What is ArcGIS Enterprise?

Knowing Our Numbers Project

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 19:13:39 GMT

Acorn Information Solutions was asked to assist with data collection for the Knowing Our Numbers (KON) project conducted by Dr. Emis Akbari and Kerry McCuaig.

The report is cited as:

Akbari, E., McCuaig, K., Schurter, M. Varmuza, P., Akbari, S., Mudie, S. (2024). Knowing Our Numbers: A Provincial Study with a Local Lens on the Early Childhood Education Workforce in Ontario.

What is KON?

Knowing Our Numbers is a study aimed at better understanding the current state of the childcare system and early education workforce climate. It identifies the challenges and barriers faced by those in the sector and highlights the facilitators to success.

The study is being done through a data collection process involving 43 of the 47 children’s services managers across Ontario. Thus, the project will not only provide a local perspective; it also provides cross-jurisdictional understandings. The information collected will be used for policy and planning purposes, including measures to support recruitment and retention in the ECE workforce.

Our Work

Acorn’s involvement in the project was focused on compiling a variety of population and socio-economic indicators for several District Social Service Administration Boards (DSSAB) and Consolidated Municipal Service Mangers (CMSM) where the standard geographic name of the Statistics Canada Census Division (CD) differed from the DSSAB/CMSM name, and/or where the spatial boundaries of the DSSAB/CMSM did not match the CD boundary. Providing data for a number of these regions involved conducting calculations based on the appropriate census geographies (census divisions, census subdivisions, dissemination areas, and/or unorganized areas) that fall within the DSSAB/CMSM service area. Data collected, manipulated, and reported included: population metrics, labour force metrics, religious data metrics, income metrics, low-income and inequality metrics, education metrics, and socio-demographic metrics.

The following metrics were collected and reported:

Population metrics : Population in 2016 and 2021, % change in population since 2016, population density, median age, % of the population that is a racialized population, % of the population that is married or living common law, % of the population that is not married or living common law, % of the population married or common law with children, avg. number of children per family, % of one parent families, % of one-parent families headed by a woman, % of one-parent families headed by a man, and percentage of multigenerational households.

Labour force metrics : Participation rate of women and men in the labour force (%), and the unemployment rate of women and men (%).

Religion data metrics: % of the population that is not religious, and all religious breakdowns as per Statistics Canada (%) - this includes % of the population that is Christian, % of the population that is Muslim, % of the population that is Hindu, % of the population that is Sikh and % of the population that is Jewish.

Income indicators : Median employment income, median employment income in 2020 for full-year full-time workers, median after-tax income of households in 2020, and median total income for households in 2020.

Low income and inequality metrics : % of the population aged 0 to 17 living in low income based on LIM-AT, % of the population aged 0 to 5 living in low income based on LIM-AT, % of the population aged 18 to 64 living in low income based on LIM-AT, as well as income distribution information for women and men individually and combined (%).

Socio-demographic information : Language most often spoken at home (# and % English, French, Other), % of the population that identifies as Indigenous, % of the population that own homes, % of the population that rent, % of the population spending more than 30% on shelter costs, % of the population that are immigrants, and commuting duration information for women and men individually and combined.

Education metrics : % of the population that does not have a certificate/diploma/degree, % of the population with a high school diploma or equivalent, % of the population with a post secondary certificate/diploma/degree, and % of the population that obtained education outside of Canada.

For more information on this project, visit https://knowingournumbers.ca/en/ .

Web GIS Dashboards

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 16:26:06 GMT

A glimpse into our Web GIS Dashboards

A dashboard is a series of statistics that are aided by maps. Decision-makers can easily see status and metrics, making it efficient and accessible to manage your municipal utilities. The images below are examples of just a few of our Web GIS Dashboards

Sewer Flushing Dashboard

Public Works Field Maps

Municipal Engineering Dashboard

These desktop web maps are also accessible via cell phone for real time editing, this is the marvel of modern GIS and where the future is headed.

District Social Services Administration Boards - Dashboard creation

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 16:23:41 GMT

Making it easy to report and showcase data

Challenge:

Many of our District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) clients face the challenge of organizing program data for their various services in a manner where key statistics are up to date and easily available for internal program planning and mandatory Ministry reporting.

Solution:

Our team developed cleaning process for raw data files and utilized PowerBI to make interactive dashboards that showcased elements such as important program participation data and a geographic breakdown of data in addition to a variety of other key indicators available to the client through user friendly filters and graphics.

When dashboards are required to be shared with the public, data entries were anonymized to ensure client confidence was maintained.

Outcomes:

Here's what our client had to say:

" We appreciate the supporting in creating an efficient reporting model to support our ongoing work. The Analytics data provided supports planning in our service area. We appreciate the quick responses and supporting to us to give the insights to makes decision easier and more efficient. " - DSSAB Client.

Hazardous Materials Drop-off Tracking

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 21:01:33 GMT

Moving from paper to digital reporting for Household Hazardous Waste Depot

Background:

The Sault Ste. Marie Household Hazardous Waste Depot (HHW) collects household materials such as batteries, oil, acids, and other substances that are not permitted for disposal with regular waste, and holds the materials until they are picked up by a contractor to recycle or incinerate, etc. There is no gate fee required as the depot runs a free service, however there is a requirement for the depot to report on what has been dropped off. This consists of annual reporting to the Ministry of Energy, Conservation and Parks using the information gathered with the app.

The Challenge:

Up until 2022, the HHW depot was recording information about materials dropped off on paper-based forms. The pads of paper forms had to be special ordered, expensive, and the results were not easily interpreted for peak-time analysis or quantity of materials dropped off. Storing the paper forms for future reference was also a challenge.

The Solution:

We created an app that allows the employees of the HHW depot to use tablets and either a WIFI or data connection to gather information about the materials dropped off, allowing for easier reporting and analysis of materials. It also allows for employees to investigate the originating postal codes in a dynamically created feature layer where the household is located, using a custom Postal Code Locator service tailored to Sault Ste. Marie.

More features of the app include a way to flag suspected commercial drop offs by vehicle license plate number (this depot is for household use only) and to also track waste that is rejected.

(Created using ESRI’s ArcGIS Survey 123 and ArcGIS Online).

City Fire Critical Infrastructure

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 20:49:54 GMT

Project Summary for Sault City Fire Critical Infrastructure

The Challenge:

This client required an interactive web mapping application that depicts the critical infrastructure within the community as well as relevant information pertaining to the features. Requirements of the application were to be a user friendly, centralized tool in order to assist in the planning and preparation for emergency situations. As this web app contains confidential and sensitive information, it was not to be publicly accessible.

Data Preparation

The client provided a dataset listing the critical assets to which we made additional recommendations, cleaned for inconsistencies, and then geocoded in ArcGIS Pro. This process converts a text list of locations into spatial features correctly located on the earth’s surface. 'Attribute joins' were used to link additional textual attribute information to multiple spatial features. To accommodate additional information that would not be practical in a pop up, we attached pdf documents to spatial features.

Using ArcGIS Online, Acorn was able to produce web maps displaying the data layers generated and collected. This included uploading data, finalizing the symbology of the features, grouping the layers by category, and configuring pop-ups. For ease of visual interpretation and accuracy, multiple maps were created displaying subsets of the data.

Building the Web App

The interactive web app was built using ArcGIS Experience Builder and consists of multiple pages with widgets and pop-ups. This platform allowed for a user-friendly interface on desktop or mobile devices, both for the designer and the client. Each page in the web app references an individual web map built in ArcGIS Online and follows a standardized layout with helpful widgets such as search, near me, measure, and a legend. This design allowed us to streamline the interaction between the user and the large volume of spatial data present on the maps. This web app harnesses the spatial location of critical infrastructure in the community, overlaid with contextual population/socio-economic information and provides a platform to access tools that help the client make informed decisions regarding emergency planning, preparedness, and implementation all stored in one location.

BeSpatial 2023

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 21:00:57 GMT

BeSpatial 2023 presentation by Acorn GIS Experts

Paul Beach presented at this year's BeSpatial Conference about the considerations decision-makers will need to keep in mind when looking at migrating their GIS to the Utility Network based ArcGIS Enterprise platform. This presentation showcases the differences between the two platforms, and some of the questions municipalities need to ask themselves to come up with the best strategy to meet unique needs.

ArcGIS Utility Network: Data Builds – Sanitary Sewer

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 16:49:01 GMT

In today’s utility network article, we will examine a few of the various types of data builds that are possible in Utility Network, focusing specifically on the genre of sanitary sewer networks.

One of the products that are available in the utility network solutions packages are a robust set of modern GIS symbols. These symbols are also set with various scale ranges and visible field settings to demonstrate how corporations may wish to start their utility network experience. Lets examine the map scaling and symbology using ESRI’s Naperville sanitary sewer data.

In our first image we see a common GIS view of sewer pipes and maintenance holes, apart from the specific symbols used this is a view that most users of sanitary sewer data in GIS will be familiar with.

