TWiG Technologies (a Will Group Company) and IKE share a common “People First” credo; easy to say, difficult to execute. Tasked with a massive pole audit for a major utility, TWiG combined IKE’s strength in technology and process with their own strength of people. The goal was to build an end-to-end process that eliminated their old hot stick methods of field data collection, created new jobs, and enabled the provisioning of actionable information to the utility in a timely and formattable manner.

“By combining TWiG’s strength in its people with IKE’s strength in technology, the result is a partnership that delivers value for the utility”

The improved collection methods using IKE Devices resulted in faster and more accurate field data collection without compromising the safety of fielders. The resulting digitization and standardization of pole data delivered by the IKE Office Software and processes, along with end customer reports and dashboards, contributed to tremendous time savings and the creation of a safer network.

The story

A major North American utility needed to know more about their network as attachers installed equipment and winter storms rolled in. They tasked TWiG with the field audit of 200,000+ poles. For each pole, they needed to identify heights of attachment, guy wires, and other key pole attributes. The labor-intensive, hot stick collection method of this pole data presented distinct safety challenges during the winter months in Chicago.

Additionally, the traditional data entry process left far too much room for error to continue meeting TWiG’s quality standards. TWiG sought to create a hot stick-free process in their partnership with IKE.

Fully trained, TWiG leveraged IKE Office to quickly collect field data using custom forms built for the job. Once collected, TWiG utilized IKE Office to measure the heights of attachment and standardize data from the field for PLA and audit review to deliver a clear, actionable report for the utility. Along the way, TWiG was able to manage field teams and convey project statuses to their customer using IKE’s project dashboards. The TWIG team tripled their starting production rate throughout the project and their previous collection rate using hot sticks to complete the project within the tight six-month timeframe. Through IKE Office, TWiG provided actionable reports, which enabled the utility to complete engineering right on their desktop, a capability they did not have previously.

Conclusion

Tasked with collecting a daunting 200,000+ poles in a short time period while maintaining their people-first approach, TWiG embraced the like-minded IKE team and technology to triple field collection efficiency, slash pole recollects, experience zero pole rejections, and complete the project on time.

In keeping with TWiG’s credo, IKE’s technology and training enabled TWiG to successfully complete the audit while keeping people at the forefront. Throughout the project, existing fielders were more efficient, and previously unemployed members of the community were able to get back to work collecting data. The IKE solution not only saved time but mitigated safety risks while enabling a streamlined approach for evaluating the overall safety of the infrastructure.

“Our partnership with IKE has enabled us to offer cost savings and better solutions for our clients, create more opportunities for employees, and to be a good steward” in the communities we serve.”