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30 June, 2016 10:48
We have claimed an international award for a digital innovation which has brought business efficiencies to a new high.
The system called Q-Hub won the Special Achievement in GIS Award at the Esri User Conference being held in San Diego this week.
Queensland Urban Utilities Chief Information Officer, Nina Du Thaler, said it’s great to be recognised for creative use of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to solve business challenges.
“We were up against more than 10,000 organisations across the globe, so this award is a real honour,” she said.
“We’re extremely proud of our Q-Hub technology, which brings together different data sources via one integration hub that all staff can see in real time.
“Whether it’s a field worker viewing a map of the network on their tablet, a despatcher co-ordinating crews or a call centre agent answering customer enquiries – they can all access the same up-to-date information and speak the same language.”
Queensland Urban Utilities has set the benchmark in this field, with Q-Hub attracting interest from other water, energy and gas utilities looking to introduce similar cost-savings.
Ms Du Thaler said the technology allowed staff to make better decisions, compared to when they only had access to static spreadsheets and databases.
“For example, we can easily identify areas where multiple jobs are affecting multiple customers, indicating a potentially wider issue requiring action,” she said.
“We can then also visualise the most suitable crew to despatch based on proximity, skill set and equipment on board.
“Having information available in real-time is a crucial leap forward, because it means we can better serve our customers.”
Queensland Urban Utilities was the only Australian company to win an award at this year’s Esri User Conference.
“It was a proud moment to fly the flag, not only for Queensland Urban Utilities, but for Australia,” Ms Du Thaler said.
For more information on how GIS technology is transforming Queensland Urban Utilities and other Australian utilities, visit Esri Australia.