You’ll notice if we zoom in that our symbology has changed. Why?

One of the concepts within utility network is associations. Associations allow us to model the world in GIS with much more detail, and one of the challenges with more detail becomes map clutter. To reduce map clutter, associations have a setting that allows the asset visibility to be toggled on/off. Another option to reduce map clutter is using symbol scaling to turn assets on/off at various scales, which is what we see above. When we zoom from the scale in the first image to the scale in the second image, we have triggered a symbol scaling setting . The author of the map has designed a small-scale view of the data versus a large scale view of the data. We can zoom in even closer to get a more detailed view of this site.

This view of the data may not look very familiar to existing GIS users. We see pipes and maintenance holes, but they don’t appear attached – in geometric networks everything must be attached. And what are the points on the end of each pipe? Let’s start to work through this view.

First, it should be noted in the image above the Naperville data is built with maintenance holes and vaults on top of each other, the premise for this construction is that a vault is an asset point with an internal function and pipe connection points. The vault serves multiple purposes (channel flow and pipe connection) and requires more than the traditional single point to model properly. On the ArcGIS Pro Utility Network toolbar lets select a manhole location and enter containment . Recall from previous articles, we know we are in containment mode on an asset when we see the dashed blue line around it, as shown below. Additionally, on the Utility Network toolbar let’s set ‘ View Associations’ to true, and arrive at the image below.

From the image above we can see that the points at the ends of the pipes are associated with the manholes. This is consistent with the new utility network high fidelity data build. The points at the ends of the pipes are from the Sewer Device feature class, the Asset Group is Connection , and the Asset Type is Pipe Connection , so these are the points where the pipe connects to something - in this case it is the manhole. We know the pipe is connected to the manhole because we see an association is present ( dashed brown line between pipe ends and manhole ). So, as far as utility network is concerned, the assets are indeed connected through associations and the data is fully enabled to perform flow trace analysis.

If we view the associations of this site, we see that the Structure Junction > Vault > Manhole contains four assets: one manhole channel and three pipe ends.

Additionally we can select the manhole and see the connectivity associations associated with that asset. In the image below we see that the manhole has a connectivity association with three pipe connection points.

In our examples above we see a standard approach for utility network high fidelity data in a sanitary sewer system. GIS data editors would be expected to construct and maintain data using the components we discussed above.

Let’s look at another example, this time we will look at a treatment plant. In the image below we’ve navigated to a sewage treatment facility, and have selected the polygon boundary that delineates the site. The feature class is Structure Boundary , the Asset Group is Sewer Treatment Plant Boundary, and the Asset Type is Treatment Plant. Once again, we can select the polygon and activate containment. We see that the treatment plant polygon contains one point – the treatment plant point . More specifically the point feature class is Sewer Device , the Asset Group is Treatment, and the Asset Type is Treatment Plant. The treatment plant boundary contains a treatment plant facility point.

If we use the Explorer tool in ArcGIS Pro we can view the attributes of the treatment plant point, in the image below we see the attributes of this point.

If you recall our article on Subnetworks , you will notice in the attributes that this point is acting as a subnetwork controller . In the attributes we see that the subnetwork controller attribute is set as true. This means that the site has already been validated successfully and built into a subnetwork. The point has a subnetwork controller name , and the terminal setting is shown and the subnetwork has a name. This treatment plant point is serving as a subnetwork control point (sink) that will pull flow and trace analysis towards it, as we would expect in a sewage treatment plant. You can also see that downstream of this plant is an outlet that discharges into the adjacent water body.

In this article we have shown multiple sites that demonstrate many of the new technologies found in utility network, these new technologies help us model the world in much more detail that previous generations of GIS. Many of these new tools and relationships will be new to existing GIS users. Data caretakers will need to learn these new components of GIS and understand new requirements to create, edit and maintain data in a utility network.

Acorn Information Solutions launched its MonARC Data Migration platform to help corporations implement, or migrate to, a Utility Network. AIS has decades of experience in creating and administering municipal and utilities based Geometric Networks combined with knowledge and experience in Utility Network migrations.

About the Author

Craig Martin is Acorn’s Municipal and GIS Manager and has over 25 years of experience in the field of GIS. Craig has extensive experience in data modeling, data capture, administration, solutions architecture, and smart data networks in a variety of engineering disciplines. Connect with one of our experts at info@acorninfosolutions.ca .

ArcGIS Utility Network: Data Builds – Water Distribution

Thu, 25 May 2023 14:49:21 GMT

In today’s Utility Network article, we will examine a few of the various types of data builds that are possible in Utility Network, focusing specifically on the genre of water distribution networks.

Recall that one of the advancements with ArcGIS Enterprise and Utility Network is associations. Associati ons allow data modellers with additional tools for modeling real world asset relationships within a GIS. The inclusion of associations, or lack thereof, can generally be referred to as high fidelity data versus low fidelity data. Corporations that are planning a utility network migration will need to consider which type of fidelity they will implement.

First, we will start with a traditional view of water distribution within a geometric network. This image should look familiar to GIS users that interact with water distribution data in a GIS, while individual corporations may choose a different set of symbols to represent assets, the data build is generally consistent.

Below we see a water main with 3 service leads, a hydrant lead, and hydrant with various types of fittings and valves present as well. Since this is geometric network-based data, we have all the points and lines connected (snapped) to one another, allowing us to perform flow-based analysis such as a water main break isolation trace to determine which valves need to be closed. Regardless of aesthetics such as symbols and colors, this is a very standard low fidelity data build. As we pan across this type of data build, we will continue to see assets captured in the same spirit of direct linear connectivity.

Comparing this to a similar data build in the utility network data model, we see some similarities but also certain components that are constructed differently, incorporating the new high-fidelity approach. One obvious difference is ESRI’s new high-quality web-based symbol library. We now have access to a more sophisticated set of asset icons that render very nicely in a web enabled environment. Much of the data build looks similar to our previous low fidelity example and we see water mains connecting to service leads via fittings and valves placed accordingly, but we also have a fire hydrant, and this appears different.

If we zoom in and examine this hydrant, we see a very different data build from what most people are used to. On this hydrant build we encounter a containment association ; a fire hydrant point (layer = device ) located geographically, but to the side we also have a hydrant assembly point (layer = assembly) . We can use our utility network toolbar in ArcGIS Pro to ‘enter containment’ and learn more about this point. When we activate containment on this point, we know it is active by the dashed square outline around the assembly point (shown below). The containment properties for this point feature can be accessed using the modify association s tool, which shows the following assets related through association:

2 water service lines (both sides of the service valve
One tee fitting
One hydrant service valve
One hydrant device

By using containment association for this asset build we have associated multiple assets of the fire hydrant build to the assembly point. These assets and their attributes are all accessible for analysis from a single assembly point using containment association.

Recall from our utility network introduction article that within a domain network we only have four layers to capture assets in. In our hydrant example we are using the layers: device, assembly and line . The GIS editor for this high-fidelity data will be responsible to create and maintain the assets, the assembly, and the assembly containment association.

Let's examine another, more ambitious, data build that uses containment association – a pumping station. A pumping station is one of the most complex facilities in a water distribution system and is used to perform a variety of functions based on the location and parameters of a given system. In our example below, we see another advancement in utility network in that polygons are now part of this network; this was not possible under geometric networks. Once again, we can ‘enter containment’ in our utility network toolbar and select the polygon (structure boundary > water pump station boundary) . We know that containment is active by the dashed rectangle (containment can only be active on one object at a time) and by using the modify associations tool we see that there are 16 assets participating in this containment association.

Once again, we can see how a significant amount of information is accessible through this containment association- a variety of fittings, pumps and valves are all associated to this site. The data editor will be responsible to create, edit, and maintain the assets as well as their role in the containment association.

Our final example will illustrate connectivity associations and how they can be used in conjunction with containment associations . One of the challenges with geometric networks was how to incorporate account-based data into a network that requires linear connectivity. While meters are easily incorporated to this type of network, since it is a physical asset, the account details are not a type of physical asset and multiple accounts may be associated with a single meter. We have seen many approaches to this challenge over the years. Now we can use associations to help tackle this challenge.

Below we see a metering station, the meter station point is selected, containment is activated and the modify associations pane is active. In it we see that there are 33 assets in the containment association. One type of asset participating in this association are water meters.

If we zoom out slightly, we can also see an additional series of points in proximity that appears unconnected to these assets shown in containment. These are residential service connections and represent an account where we would store account numbers. Some users familiar with geometric networks may interact with a similar build of data for account information, perhaps joined to the meter in a tabular relationship or perhaps even pseudo lines that establish the linear connectivity we discussed earlier.

If we go back to our utility network tool bar in ArcGIS Pro and toggle on our view association s tool, we see that these account points are actually connected to certain meters via connectivity association - another type of association that we discussed previously.

