What to Fix, When to Fix It & Why It Matters for Migration Success
“Pretty Good” Data Isn’t Good Enough for the Utility Network
When utility GIS managers are asked about their data quality, the answer is almost always the same: “Pretty good.”
For the Geometric Network, that was probably true. The Geometric Network was forgiving. It let you get away with edge snapping instead of vertex connection, auto-created net junctions where you needed them, and didn’t care if materials were unknown or devices were stacked on top of each other.
The Utility Network is different. It’s not just modeling how your network looks on a map. It models how it actually works. That requires a fundamentally higher level of data precision — and the problems your Geometric Network has been carrying quietly for years will surface the moment you migrate.
Three Categories of Data Problems That Derail Migrations
After hundreds of thousands of hours migrating and managing data for utilities serving more than 20 million meters across North America, SSP identified three categories of data problems that consistently create migration risk — regardless of utility size or commodity type.
Problem Categories
Existing Asset Information – GIS data that doesn’t match what’s in the field: missing features, bad geometry, inaccurate attribution.
Business Process & System Integration – Data is fragmented across GIS, WMS, and CIS/Billing, which doesn’t align or link correctly.
Post-Migration Data Reality – Known issues carried through migration with relaxed topology rules — creating dirty areas that erode system performance and user trust.
Know What to Fix Before You Commit to a Timeline
Not every data problem needs to be fixed before migration. Some can be addressed during the migration process. Others can wait. The guide includes a complete Data Cleanup Timing Matrix covering eight common issues — including unknown materials, stacked points, vertex gaps, mid-span devices, and geometry errors — with guidance on why each one matters, how to fix it, and when.
Most utilities underestimate data cleanup effort by 30 to 50 percent. They budget for migration but not for the data work that has to happen first. Halfway through, they discover the real scope and either extend the timeline or launch with known problems that cost them for years.
Plan for data cleanup as a separate program with its own budget and timeline. Don’t treat it as a migration sub-task.
Get the Complete Planning Guide
Download the full guide to get the Data Cleanup Timing Matrix, the prioritization framework for critical vs. deferrable fixes, and a planning checklist for scoping data work correctly.
A Gas Utilities Quick Guide | From Data Crisis to Data Excellence
Break the Cycle of Outdated, Incomplete, and Inaccurate GIS Data
Most gas utilities know their GIS data needs work. What they don’t know is how to actually fix it – or how to get it funded. The work feels insurmountable, budgets are tight, and it’s unclear whether this is an O&M expense or capital investment.
Inaccurate GIS data is a liability that touches every part of your utility. Our Quick Guide walks you through the steps to move from “we know we have a problem” to “we have a plan and the funding to fix it.” You’ll learn how to scope your project, build a coalition of support, and tap into O&M, capital, and rate-case funding.
4 critical data corrections to make before you start your migration
Your Data Has Problems Your Geometric Network is Hiding
There are four data issues that block almost every Utility Network migration. The Geometric Network ignores them. The Utility Network will not. Here is what they are.
Most utilities discover their data problems after go-live
If you migrate to the Utility Network and have absolutely no data issues once you get there, your data is amazingly good. Almost everyone else deals with problems they did not see coming.
After hundreds of thousands of hours migrating and managing the data for utilities serving over 20 million meters across the United States, SSP identified four data issues that consistently occur, regardless of utility size or commodity type.
None of these are new problems. Your Geometric Network has been carrying them quietly for years. The difference is that the Utility Network’s topology model is strict. It will surface every one of them.
The time to find and fix data gaps is before migration, not after go-live. Cleaning up data in a system you know is far easier than cleaning it up in one you are still learning.
Understanding the Data Requirements for Successful ADMS Implementation
ADMS promises faster outage response, optimized grid efficiency, and proactive distribution network management.
But success depends on something many utilities underestimate: GIS data quality.
Missing or inaccurate data doesn’t just limit performance; it can make certain ADMS functions completely unusable.
Which GIS data does your ADMS actually need? Our Quick Guide provides a framework for planning your data improvements, helping you identify what you need, prioritize what to fix first, and avoid gaps after ADMS goes live.
How to Bild a Sustainable GIS Program in Today's Workplace
Your GIS team is stuck in a cycle: hire someone, train them up, watch them gain experience, then start over when they leave for the next opportunity. Meanwhile, your as-built backlog grows, data quality slips during transitions, and strategic projects get pushed aside.
The problem isn’t that your people aren’t good enough. The problem is that utility GIS work has become a stepping stone rather than a destination, especially for younger professionals who switch employers every few years.
