure, identifying evacuation routes, and coordinating emergency services.
Environmental management
GIS can help councils manage natural resources and protect the environment by mapping out sensitive areas such as wetlands, wildlife habitats, and water resources. This information can be used to inform land-use planning and zoning decisions and to monitor environmental impacts.
Asset management
GIS can be used to help councils manage their infrastructure assets such as roads, bridges, buildings and water and sewer. GIS can provide accurate data on the location, condition, and maintenance history of these assets, allowing councils to prioritise repairs and maintenance.
Public health
GIS can help councils identify areas with higher rates of disease or other health issues and target interventions to those areas. It can also be used to map out health services such as hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies to ensure that they are easily accessible to all residents.
These are just a few examples of how a GIS help us do our work better. The possibilities are virtually endless, and councils can customise their GIS to meet their specific needs and priorities.
Number 3 - Power BI
If you’ve read any of my previous blogs, you will know that I am a huge fan of Power BI! In today's fast-paced and data-driven world, local governments face a growing challenge - how to make sense of vast amounts of data and turn it into actionable insights that can drive better decision-making and improve public services. This is where Power BI comes in!
You may think that it’s just a visualisation tool – but it is so much more than that. Power BI is also a business intelligence tool that allows you to collect, analyse, and visualise data from a wide range of sources.
Just one example of the many ways Power BI has helped me to do my job better is to provide the tools I needed to integrate financial data from multiple sources, including budgets, expenditures, and revenue to build a suite of comprehensive reports and visualisations conveying the council's financial performance and identify areas where the organisation can cut costs and / or increase efficiency.
Power BI taps directly into the data sources. Any changes to the source data is automatically updated in Power BI when the Reports are refreshed. I can be confident that the end user looking at my Power BI reports and visuals are seeing the data in real time.
I've written a few blogs about Power BI - you can find some of them here:
Number 4 - Smart Cities and the Digital Twin Technologies
Smart city technology and digital twin technologies are two innovative approaches that have been increasingly adopted by local governments worldwide to improve the quality of life for their residents, optimise urban operations and promote sustainability.
What are smart city technologies?
Smart city technologies refer to a suite of technologies and solutions designed to enhance the efficiency, sustainability and liveability of our cities. These technologies leverage data, sensors, connectivity and automation to manage and optimise urban infrastructure, services and resources.
Some examples of smart city technologies include:
Internet of Things (IoT) devices
These are sensors and devices that are embedded in various urban assets and infrastructures, such as water meters, streetlights, parking lots, public transportation, waste bins, and buildings. They collect and transmit data to a central platform, enabling real-time monitoring, analysis and management of urban systems.
Big Data Analytics
This technology involves the collection, processing and analysis of large amounts of data from various sources, such as social media, mobile devices, and IoT sensors. Big data analytics can provide insights into urban trends, behaviour patterns, and potential issues that can help local authorities make informed decisions and improve urban services.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This technology involves the use of algorithms and machine learning to automate and optimise urban processes and services. AI can be used for traffic management, energy management, and emergency response, among other applications.
What are digital twin technologies?
A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical asset or system, such as a building, a road network, water assets network, or an entire city. It is created by collecting and integrating data from various sources, such as IoT sensors, GIS data, and BIM models, and using advanced analytics and modelling techniques.
Digital twin technologies allow for real-time monitoring, simulation, and optimization of urban systems, enabling better decision-making and planning. Some benefits of digital twin technology include:
Improved understanding of urban systems and their interdependencies
Better prediction and management of urban risks and opportunities
Enhanced collaboration and communication among stakeholders
Reduced costs and improved efficiency in urban operations
How councils are using smart city and digital twin technologies
Local councils are increasingly adopting smart city and digital twin technologies to improve urban services and the quality of life for their residents. Here are some examples of how councils are using these technologies:
Transportation management
Smart city technologies such as IoT sensors, big data analytics, and AI are used to optimise traffic flow, reduce congestion and emissions, and improve public transportation services. Digital twin technologies can be used to simulate and test different scenarios for transportation infrastructure and services, enabling better decision-making.
Energy management
Smart city technologies such as smart grids, energy-efficient buildings, and renewable energy sources are used to reduce energy consumption and emissions. Digital twin technologies can be used to simulate and optimise energy systems, enabling better planning and management.