By participating in connectivity association these account points participate in the network and can therefore participate in network tracing type of analysis. For example, if we were to build a trace whereby a control valve was closed and blocked resource flow to this site, not only will our trace return the assets affected by this valve closure it will also include these accounts. In our example below you can see the account point is selected and the modify association pane shows us which meter point is connected and the type of association (connectivity).

About the Author

Utility Network Versioning

Thu, 11 May 2023 16:27:58 GMT

In today’s Utility Network article, we will examine the technology, principles and practices associated with database versioning.

Before we delve into the topic, perhaps the most important point for new or intermediate GIS users to take away from this article is what versioning is not – it is not a copy of data . Throughout this discussion, and along with visual support, there will be a tendency for many GIS users who are unfamiliar with versioning to frame the discussion as a copy of data – viewing database versions as a copy of data will lead to an incorrect understanding of the technology. It will also diminish what this author views as one of the most advanced components in ArcGIS.

Versioning is a data editin g scenario that allows multiple users to simultaneously edit the same data without applying locks or duplicating the data. Versioning accommodates long transaction s, which allows data editors to work in isolated versions ( not copies ) of the geodatabase and across many edit sessions. When the editor has completed all of their edits, they can merge their changes back into the parent ( default ) version from which their version was created. Versioning is only available in an enterprise database and administration of versions requires ArcGIS Pro.

All of these changes that data editors make within a version are still within the single parent database. The process does not create copies of the layers or copies of the assets or create another database. These changes to the data are all tracked in a comprehensive set of system tables that work to retain the data integrity and functionality of the database at any of its state of changes. “State” is a keyword in that these system tables literally track the state ( representation ) of the database at every change. Since there is only one database involved, it requires quite a level of sophistication to track, manage and reconcile all the data edits ( including data deletes ).

A good example of the need and use of database versions, and long transactions, would be a new subdivision within a city or town. A new subdivision takes time to implement in the real world; a variety of planning related documents are required, surveys are implemented, parcel boundaries are set, lots are developed, roadways are developed, utilities such as sanitary sewer, water distribution and electricity are developed. It is a significant undertaking with many different disciplines and fields taking place.

Let’s say I work in a water distribution utility as a GIS editor. I will be tasked with implementing the as-built representation of the water distribution network (perhaps the design representation as well, but that is another article), if it is a large subdivision - it could take many days, perhaps weeks, to implement. Rather than GIS viewers seeing the ebb and flow of this process the GIS editor can create a new named version, perform all the data editing required, deal with any problems encountered, and when completed, post those changes to the default version for all users to see. From the user’s perspective they will receive all this data at once as a finished product. They will not endure the steady progression of editing and changes, rather, they will receive a complete and final representation with complete integrity. The GIS editor can post their changes when the subdivision is complete or at any interval required (phase 1, phase 2, phase 3, etc.).

Another example would be a neighborhood which is scheduled to undergo a voltage conversion in an electrical distribution system. Since this sort of activity in GIS may take some time for the editor to implement, it can also be viewed as a long transaction. Other GIS users may be adversely impacted by the editor working directly with the default version. In this case, the editor can create a named version, implement the voltage conversion parameters with integrity and then post back to the default version when it is complete. GIS viewers of the default version are provided the new voltage conversion data in real time when it is posted by the editor, saving them from the confusion or incomplete data necessary during the data editing process.

These are just two examples of versioning scenarios; the technology allows for many sophisticated work processes to be implemented.

Branch Versioning

While users familiar with geometric networks may be familiar with versioning, they should be aware that ArcGIS Enterprise has implemented a new type of versioning – Branch Versioning . Branch versioning works with the ArcGIS Enterprise web GIS model and uses a services-based architecture to extend multi-user editing and long transaction support to the web, via feature layers. This advancement should be appreciated by senior and advanced users of geometric networks – versioned editing is extended to web maps, truly a remarkable advancement in GIS! Branch versioning comes with its own requirements and parameters, GIS administrator need to become familiar with them.

While editing in a named version can go extremely far in providing data editing integrity, there will always be potential for multiple editors to edit the same asset differently and the versioning engine in utility network will flag such edits as conflicts during the reconcile and post process. Included in the version technology is a sophisticated conflict management resolution environment. When a user reconciles against another version and an asset containing a conflicting edit is discovered, it will present the user with an overview of all edit states: the user’s own edits, the second person’s edits, and the default version of the asset. This allows the user to investigate and confirm what the proper state is ( it may not be their own edits ) and then proceed to accept one of the other states or override with their own state.

When planning a versioning work process users should be aware that there is no ability to do partial reconciles/posts of data. The version engine works across an entire database and a subset of data within an active versioned edit session cannot be parsed out as a type of limited, or targeted, reconcile and post. Such a process could end up compromising the integrity of the database.

Compression

Finally, for GIS administrators in geometric networks and versioned work process, we should discuss compression. Database compression is a part of a database administrators, or GIS administrators, regular maintenance routines. In short, this is done to remove unnecessary states and improve database performance. As the GIS administrator of a very large municipal and utilities database for more than two decades, I can attest that there are times when this can be a time consuming, and stressful task, even when automation is utilized. With branch versioning these days are over, the premise of branch versioning is that the state tree is not compressed as a regular administration process.

It should be noted that at the time of writing this article, there is still an open discussion on ESRI’s “Ideas forum” regarding whether there should be a tool in ArcGIS Enterprise for ‘pruning’ the state tree. Readers can access the thread here to monitor this discussion which has been on-going for many years - perhaps compression will be re-introduced.

Final thoughts

Database versions is a comprehensive GIS subject, but represents one of the most powerful aspects of an advanced corporate GIS. There are many more aspects to this technology that users will need to learn about and use, while GIS administrators involved in migrating to utility network will be required to understand changes such as branch versioning.

Acorn Information Solutions launched its MonARC Data Migration platform to help corporations implement, or migrate to, a Utility Network. We have decades of experience in creating and administering municipal and utilities based Geometric Networks combined with knowledge and experience in Utility Network migrations.

About the Author

ArcGIS Utility Network: Network Rules

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 18:19:53 GMT

Today’s Utility Network article is about Network Rules .

What are Network Rules? They are database driven rules that dictate which network assets may connect or associate (another new and important GIS concept for future discussion) in the Utility Network. Features and objects may connect and associate as long as network rules exist to allow such relationships.

GIS users that are familiar with Geometric Networks know that “rules” are critically important in a smart spatial network. Rules define and shape the network and keep the data integrity high. One limitation in the Geometric Network is that while you can define rules, they are not enforced at data creation. They are enforceable post-data creation at the data validation stage. Unfortunately, this optional step is often overlooked in the daily GIS work process, especially once rules become intuitive and familiar.

With Utility Network, you can define network rules that are enforced at mandatory steps in the work process - either at the time of actual data creation, or when topology is validated (mandatory step in the subnetwork update process) . If a data editor is attempting to capture data in such a way that does not conform to a rule, it cannot be created, or the subnetwork cannot be updated.

With Network Rules we can ensure data integrity such as:

Two concrete sewer mains can only connect via a concrete maintenance hole,
A 150 mm PVC water main can only connect to a 100 mm PVC water main via a Reducer,
A single-phase pole mounted transformer can only be connected to a primary conductor on the same phase as the conductor.

The potential rules applicable to municipal and utilities based spatial networks are extensive.

Network Rules are also required in the Utility Network in order to enable Network Topology (another future article) . Network Topology is the engine that manages information about the features in the network and the connectivity between them. This information is stored in the Network Topology.

There are three types of rules in the Utility Network:

1. Connectivity Rules

2. Structural Attachment Rules

3. Containment Rules

Connectivity Rules

Connectivity rules define which features can be geometrically coincident or associated. There are three types of connectivity rules apart from junction – junction connectivity (associations) that most GIS users should be familiar with:

Junction-junction connectivity rules govern the connectivity association between two points that are not necessarily geometrically coincident or between two junction objects. Terminal connectivity is also supported, and the rules are evaluated when the association is created in a separate process.
Junction-edge connectivity rules declare the types of point features or junction objects that can be connected to edge features or edge objects. They also support connectivity to a device or junction with terminals, but they cannot be placed mid-span.
Edge-junction-edge connectivity rules are based on geometric coincidence or connectivity associations. They control the types of lines or edges that can be connected to an intermediate junction. These rules are evaluated when you enable or validate network topology.

Structural Attachment Rules

Structural attachment rules restrict the types of features that can be attached to an asset type (structure) and they do not support terminal connectivity. These rules are created between structure features and attachment network features. Attachment network features can be from the device, junction, assembly, and structure junction feature classes, as well as junction and structure junction object tables. These rules are established at the asset group and asset type level, and they are enforced during edit operations.

The image below is an example of a structural attachment. It shows a single-phase pole mounted electric transformer (attachment feature) , the pole (structure feature) , and connection point (attachment point) . By creating features in a such a way, we enable network flow and traceability across data that is not directly connected - something the Geometric Network cannot do.

