Utility Asset Management
Pole inspections, pipeline surveys, and T&D asset management made efficient
The European utility asset management market represents €1.3-2B annually, yet most field crews still waste 2-4 hours per day on double data entry. Whether you're inspecting transmission poles, surveying gas pipelines, or documenting substation equipment, the pattern is the same: collect data on paper or a basic app, return to the office, and manually transcribe everything into your asset management system. Geocadra eliminates this inefficiency by creating a direct digital pipeline from field to system, while working reliably in the underground vaults, rural substations, and remote corridors where your assets actually live.
The Real Challenges Facing Utility Field Teams
Utility infrastructure spans thousands of kilometres and decades of legacy systems. Field crews face unique obstacles that generic software simply doesn't address.
Double Data Entry Wastes Hours Every Day
Field technicians collect inspection data on clipboards, tablets, or basic apps throughout the day. Back at the office, they spend 2-4 hours re-entering that same data into Maximo, SAP, or your asset management system. This isn't just inefficient—it's where errors creep in. A mistyped pole number or transposed GPS coordinate can send maintenance crews to the wrong location, wasting even more time and money.
Coordinating Crews Across Vast Service Territories
A single distribution network might span hundreds of kilometres with dozens of technicians in the field simultaneously. Without real-time visibility, crews overlap on the same assets while others get missed entirely. Supervisors rely on end-of-day phone calls to understand progress, making it impossible to respond to urgent issues or reallocate resources efficiently.
Meeting ISO 55000 and ENTSO-E Requirements
Asset management standards require documented evidence of inspection activities, condition assessments, and maintenance decisions. Paper-based systems make audit preparation a nightmare—hunting through filing cabinets for inspection records, trying to match photos to specific assets, and hoping nothing was lost. Regulators increasingly expect digital documentation with complete chain of custody.
Enterprise Tools That Lock Out Smaller Teams
Solutions like IBM Maximo or IQGeo are powerful but come with enterprise price tags—often €50,000+ annually plus implementation costs. For smaller utilities, municipal operators, or contractors serving multiple clients, these costs are prohibitive. Yet the alternative—spreadsheets and paper forms—creates its own costly inefficiencies.
No Signal Where You Actually Work
Underground vaults, rural transmission corridors, and remote substations rarely have reliable mobile coverage. Cloud-dependent apps fail precisely where they're needed most, forcing technicians to take notes and hope they remember everything when they're back online. Data loss in these scenarios isn't just inconvenient—it can mean repeated site visits and safety risks.
How Geocadra Solves These Problems
Geocadra was built by people who understand utility fieldwork. Every feature addresses a real problem that costs your team time and money.
Data Flows Directly From Field to System
Capture inspection data once in the field, and it's immediately ready for export to your asset management system. No transcription, no re-entry, no errors from mistyped values. Our export formats integrate with Maximo, SAP PM, and standard GIS systems. What used to take 2-4 hours of office time now happens automatically.
Real-Time Crew Tracking and Area Assignments
See exactly where every technician is working and what they've completed. Assign specific poles, pipeline segments, or substations to individual crew members. When priorities change—an emergency repair, a regulatory deadline, weather closing in—you can reallocate resources instantly based on actual field positions, not guesswork.
Audit-Ready Documentation With Complete Chain of Custody
Every inspection record includes automatic timestamps, GPS coordinates, and user identification. Photos link directly to specific assets with embedded metadata. When auditors or regulators ask for documentation, you export exactly what they need in minutes rather than spending days compiling evidence from scattered sources.
Per-Organisation Pricing That Scales With Your Team
One price for your entire organisation—not per-user fees that punish you for adding technicians. Whether you have 5 field crew or 50, your costs remain predictable. This makes professional-grade inspection tools accessible to municipal utilities, contractors, and smaller operators who've been priced out of enterprise solutions.
Common Workflows
See how utility teams use Geocadra for their most common inspection and survey tasks.
Pole and Tower Inspection
Photograph each pole, record condition ratings using standardised scales, document defects with precise locations, and flag assets requiring immediate attention. All data links to your existing pole IDs for seamless integration.
Pipeline Corridor Surveys
Walk or drive pipeline routes capturing encroachment issues, vegetation concerns, and right-of-way conditions. GPS tracks create accurate corridor records while geotagged photos document specific locations.
Substation Equipment Audits
Work through structured checklists for transformers, switchgear, and control equipment. Condition ratings follow your standards while photos capture nameplate data and defect evidence.
Gas Leak Detection Surveys
Record leak indication locations with precise GPS coordinates, categorise by severity, and attach instrument readings. Export directly to your leak management system for prioritised response.
Vegetation Management Along Corridors
Document encroachment zones, identify species, estimate clearance requirements, and prioritise trimming work. Photo evidence supports contractor work orders and landowner communications.
Smart Meter Rollout Documentation
Capture installation photos, record meter serial numbers, document connection details, and collect customer signatures. Complete records support billing system updates and regulatory compliance.
Measurable Results
Utility teams using Geocadra report significant improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and compliance.
Field teams consistently report 75% reduction in data processing time after switching from paper-based or disconnected digital systems. The elimination of double data entry means technicians can inspect more assets per day while supervisors spend less time on administrative tasks. Data error rates drop from 7% with manual transcription to under 1% with direct digital capture. Perhaps most importantly, the same inspection workload that previously required a full crew can often be completed with 25% fewer workers—not through harder work, but through eliminating wasted effort.
Compliance & Standards
Geocadra's templates and documentation features help utility teams meet regulatory requirements efficiently.
ISO 55000
The international standard for asset management systems requires documented evidence of condition assessments, maintenance decisions, and lifecycle planning. Geocadra's forms capture all required condition data with automatic timestamps and GPS verification, creating the audit trail ISO 55000 demands.
ENTSO-E
European network codes for transmission system operators specify documentation requirements for grid assets. Geocadra exports inspection data in formats ready for regulatory submission, reducing compliance preparation time from days to hours.
LOLER
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations require regular inspection of lifting equipment with documented evidence. Our pre-built checklists cover LOLER inspection requirements while automatic scheduling ensures nothing gets missed.
PUWER
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations require employers to ensure equipment is maintained in safe condition. Geocadra tracks equipment inspections, flags overdue assessments, and maintains the documentation trail that demonstrates compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Geocadra integrate with our existing asset management system?
Yes. Geocadra exports data in standard formats including Shapefile, GeoJSON, CSV, and Excel. These integrate directly with IBM Maximo, SAP PM, Oracle Utilities, and most GIS platforms. For deeper integration, our REST API allows automated data synchronisation with your existing systems.
How long does it take to train field technicians?
Most technicians are productive within an hour. The interface mirrors familiar mobile app patterns, so there's no complex GIS training required. We provide onboarding support and can configure your specific forms and workflows before deployment.
How is our utility data secured?
Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. We're hosted on EU-based servers with GDPR compliance. Role-based access controls let you limit who sees what, and complete audit logs track all data access. We can also support on-premise deployment for organisations with strict data residency requirements.
Can we import our existing asset data?
Yes. We can import asset locations, IDs, and attributes from GIS files, spreadsheets, or database exports. This means your technicians see familiar asset identifiers in the field rather than starting from scratch.
Ready to transform your Utility Asset Management workflow?
Join teams who've already made the switch