Water management
Smart city technologies such as IoT sensors and analytics are used to monitor and manage water supply and distribution systems, reduce water waste, and prevent water pollution. Digital twin technologies can be used to simulate and optimise water systems, enabling better decision-making and planning.
Emergency response
Smart city technologies such as AI-powered analytics and mobile apps are used to improve emergency response times and coordination. Digital twin technologies can be used to simulate and test emergency scenarios, enabling better preparedness and response.
Resident engagement
Smart city technologies such as mobile apps, social media, and online portals are used to engage with our residents in urban planning and decision-making. Digital twin technologies can be used to create virtual reality experiences of urban environments, enabling our residents to explore and provide feedback on urban designs and plans.
Benefits of using smart city and digital twin technologies
It may take some time and a lot of hard work to implement, but the use of smart city and digital twin technologies can provide many benefits to councils and other local government organisations. Here are some of the key advantages:
Better Decision-Making
Digital twin technology can provide councils with a more accurate and detailed understanding of urban systems, enabling them to make better decisions about planning and management. This can lead to more effective resource allocation and improved service delivery.
Improved Efficiency
Smart city technologies can optimise and streamline urban services, reducing costs and improving efficiency. This can free up resources for other important projects and initiatives.
Enhanced Sustainability
By reducing waste and optimising energy usage, smart city technologies can help councils become more sustainable and reduce their environmental impact. This can also help to reduce costs in the long-term.
Increased Revenue
By creating a more attractive and liveable urban environment, smart city technologies can attract investment and spur economic growth, creating new revenue streams for the council.
Improved Resident Engagement
Again, smart city technologies can enable more effective communication between councils and residents, and provide residents and visitors with more information about public services and urban developments. This can help improve resident satisfaction and participation in urban governance.
Better Risk Management
Smart city technologies can help councils identify and respond to potential risks, such as natural disasters or cybersecurity threats. This can help to mitigate the impact of these risks and ensure the safety and security of residents and visitors.
Improved Collaboration
Digital twin technology can facilitate collaboration between different departments within the council, enabling more effective sharing of information and resources. This can lead to better coordination and more efficient service delivery.
Water Assets Example
If we use water assets as an example, the following technologies are typically used to create a digital twin:
Sensors
Sensors such as water flow meters, pressure sensors, and water quality sensors are installed in the water infrastructure to collect real-time data about the water assets.
Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT devices are used to transmit the data collected from the sensors to a central data repository for analysis.
Big Data and Analytics
Big data analytics tools are used to process and analyse the massive amount of data collected from the water assets, providing insights into the performance of the water infrastructure.
Cloud Computing
The data collected from the water assets is stored and processed in the cloud, providing the necessary infrastructure to support the large amount of data generated by the sensors.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
AI and ML algorithms are used to analyse the data collected from the water assets, making it possible to predict potential issues and optimize the functioning of the water infrastructure.
GIS (Geographic Information System)
Of course we need GIS technology, which is used to create a digital map of the water assets, providing a visual representation of the water infrastructure and making it easier to monitor and analyse the data.
Remote Monitoring and Control
Remote monitoring and control systems are used to remotely monitor and control the water assets, making it possible to respond quickly to any issues and optimise the functioning of the water infrastructure.
A digital twin for water assets can be created that provides a virtual representation of the water infrastructure and its performance, enabling city planners and engineers to analyse and optimise the functioning of the water assets in real-time.
Number 5 - iAuditor
I first used iAuditor to collect risk assessment information for our council owned buildings. iAuditor is another technology that has evolved and grown since I completed that first risk assessment approximately 9 years ago. It is a mobile and web-based inspection software that allows Councils to conduct inspections on a variety of assets and facilities. We can perform comprehensive and standardised inspections, saving time and increasing accuracy.
The software provides an easy-to-use interface, with customisable templates and forms, making it ideal for council inspections.
So, there you have it! Of course, there are many more technologies helping us to work more efficiently and more effectively available to us.
Which technologies would be in your top 5?
I have worked on many different projects with my Local Government clients, from designing and developing Power BI Reports, to building SQL Server databases for spatial data, to managing and maintaining the GIS and the Asset Management systems. If you'd like to discuss how we might work together, then please email me at ➡️ jill.singleton@iamdata.solutions
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