Containment Rules

Containment rules are new to the Utility Network, and they restrict the types of assets that can be contained in each asset type (container) . This type of association enables the modeling of dense sets of assets while controlling map clutter. This rule type does not support terminal connectivity and is created at the asset group and asset type level.

The following are examples of containment associations:

Pump houses versus the pumps and valves they contain,
Electrical ducts versus the cables contained within,
Electrical vault and the elbows or switches contained within.

Below is an example of an asset-dense area of a water distribution system. In this example, the meter station point is the container, while the 33 assets at the station are captured and associated to the meter station point. It is also worth noting that the visibility of the assets can be toggled to reduce map clutter.

Network Rules are a comprehensive and complex component of the Utility Network, and this article has only scratched the surface. Esri’s Utility Network asset packages come with a base level of established rules, but each implementation of a Utility Network will require thoughtful planning and input from technical staff to engineers in order to arrive at - and grow - a powerful Utility Network-enabled corporate GIS.

Acorn Information Solutions (AIS) launched its MonARC Data Migration platform to help corporations implement or migrate to Utility Network. AIS has decades of experience in creating and administering municipal/utilities-based Geometric Networks combined with knowledge and experience in Utility Network migrations.

About the Author

Connect with one of our experts at info@acorninfosolutions.ca .

ArcGIS Utility Network: Terminals

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 19:23:29 GMT

In today’s Utility Network article, we delve deeper into the topic of Terminals

Existing GIS users that are familiar with Geometric Networks should understand the technology behind sources and sinks. This advancement in GIS enabled a significant leap in what GIS was capable of and brought the technology into new sectors, such as municipalities and utilities. In the Utility Network, Terminals have advanced the technology even further.

What are Terminals?

Terminals represent ports, entry or exit locations, on a device or junction and they can be set as subnetwork controllers to define the origin of a subnetwork. Terminals can define resource pathways within a feature and from those pathways valid choices can be made by the resource flow depending on different states of the controller. While sources and sinks in the Geometric Network had quite limited capabilities beyond the push/pull effect of the resource, terminals provide a comprehensive modeling capability that allows for a much more detailed level of asset configuration and resource flow.

To better understand terminals, we can examine a common GIS asset like a water distribution control valve. There are many different types of water control valves that are used for various activities, but some of the common components are inlet and outlet port(s) that shape a resource flow for a variety reasons. With terminals we can now model these ports within the asset point.

Another example of real-life assets that can be modeled in much greater detail are transformers in an electrical distribution network. In this example, we have a common single phase pole mounted transformer that have traditionally been modeled in Geometric Networks as a single point. With terminals, we can now model high side and low side terminals.

With Utility Network terminals, the asset shown above can be edited with five terminals (two high side, three low side) or a more simplified configuration of one high side terminal and one low side terminal (shown below). We have more detailed asset types and configurations, and we also have flexibility with how detailed a GIS can be. This flexibility can be referred to as high fidelity data versus low fidelity data.

In the example below this same transformer is modeled using only two ports (high side versus low side), also notice that it makes use of a connectivity association between the tap junction on the medium voltage line and the transformers high side port. We discussed associations in a previous utility network article.

How terminals are defined depends on the asset type, the fidelity of the data model, if the resource flow is impacted by the asset, the number of ports, whether the ports are distinctly different, if the resource flow originates at the asset or terminates at the asset. Let’s examine a more complex scenario to illustrate the power of terminal configurations and output analysis. Specifically, we will examine a bypass switch.

The device shown below is a four-terminal device (utility network allows for a maximum of eight terminals) which therefore allows us six possible paths between these terminals, but the valid paths defined in the terminal configuration either energize or deenergize the inline device (such as a voltage regulator).

ESRI’s base asset packages all come with many common terminal configurations already defined, but users also have the ability to create new terminal configurations that suit non-typical scenarios. Anyone intending to create new terminal configurations will need to spend time planning and testing various terminal builds; another example of why modern GIS also requires a sandbox environment. Since terminals impact traversability-based traces they require careful consideration from the GIS administrator when creating new terminal configurations as well as the GIS data editor when placing features.

While terminals are not actually features that appear on a map, they still exist as connection locations on a device or junction, and certain types of network rules can be defined at the terminal level. Recall that we discussed network rules in a previous article. By incorporating rules at the terminal level this creates an increased level of data integrity during the data editing and validation process, helping to ensure a comprehensive resource network that is error free.

Terminals in Utility Network represent a notable change in the foundation of network mechanics, maintenance and analysis . Anyone working in the field of GIS and is involved with trace networks will need to understand how terminals work and shape network analysis. Data editors will need to understand how terminals work so they can create and maintain data, and subnetworks, with accuracy and integrity. GIS administrators will need to understand how terminals work and are configured so they can model new terminals in the database when they are required. Corporations that are already GIS enabled and will be migrating their datasets to utility network will need to plan this data migration and terminals will be an important component of that migration plan.

We launched MonARC Data Migration platform to help corporations implement, or migrate to, a Utility Network. Acorn has decades of experience in creating and administering municipal and utilities based Geometric Networks combined with knowledge and experience in Utility Network migrations.

About the Author

Connect with one of our experts at info@acorninfosolutions.ca .

ArcGIS Utility Networks: Subnetworks

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 20:23:20 GMT

Any municipality or utility that uses GIS will require knowledge of what Subnetworks are

Subnetworks are one of the major technological advancements in Utility Networks and any municipality or utility that uses GIS will require knowledge in what they are, how they work, and how they are maintained.

Subnetworks represent a data subset within a tier where all participating features have traceability to the same subnetwork controller. This subset is a collection of lines, devices, and junctions. Subnetworks drive tracing and network diagram events in order to visualize a network. Below we see a network trace results in ArcGIS Pro with a corresponding diagram view.

The following are examples of real-world resources that can participate in GIS a subnetwork:

A municipality collects residential wastewater in a system of pipes then treats it through a variety of assets before discharging it back into the environment,
A water utility acquires water through a variety of methods and then treats and distributes it to customers through a series of pipes,
An electrical distribution utility receives electricity from a transmission network and then shapes that electricity in a collection of assets and cables as it is delivered to customers.

As we showed in one of our previous articles, each of these resources can be modeled into a domain network within a utility network. If we review the Utility Network architecture model, we can see where subnetworks reside and their relationship to other components.

In " ArcGIS Utility Network: Introduction" we discussed the structure of the domain network and how it contains all the utility network assets as either devices, lines, junctions, or assemblies. If devices are defined as subnetwork controllers, with terminals set properly, a subnetwork can be created (assuming it passes topological validation) and a new line will be created in the subnetline layer. Each line in the subnetline layer represents a subnetwork. Each subnetwork is managed by the editor as an individual entity (subnetline), as are the collection of assets used to create it (device, line, junction, assembly).

GIS users experienced with Geometric Networks will appreciate the degree of change detailed above. Whereas the Geometric Network provided network-based traceability analysis in an on-demand approach, the Utility Network has the traceable network defined, built and ready for analysis and consumption. Not only is this more efficient, but now the trace network is reachable by an expanded set of ArcGIS tools and products.

Another new technology in Utility Network are Tiers . Tiers represent a collections of individual networks that all share the same properties and restrictions. A Utility Networks tier definition is defined when creating the domain network in the Utility Network, so it is one of the primary and foundational steps.

A domain network can have one of the following tier definitions:

Partitioned: supports networks that are sequential in nature (electrical, telecommunication, etc.)
Hierarchical: supports networks that are nested (gas, water, etc.)

Features that reside in domain networks with a partitioned tier definition can only exist in one tier. Each tier is independent but certain assets may exist in one or more subnetworks as a delineator of the subnetwork (subnetwork controller).

Features in domain networks with a hierarchical tier definition may exist in multiple subnetworks. The best illustration for this is a water distribution system, where we would expect to see subnetworks for the entire system, for pressure zones and for isolation zones. Assets may exist in one or all of these subnetworks.

The final component of subnetworks we will introduce is Topological Validation . We mentioned in a previous article that another significant advancement in Utility Network pertains to network rules. These are advanced rules that place requirements on data construction forcing adherence to defined standards. As GIS editors create data, or alter existing data, the Utility Network framework places a variety of rules on the editor, in order to achieve a high quality of data accuracy. The role of network topology is to enforce these various connectivity rules and flag any violations that will prevent a successful (re)build of the subnetwork impacted by the changes.

When the data that comprises a subnetwork change, the subnetwork needs to be updated to reflect those changes. This is not an automatic operation rather a work process that is managed by the data editor. The Utility Network framework provides an intuitive set of layers and symbols as part of this process, as shown below.

In addition to this layer and symbol set there is a table that can be viewed in ArcGIS Pro. The work process for the data involves iterations of validate > inspect > correct > validate, until there are no topological errors, at which point the subnetwork can be updated in a separate process.