You can’t change the broader employment landscape. But you can build a GIS program that delivers consistent value regardless of who’s coming or going.
This guide shows you how forward-thinking utilities are rethinking their GIS operations to handle the new reality of workforce turnover. You’ll learn:
Which GIS work should stay internal and which should be outsourced (hint: processing as-builts doesn’t need to tie up your best people)
How to position GIS as strategic infrastructure instead of just “the mapping department that’s always behind.”
What modern platforms like Esri Utility Network can actually do beyond making maps (and why this matters for retention)
How to build flexible capacity that scales so you’re not constantly in crisis-hire mode
The utilities that figure this out aren’t fighting turnover. They’re building operations where critical data work happens on schedule, strategic projects move forward, and the whole program isn’t dependent on any single person staying forever.
Download the guide to see the four patterns that make this possible.
If your GIS hasn’t been evaluated in a while, how can you be sure it’s still a strategic asset and not just a legacy system in disguise?
Taking a hard look at your GIS practices removes the guesswork from improving the value and impact of your GIS program and paves the way for advancing your GIS to the next level of capability.
This guide lays out a framework for evaluating your GIS practices against industry-recognized benchmarks. Download it today & take the first step toward uncovering opportunities for high-value improvement.
Proven tactics for utility technology project success.
Proven Tactics for Utility Technology Project Success
In utility software implementations, technical factors often take center stage. However, our experience has shown that non-technical elements play an outsized role in determining whether a project succeeds or fails.
Download our Playbook & get the best moves for balancing technical excellence with the key
non-technical factors that will ultimately drive your project to success.
Choosing the best model for your operational goals
Utilities everywhere are facing challenges in maintaining and modernizing grid infrastructure while dealing with resource constraints. To cope, many are seeking external support through Staff Augmentation or Managed Services. What’s the difference and which model is right for you?
What’s Inside the Guide
Strategic vs. Tactical Resourcing: Understand the fundamental differences between staff augmentation (short-term skill support) and managed services (long-term process ownership).
When to Use Each Model: Explore real-world utility scenarios where each model excels—from as-built data processing to full-scale GIS program management.
Decision Framework: Use our side-by-side comparison chart to evaluate your organization’s needs across supervision, risk, scalability, and cost control.
Outcomes-Driven Support: Learn how managed services provide fixed-cost, SLA-driven outcomes that support reliability, compliance, and performance improvement.
Download this Quick Guide for a look at the differences and a handy checklist for determining which model would work best for your needs.
Why It Matters
Utilities that continue to rely on traditional staffing alone risk falling behind in today’s high-stakes environment. The Managed Services Guide equips you with the insight needed to:
✅ Drive operational resilience ✅ Reduce long-term staffing costs ✅ Deliver consistent quality ✅ Maintain critical infrastructure support—even as institutional knowledge walks out the door
Get the Guide and Take Control of Your Utility’s Future
Whether you’re rethinking how you maintain your GIS, struggling to retain skilled resources, or exploring new ways to deliver consistent service, this guide will help you determine the best path forward.
Change Management – Driving Adoption for Lasting ROI
In today’s fast-paced utility landscape, adopting cutting-edge GIS technology is only half the battle. Our quick guide, 6 Proven Tactics to Drive End-User Adoption & Increase ROI, reveals how to seamlessly integrate the new ArcGIS Utility Network into your daily operations. Discover actionable strategies that empower your teams, streamline workflows, and ultimately boost your return on investment.
Ready to transform your organization’s approach to change? Download now and learn how to turn user adoption into a strategic advantage.
Transform your strategy with effective workflow documentation
As utilities prepare for the transition to Esri’s Utility Network, comprehensive workflow documentation becomes a cornerstone of successful implementation. This essential guide reveals why documenting workflows is not just best practice—it’s a strategic necessity.
Download this guide to discover:
Five compelling reasons why workflow documentation is critical
Strategic approaches to capturing and preserving institutional knowledge
Methods for enhancing project communication and collaboration
Techniques for ensuring quality control throughout implementation
Strategies for maintaining compliance and accountability
Fast-track your journey to modern network management
Planning your migration to Esri’s Utility Network? This essential guide provides a proven methodology for accelerating your transition while minimizing risk and disruption. Discover SSP’s field-tested approach that has helped utilities of all sizes successfully migrate to the Utility Network.
Why Read This Guide?
Access proven migration strategies and methodologies
Understand critical success factors and potential pitfalls