Our article on subnetworks in the Utility Network has introduced several new GIS components and technologies with overview information. Each item we’ve discussed is a deeper subject matter in itself and worthy of a GIS user's continued education. Subnetworks are a critical part of a Utility Network and the work process involved in editing and maintaining them cannot be compared to a Geometric Network. We will continue to examine more of these components as our series of articles continue.

Acorn Information Solutions launched MonARC Data Migration platform to help corporations implement, or migrate to, a Utility Network. AIS has decades of experience in creating and administering municipal and utilities based Geometric Networks combined with knowledge and experience in Utility Network migrations.

About the Author

ArcGIS Utility Network: Introduction

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 18:25:06 GMT

Central to the evolution in modern GIS is Esri’s Utility Network . Utility Network is a framework of functionality for modeling complex utility systems such as electric, sewer, and water distribution. It is designed to model assets such as cables, pipes, valves, and transformers. You can also build real-world behaviour into the model.

With a Utility Network you can do the following:

Detail how assets in a network are connected
Intelligently trace the flow of a resource (water, sewage, electricity, etc.) through a network
Analyze the real-world impacts to the network (equipment failure, storms, blockages, outages, etc.)
Add, edit, and maintain assets in the network
Create and share operational views of the network
Create schematic network diagrams

Esri’s Utility Network is scalable and integrated with the ArcGIS platform so it can be accessed with applications such as ArcGIS Pro, Web Map Viewer, and ArcGIS Field Maps.

Many GIS-enabled organizations currently use Esri’s Geometric Network and are familiar with this technology. Utility Network is Esri’s next generation of GIS data network modeling and functionality, but it is significantly more complex and powerful than the Geometric Network. In the images below, we see a typical example of an Electric Distribution and Water Distribution Geometric Network. Layers are logically based on asset types with relevant attributes defined for each asset type. While data modeling techniques can vary, this is a very standard approach to asset modeling in GIS and will look familiar to GIS users and administrators.

In contrast to the Utility Network model shown below, while this model shows more than just feature classes, we should notice that the feature classes are contained in the ‘ Domain Network ’ section (outlined in red below). Note that instead of many layers based on asset types, we have the following five layers: Device, Line, Junction, Assembly, Subnetline . The domain network contains the network features through which a resource is delivered (sewer water, electricity, etc) .

Line s are linear features that represent what a resource flows through (pipes, electrical cables, etc.) and can connect to other lines, junctions, or devices while being contained within assemblies.

Devices represent assets that control the flow of a resource (valves, pumps, hydrants, transformers, etc.) and can affect the resource in different ways. Device provide the option of having terminals set, which are entry points in the device. Devices can connect to lines and may be contained in assemblies.

Junctions are placed where lines connect to lines or lines connect to devices (elbows, reducers, taps, etc) . Junctions allow devices or lines to connect to one another at an intermediate vertex, and they may also be contained in assemblies.

Assemblies are points that represent complex collections of other lines or points, and are useful in showing a single symbol on a map yet represent a complex collection and interaction of assets.

Subnetlines are linear features that define the extent of resource flow, and each subnetline represents a subnetwork. Subnetlines are an aid to visualization during editing, enabling the generation of subnetwork maps and summary information about the subnetworks.

Every Utility Network will have these layers only. No matter how many layers or asset types your current GIS has modeled in a Geometric Network, they must be migrated into one of these layers (except the Subnetline layer - a special layer we will discuss in a future article) . In our electric example above we see there are 25 feature classes that are modeled in the geometric network. A migration to Utility Network will require planning on correlating all 25 source layers into one of the four domain network layers.

When staging a Utility Network, a descriptive name is applied (ex. Water) , and the features in the domain network will inheret this name, as shown below. Notice that features in a Utility Network are not named according to asset types (fitting, manhole, pole, valve, etc.) . Unlike the Geometric Network, all Utility Network features use a common naming convention.

Whether your organization is getting into Utility Network as your first GIS network, or if you are migrating from an existing Geometric Network, the process will be challenging. Proper planning, stakeholder engagement, and experience is critical to a successful Utility Network implementation or migration. Existing data holdings, functionality, and integrations will all need to be reviewed in order to determine a number of factors: what is required by the user base, which out-of-the-box solutions are available, what the proper data mapping between source and target layers will look like, and what the plan is for existing integrations with other software platforms.

GIS managers may view the Utility Network as a “software upgrade” to an existing GIS; however, this term may create the impression that an existing GIS simply undergoes a software managed process with the “new” GIS created as an output, like upgrading an operating system. At Acorn, we believe GIS decision makers should view the Utility Network as a new architectural implementation that includes comprehensive data review and migration, since there is currently no existing software-managed process that transforms the old GIS into the new GIS.

We will continue to break down the Utility Network in this series of articles – make sure to subscribe to our feed to be notified when upcoming articles are added. Acorn has successfully implemented many Geometric Networks in the electrical distribution, electrical transmission, drinking water distribution, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and transportation sectors, and we have migrated Geometric Network data into the Utility Network.

Esri’s ArcGIS Enterprise changes the way corporations approach and operate a GIS. If your GIS was created prior to ArcGIS Enterprise, you will be required to migrate to this new platform in the future. Having a partner with extensive experience in both GIS software generations is critical to a successful migration. Acorn has launched its MonARC Data Migration solution to help GIS-enabled corporations navigate this critical and complex migration. We used our award-winning experience in municipal and utilities GIS to create this modular services solution.

About the Author

ArcGIS Data Store

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 14:04:31 GMT

Discussing the Components of ArcGIS Enterprise: Article 4 - ArcGIS Data Store

In our previous articles in this series, we introduced ArcGIS Enterprise and its components; ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Web Adaptor and Portal for ArcGIS. These articles briefly discussed the significant changes that this software brings to the world of GIS, and how Acorn Information Solutions launched its MonArc Data Migration Solution to help corporations and municipalities migrate to this new generation of GIS.

Today we will discuss the fourth major component of ArcGIS Enterprise: ArcGIS Data Store

ArcGIS Data Store is a database that runs behind the scenes of ArcGIS Enterprise, this component does not have a user interface by which to administer the contents, it is entirely system-run. Why would you want to store data in an unmanaged database within the ArcGIS software and not an enterprise database? Think of it as another tool in the GIS toolbelt, for smaller organizations that may not have the resources to acquire, set up and manage a comprehensive RDBMS such as SQL Server or Oracle, this option provides a suitable alternative. Simply put, ArcGIS Data Store is where “hosted” data is stored but it is not a suitable location for authoritative data nor is it a replacement for an Enterprise Geodatabase.

ArcGIS Data Store can create the following types of data stores:

Relational: stores hosted feature layer data,
Tile Cache: stores caches for hosted scene layers,
Spatiotemporal (big data): archives real-time data from ArcGIS GeoEvent Server recorded through any compatible application with location sharing (ie: ArcGIS Field Maps)
Object: caches query responses for layers hosted in feature layers for improved drawing performance

Implementing different types of data stores will allow an organization to do the following:

Publish hosted feature layers,
Publish imagery layers
Publish hosted scene layers,
Archive high-volume, real-time observational data,
Created automated backups,
Perform analysis in Map Viewer Classic

When publishing from ArcGIS Pro you can either register a data source (RDBMS or cloud data warehouse) in which case the web layers will access the data in the data source, or you can have ArcGIS copy the data to the ArcGIS Data Store. Why would you want to copy your data to a Data Store?

Provide access to public users outside a corporate firewall
An app or function requires it to be in ArcGIS Data Store
Users will only access data through the web layer

What type of files can be uploaded to Data Store?

CSV
Excel
GeoJSON
Zipped shapefile
Zipped geodatabase
Scene layers
Raster

The most powerful and comprehensive GIS will incorporate an Enterprise Database managed by an IT professional alongside other corporate databases and integrated where necessary, to provide a locational component for other systems. With ArcGIS Enterprise we see a modern approach to scalable and modular GIS architecture tailored to each customer.

In our series of articles, we demonstrated how all four scalable components work together as ArcGIS Enterprise. Hopefully we have created an appreciation in existing GIS users of how different this architecture is from the previous. Today, GIS has evolved from being primarily a departmental tool into a complete corporate-wide software and information system. The reach of geographic-based data has expanded into all areas and work processes. Gone are the days of a simple software install that references a corporate database. Today’s GIS implementations require planning, installing, and configuring multiple components which can be a challenging undertaking for any IT department. In addition to a company’s IT department requiring knowledge of the components of ArcGIS Enterprise, there is also a strong role required for a dedicated GIS Administrator to handle the daily needs.

Acorn has a proven track record of helping municipalities and utilities to do all of these activities.

Now that our fourth article in this series is complete, we look forward to bringing you more information regarding modern GIS. Stay tuned by following us on LinkedIn for future articles where we discuss and delve into more technical examinations of products like ArcGIS Utility Networks, ArcGIS Pro and ESRI web apps.

About the Author

Portal for ArcGIS

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 19:55:27 GMT

Discussing the Components of ArcGIS Enterprise: Article 3 - Web Portal

In our previous articles in this series, we introduced ArcGIS Enterprise and the components ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Web Adaptor , we briefly discussed the significant changes that this software brings to the world of GIS, and how Acorn Information Solutions launched its MonARC Data Migration Solution to help corporations migrate to this new generation of GIS.

Up to this point in our series, the software products discussed are tailored solely for use by a corporation’s IT department as part of a GIS implementation or on-going administration.

Now we are going to move into the area of a GIS Administrator and the end users, as we discuss the third major component of ArcGIS Enterprise: Portal for ArcGIS.

The GIS portal is a front-end software environment that is used to consolidate map services into web maps that can be tailored to the specific needs of the various users or departments. These maps can also be made accessible to a variety of form factors using default applications or customized applications.

Field workers can access data from the portal using apps like ArcGIS Field Maps, Survey 123, or ArcGIS Quick Capture. Desktop users can access data from the portal using their favourite web browser. Managers can access data from the portal in the form of Dashboards, and GIS professionals can access portal maps for powerful analytics using ArcGIS Pro. Regardless of which form factor a user chooses, when they seek out GIS data, they will use the portal. And the map environment they interact with can be further customized to their specific needs using ArcGIS Experience Builder.

Users can also securely extend data to contractors, or third parties as needed. Custom maps can be created with restrictions placed on what data or attributes can be seen, and access can be controlled at all times. We have helped several clients implement this type of solution allowing contractors to answer simple asset-based questions themselves and freeing up staff for other activities.

Portal for ArcGIS brings together all the data in your GIS platform and shares it across an organization. With it you can:

Create, save, and share web maps and scenes,
Create and host web mapping apps,
Search for GIS content within your organization,
Create users and administer access to content,
Create groups to share GIS information,
Share links to GIS apps,
Share map and layer packages to use in ArcGIS Desktop,
Create and administer a GIS Hub landing site

Once implemented, Portal for ArcGIS will grow rapidly and will be viewed as the primary source of corporate GIS content with significant demands placed on it. As such, it requires organization and planning with regards to naming conventions, logical groups, access protocols and much more. The portal will also be one of the primary interfaces used to administer the day-to-day requirements of a corporate GIS.

Corporations can choose to rely on a primary GIS administrator to survey the user needs and provide/maintain consumable data, map products or interfaces based on those specific needs. Intermediate and advanced GIS users can prepare their own map products and share across the company.

Portal For ArcGIS includes:

ArcGIS Enterprise Portal website allows users to search, use and share content,
Map Viewer app allows users to view, design and save web maps,
Web App Builder is an embedded app for designing and building web applications from web maps,
Applications work in desktop browsers, tablets, and smart phones without needing a plugin,
ArcGIS Apps, robust apps developed by ESRI for a variety of desktop and field activities,
Administration and metrics tools

Portal for ArcGIS can be implemented and configured in numerous ways, depending on a corporation’s existing environment and needs. It can also be configured to support external public users by integrating ESRI’s ArcGIS Online product lines.

Portal for ArcGIS will quickly become the central repository of GIS data and the home for all GIS users’ daily interaction with GIS data and products.

We have extensive experience implementing and administering comprehensive ArcGIS for Portal environments including ArcGIS Hub landing pages, custom mapping products/tools and corporate branding.

The next component we’ll examine is ArcGIS Data Store.

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ArcGIS Web Adaptor

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 18:27:06 GMT

Discussing the Components of ArcGIS Enterprise: Article 2 - ArcGIS Web Adaptor

In the previous articles in this series, we introduced ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Server and briefly discussed the significant changes that this software brings to the world of GIS. We also mentioned that Acorn Information Solutions launched MonARC Data Migration services to help corporations migrate to this new generation of GIS.

Today we will discuss the second major component of ArcGIS Enterprise: ArcGIS Web Adaptor

ArcGIS Web Adaptor is a software application that runs in an existing corporate website and forwards requests to server machines. It allows GIS integration with existing web servers and security mechanisms; it is required for use with Integrated Windows Authentication.

The web adapter is platform independent of ArcGIS Server and does not have to match the operating system of the ArcGIS Server site. This means that a site composed of Linux machines can deploy ArcGIS Web Adaptor (IIS) to work with ArcGIS Server.

Using ArcGIS Web Adaptor, you can do the following:

· Integrate ArcGIS Server with existing web servers to host web applications that use GIS services

· Provide a single end point that distributes incoming requests to servers in your site

· Make your ArcGIS Server available through your organization's standard website and port

· Block ArcGIS Server Administrator Directory and ArcGIS Server Manager from the view of external users

· Prevent users from establishing administrative or publisher connections to ArcGIS Server

· Use an organization’s identity store and security policies at the web-tier level

Once installed, Web Adaptor must be configured to work with a server site. It can work with a GIS Server, Image Server, Workflow Manager, GeoAnalytics Server, Knowledge Server, Notebook Server, or Mission Server site.

After completing the configuration, you can add or remove server machines as well as install multiple web adapters to make your site more highly available to clients, provide support for legacy applications, and allow publishing and administrative access to specific users in a highly secure environment. These are decisions that can be made based on the specific deployment scenario.

ArcGIS Web Adaptor can be utilized in a variety of server site configurations, as such, a corporation's existing architecture must be considered when planning a configuration. Corporations with a single server machine can install ArcGIS Web Adaptor to the same server machine or install to a dedicated web server. In multi-machine configurations you can have one entry point or establish redundancy by installing on multiple web servers.

ArcGIS Web Adaptor is a component in ArcGIS Enterprise

that requires proper planning and configuration to work

efficiently with all other components.

We have many years of experience installing, configuring, and supporting ArcGIS Enterprise corporate implementations and migrations.

Following the set-up of ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Web Adaptor, we are ready to move into the front end of the GIS and publish various types of content for end users, using ArcGIS Portal, the next topic we will review.

About the Author:

ArcGIS Server

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 20:31:04 GMT

Discussing the Components of ArcGIS Enterprise: Article 1 - ArcGIS Server

In our previous article we introduced ArcGIS Enterprise and briefly discussed the significant changes that this software brings to the world of GIS, and how Acorn Information Solutions (AIS) launched its MonARC Data Migration Solution to help corporations migrate to this new generation of GIS.

Today we will discuss the first major component of ArcGIS Enterprise: ArcGIS Server.

ArcGIS Server is the back-end server software that allows users to create and access GIS data anywhere with an internet connection. This is accomplished through web services. Web services can be accessed in a variety of ways including directly in a web browser without the need for installing special software.

Field workers can access these map services on tablets or smart phones using ESRI’s line of intuitive and powerful mobile apps, that are included in the ArcGIS Enterprise software licensing.

Advanced GIS users can also access these map services with ESRI’s premier desktop mapping and analysis software – ArcGIS Pro .

ArcGIS Server comes in three different editions; Basic, Standard and Advanced. Each edition offers a different level of functionality that include many parts of a server-based GIS. Below we detail a few of the most important tools that are included:

Server Manager - used to administer the server, including activities such as adding or removing services, organizing services, setting up security rules, viewing server logs and defining security roles.

Caching Controllers and Tools - used to tune the performance of your map and image services.

Geometry Service - used to aid applications to perform geometric calculations such as buffering, simplifying, calculating areas and lengths. Additionally, the ArcGIS Web APIs use the geometry service to create and modify feature geometries during web editing.

Printing Tools - a service that can be used to print maps from custom web apps.

Synch Tools - can enable a sync capability on feature services, which allow clients to download a local copy of the data to use when offline and synchronize changes between the client and feature service when the client is back online.

GeoAnalytics Tools support big data feature analysis in ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server.

ArcGIS Server can be configured as federated with ArcGIS Enterprise Portal or stand-alone. It is a scalable solution so multiple machines can be added when needed. It can also be installed on virtual machines or commercial cloud platforms.

Advancements in ArcGIS Server have extended the reach of an entire corporate GIS to anyone with an internet connection. The interface used to access and interact with corporate GIS data is now tailored to the specific role of users. Gone are the days of rolling out a thick GIS client to all users. Now, fields users can use apps, while intermediate users can use browser-based maps, and GIS professionals can use ArcGIS Pro. IT departments can better accommodate an individual user form factor preferences, and this diverse user base can all be reached with the same map services.

ArcGIS Server provides a robust reach to corporate GIS datasets and the ability to craft interfaces tuned to the user base. But this capability also requires knowledge on how to set up, optimize and maintain the performance needed. As a GIS user base grows, it will place increased strain on resources and performance. We have extensive experience helping clients plan, install and maintain ArcGIS Server environments.

After the ArcGIS Server environment is in place the GIS site administrator will need to focus on the next component of ArcGIS Enterprise: ArcGIS Web Adaptor, and that will be our next topic.

About the Author

Streamlining Internal Network Management For IT Services

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 15:47:37 GMT

Challenge

For IT teams, keeping track of devices and the properties of those devices connected to an internal network plays an important role when it comes to maintenance and troubleshooting.

At the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC), a combination of an off-the-shelf enterprise software and a manual effort by the IT team using spreadsheets posed a challenge to keeping track of the various devices on the network in a timely manner.

Solution

PingON was a custom application solution we developed to track the properties of devices on SSMIC’s network. The app’s main feature is the detection of all devices connected to SSMIC servers through “pings” that acquires the associated operating systems and the domains from a DNS search of IP addresses.

Benefits

PingON’s all-in-one solution provided SSMIC’s IT team with the ability to manage its internal IP address inventory and check the network status of the devices connected to its network. This streamlined a previously manual process and optimized the maintenance of internal servers.

What is ArcGIS Enterprise?

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 22:13:32 GMT

Introduction to ArcGIS Enterprise

ESRI’s ArcGIS Enterprise is a major change in how corporations’ approach and operate a GIS. If your GIS was created prior to ArcGIS Enterprise, you will be required to migrate to this new platform in the future. Having a partner with extensive experience in both GIS software generations is critical to a successful migration.

Acorn Information Solutions (AIS) launched its MonARC Data Migration solution to help GIS enabled corporations navigate this critical and complex migration. Relying on our extensive and award-winning experience in municipal and utilities GIS, we created this modular services solution. From project pre-planning, architecture design and implementation, data quality analysis, data modelling and custom tools, MonARC Data Migration is a total solutions system.

Understanding what ArcGIS Enterprise is and how your corporation can benefit from it, is the theme for this introductory series of articles.

We will start with: What is ArcGIS Enterprise? More articles about the 4 major components of the platform will follow.

ArcGIS Enterprise is a complete and modern, web enabled, GIS platform for an organization’s entire geospatial needs. From making maps, locational analytics and sharing results as part of a secure database driven system that is built on premises or in the cloud, ArcGIS Enterprise is a complete and scalable solution.

This modern GIS solution enables field workers to interact and update a corporate GIS in real time using maps and tools specifically tailored to their needs based on whatever form factor they may be using. It allows a corporation to interact with the public, customers, or contractors more easily while maintaining data security. Real time corporate metrics built from comprehensive datasets, designed for ‘at a glance’ use, can help managers quickly and easily assess problems and make decisions. Powerful next-gen tracing can allow corporations to plan, deliver and troubleshoot the resources they deliver such as electricity and drinking water.

GIS enabled corporations that have not migrated to ArcGIS Enterprise may not appreciate the degree of change in the foundation of the software, whereas previous iterations of the ArcGIS used a typical software install that referenced a corporate database, ArcGIS Enterprise is now comprised of several software components that all work together behind the scenes to make this modern GIS function.

With expanded reach to mobile and internet-based GIS workflows the ArcGIS Enterprise architecture now requires a planned approach to hardware and network resources as well as implementation, administration, and costs.

Before we dive into technical discussions regarding various architectural components and analytical capabilities of ArcGIS Enterprise, we need to appreciate the comprehensive foundation of the software and to do that we need to understand each individual software component.

To understand this comprehensive GIS platform, we need to understand it’s main components:

ArcGIS Server
Web Adaptor
Portal for ArcGIS
ArcGIS Data Store

In addition to understanding the purpose of each software component, GIS decision makers will also need to choose whether to implement the on-premises version or ESRI’s cloud-based version. Each product comes with its own advantages and challenges with consideration and planning required to assess a company’s internal resources and expertise.

We implement many ArcGIS Enterprise environments both on-premises and in the cloud, we also work in a variety of roles to administer and customize these environments for our clients.

Follow us on LinkedI n to be notified as we continue this series of Introduction to ArcGIS Enterprise . Our next topic will be ArcGIS Server.

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Providing Certainty In An Uncertain Time

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 15:41:16 GMT

Challenge

During the initial rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, some residents in Sault Ste. Marie were unsure about where they could get the vaccine and which locations had supply due to the high demand. As a result of this uncertainty, registered locations were receiving a high volume of phone inquiries related to appointment/vaccine availability.

Solution

Due to the demand and limited supplies of COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, a resource was required that can update regularly while enduring high volumes of user traffic.

We worked with the Algoma Ontario Health Team to develop an application to show a list of the various vaccine providers in Sault Ste. Marie who opted to display their vaccine availability to the public. By including each provider’s vaccine eligibility, contact information, and pinned location on map using Google’s API, residents gained access to the information they needed to arrange for vaccinations.

The architecture was tested thoroughly to ensure the application ran smoothly under heavy traffic.

Benefits

During a global pandemic where vaccine accessibility was critical, Sault Ste. Marie residents had a tool to check vaccine availability prior to contacting providers to book appointments. The Vaccine Availability Tracker drastically reduced the number of phone inquiries at vaccine locations.

A Paperless Contact Tracing Solution In Response To COVID-19

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 13:59:31 GMT

Challenge

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Living Algoma (CLA) employees were required to fill out handwritten government mandated surveys to assess COVID-19 risk on behalf of entering staff members, essential visitors, and persons supported at their many locations in Sault Ste. Marie.

For CLA employees, this was an incredibly tedious effort, and it was nearly impossible to gather analytics. Contact tracing became increasingly challenging as employees would need to sort through thousands of papers to find a person who may have been at risk. Surveys from all locations were collected daily and delivered to a central location for record keeping and auditing. Each time the survey was updated to meet the current requirements, copies would need to be printed daily for each location and maintained separately from previously completed surveys. The current process was very unreliable.

Solution

Due to CLA’s unique security requirements and need for granular data, a standard surveying application or existing solution would not be sufficient.

We created an application called CoviDefend that would allow internal access for CLA employees to fill out a digital survey based on the location and the status of the person visiting the location. The process of making changes or updates to the survey questions was simple and instant.

Power BI was used for gathering analytics, allowing mechanisms to track the number of surveys completed at each location and streamline the contact tracing process which ultimately reduces the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak.

This solution was unique because a custom implementation was required to track each available CLA location and break down corresponding information to each site.

Benefits

As a result of integrating CoviDefend, CLA employees were able to save a tremendous amount of time on the COVID-19 screening/reporting process during their shifts. The product also allowed for a shift to a paperless solution, eliminating the daily usage of paper surveys.

Providing System

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 18:08:52 GMT

Client Background

Providing System is a 30-year-old legacy platform which is used by our client: a fully integrated steel producer. It is a complex application used to design a steel batch (Plate, Coil, Slab) based on customer requirement. The designed batch (requisition) is what starts the demand on the caster and begins the WIP process for all customer orders. The system also takes into account applying existing stock slab inventory (cold applications) to fulfil customer orders. This system is more specific to the steel industry, and the client had to put a lot of intelligence into it over the period of development.

Objective

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) and its Acorn Information Solutions (AIS) division was hired to help modernize this application on a new platform and integrate it with external systems. The system needed to be easy to maintain in the future and changes be carried out with confidence if needed. The client also needed to find innovative ways to make the new system more configuration based. This was a significant project for the organization.

Project Overview

One of the biggest challenges for AIS in this project was to understand current programming logics, which was Cobol based, and then convert it to a new dimensional platform. Along with the support and knowledge from the client, the product was built in 8-9 months. The Providing System has five parts: DSPC, Plate Mill, 106 Strip Mill, Shipment Slabs, and Cold Applications. The key features of this application include:

· Ability to easily add new logics and product maintenance

· Multi-user friendly and no more distributing work via paper and pen

· Custom layout function that provides users with better visibility of current orders and can be managed more productively

· Allows granular control over functionality – modern database allows storing more data to perform analytics

This new product is easily connected with multiple third-party systems due to the modern platform. The exchange of data is very easy and turn out to be increased in efficiency for schedulers.

Benefits

The expertise provided by the client, and AIS’s ability to develop this tool makes it very unique in nature. The underline benefits include:

· Scalable solution and can fit with any manufacturing, provided with their set of logics and design

· Slick design available on smartphones or tablets

· Inbuilt security module which is useful for proper governance

· Web based application with user wise widgets and individual views

· On the fly reporting

Acorn Takes the Win: Awards won by Acorn Information Solutions

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 15:02:45 GMT

Awards and recognition over the years

• 2018 – URISA Innovation in GIS

• 2015 – URISA Best Public Sector GIS in Ontario

• 2012 – URISA Innovation in GIS Award

• 2012 – URISA Best Public Sector GIS in Ontario

• 2012 – Esri Canada Inc. Award of Excellence

• 2009 - URISA Best Public Sector GIS in Ontario

• 2008 - Esri Inc. declares Sault Ste. Marie GIS solution the most comprehensive Municipal/Utilities/Health GIS solution in the world

• 2008 - Esri Canada designates SSMIC as the first to create a holistic approach to community GIS

• 2008 - Esri Canada states that SSMIC is leading the world in health geomatics

• 2008 - NGenera lists the Sault Ste. Marie Community Geomatics Centre as the best example of leveraging public data for public good in North America

• 2008 - Esri Inc. Communication Award at GIS in Health Conference (Washington)

• 2007 - Esri Inc. Special Achievement Award in GIS (SAG) International Award (Category: Public Health & Human Services), previous year’s winner was United Nations

• 2006 - URISA Leadership in the Field of GIS

• 2006 - URISA Best Municipal GIS in Ontario

• 2006 - Esri Canada Award of Excellence

• 2006 - Sault Ste. Marie GIS solution declared the first real “Information Utility” by the Urban Institute of Canada

• 2005 - Third party review comparing Sault Ste. Marie GIS system to 10 other similar sized municipalities showed Sault Ste. Marie was lowest cost by 50% with at least 10 times as much to show for it

• 2005 - URISA – Leadership in the Field of GIS (Silver Award)

• 2005 - Sault Ste. Marie Police – Commitment to the Community

• 2003 - URISA Best Municipal GIS in Ontario

• 2003 - Designated Most Comprehensive Municipal/Utilities GIS Dataset in Canada

• 2002 - Esri Canada Business Partner Award

- 2023 - Leadership Award - Paul Beach

Publications

Acorn has been recognized as an innovator in data-driven smart city solutions in the following publications:

• Municipal World

• Esri: Healthy GIS

• Ontario Technologist

• Ontario Professional Surveyor

• Esri ArcNorth News

• URISA: Ontario Chapter

• Esri Calendar

• MISA

• GeoWorld

• Advances in Disease Surveillance

Building Data

Acorn Information Solutions Creates Vendor Management Systems

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 14:48:33 GMT

Client background

A fully integrated Steel producer does business with many vendors locally, domestically, and internationally. For each of these vendors with whom they do business, there is a registration process that they must follow. The vendor must have access to a registration system that allows for accurate capture of information.

Objective:

The purpose of building the Vendor Management System was to allow vendors to register themselves with the client company. The system functionality was to allow for the vendor to provide all pertinent company information, have this information vetted and approved by the purchasing department and ready for input into the SAP System. The client required a robust system to allow for the capture, recording and approvals of each vendor that is to be registered with the company.

Project Overview:

In the past, the company had a vendor registration portal that required many manual steps, with very high maintenance efforts. The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) and Acorn Information Solutions division redeveloped this portal with all new functionalities and automation.

With the help of the client’s extensive subject matter knowledge, SSMIC’s team of experts completed this product development in 4-5 months and worked closely with client teams every step of the way.

This Vendor Management System has been a huge success for the company and includes the following features:

Capturing of all the mandatory vendor information along with the required documents like ISO certification, etc.
End to end approval process for the vendor registration
Communication with vendor at each stage of the process
Time bound token system for vendors to enter the information
Secured/encrypted data for the vendor sensitive data like banking information
Configurations such as vacation replacement for approvals

Benefits:

Key benefits of this project for the clients include:

Plug and Play: this product is developed in such a way that it can be configured to any industry for the vendor registration process
The approval process can be configured along with your corporate email system as workflow
Encryption provides data security and confidentiality
Software can have extending feature to integrate with third party system to automate the data creation or change
Responsive design/mobile first
Very dynamic and configurable in nature
Inbuilt security module which is useful for proper governance

The Curious Discovery of a Potentially Lethal Virus in One of the Most Unlikely Places

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 20:49:06 GMT

A routine search for potential tripping hazards turned into the discovery of a network of mosquito breeding grounds.

The Challenge

Since the first case of West Nile Virus infection was detected in Canada in Ontario in 2002, the spread of this virus and the vectors that carry it has been a public health concern. To protect health at the community level, public health conducts West Nile Virus surveillance and takes preventative action where possible to control the mosquito vectors responsible for its spread. The virus, which originated in birds in Africa spread to North America in 1990 and can be transmitted to humans by mosquitos after biting affected birds. The presence of this potentially lethal virus in Canada became a growing public health concern in Sault Ste. Marie.

The Solution

To help identify spatial patterns related to the risk of West Nile Virus, Sault Ste. Marie’s local public health agency, Algoma Public Health (APH) enlisted Acorn to map and track West Nile test results for mosquitos and birds. Simultaneously, Acorn was conducting an unrelated project for the local utility, identifying and cataloguing potential tripping hazards presented by water and electrical infrastructure like underground transformer vaults. These vaults were installed in the 1970s to hide unsightly electrical groundwork to improve the look of residential neighbourhoods.

Acorn’s preliminary work for the local utility included field investigations and capturing images of tripping hazards that would later be entered into the CIU. During this work, staff noticed a number of mosquitos emerging from underground transformer vaults. Staff notified APH and when larvae dipping tests were completed, it was determined that these vaults had become ideal breeding grounds for mosquitos. Conditions for breeding were attributed to the absence of drains in underground vaults and the pooling of rainwater which remained stagnant.

APH approached the city’s Public Works and Transportation division and had the vaults treated with larvicide. A month after treatment, mosquito larvae were not detected in 94 per cent of underground vaults. It was recommended that treatment continues biannually.

Benefits

The rapid response to the discovery of West Nile Virus in underground electrical infrastructure is a shining example of how multi-enterprise data and the CIU epitomize the smart-city data solution. Sharing data, resources, and tools between APH, the local utility, Acorn and the City quickly eliminated a serious health risk to citizens.

“It was a unique way of solving the problem. We could marry our knowledge of disease control with physical infrastructure and have this come to light. This is the beauty of our GIS and how we can use it to quickly address issues concerning public safety."

~ John Bouma, Manager of Infectious Diseases, Algoma Public Health

Child Care and Early Years: Mapping Solutions for the Community's Most Vulnerable

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 20:36:23 GMT

Social service professionals help vulnerable people and families every day through many different community programs and services.

One of the key functions of social service agencies is to address the needs of children so they can reach their full potential, leading to the long-term success of the community. To support this effort, the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board (DSSMSSAB) is tasked to provide parents, caregivers and children with health, education, social supports and specialized services to encourage the healthy development of children and early learning.

The Challenge

Acorn acts as the Data Analyst Coordinator for the DSSMSSAB. Central to their role with the social service agency is creating detailed reports on the performance of current programs and services along with key population metrics, service utilization metrics, socioeconomic indicators and data related to the learning and development of children. This data is used to measure progress in the community and determine where work is needed so social service organizations can best serve the public.

The Solution

Using the CIU’s aggregated data sets and spatial analysis tools, Acorn generates a comprehensive collection of information and maps to assist the DSSMSSAB in identifying the strengths, gaps, and opportunities in programs to promote the health of families, the physical environment in the community, and early years education and childcare.

Data is provided to the DSSMSSAB in various reports and booklets and includes:

The latest population, family and income data from the Census of Canada
Population projections
Participation metrics across programs and services available to families, including Triple P and childcare services
Locations of EarlyON Child and Family Centres and data related to visits
Ontario Marginalization Index data showing the locations of vulnerable populations
Socioeconomic risk data showing populations with higher social risk
Early Development Instrument data
Social housing locations
EQAO results

This data provides transparency for the delivery of services. It identifies where community members are accessing programs, demonstrates areas where the most vulnerable would benefit, provides information used to engage more families, and acts as a catalyst to put plans in place that lead to the best possible outcomes for citizens.

For example, by looking at the age distribution within a population and population projections, the DSSMSSAB can not only identify the current needs of the community (i.e. demand for childcare facilities or EarlyON Centres) but also the future needs of this population as it changes over time. The social services administration board can also use population data derived from the CIU to identify Indigenous or Francophone children that may benefit from language and culture-specific programming.

Additional information found in the latest Child Care and Early Years Environmental Scan includes identified gaps in access to municipal or schoolyard parks, potential available program space, and performance data on special needs services and library programming.

The Environmental Scan can be found here .

Benefits

Through the CIU, Acorn can compile a detailed report that the DSSMSSAB uses to create population-driven solutions. The Sault Ste. Marie Child Care and Early Years Report identifies service gaps and provides an efficient, data-driven assessment of the needs of service within the community. This report is key in providing policy decision support and is an effective tool to secure funding for new programs.

World-Class Emergency Planning: Ensuring the Safety of Residents Who Would Be at Greater Risk in Emergencies

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 20:22:49 GMT

In August 2003, fifty million people across the United States and Canada went without power in a massive, wide-scale blackout. Many residents spent days without electricity. Among the people affected were those dependent on life-sustaining technology. This included a young, 21-year-old man from Sault Ste. Marie named Lewis Wheelan who relied on air conditioning to regulate his body temperature. The blackout left him without power for nearly a day and he died because no one could get to him to ensure his safety.

I nspired by the ill-fated outcomes of the 2003 blackout, Acorn Information Solutions initiated a joint project with Accessibility Sault Ste. Marie to develop a solution to proactively improve the safety of residents who are living at home and are at greater risk in the face of emergency.

The Challenge

Use public data, community partnerships and technology to integrate information on all types of community-wide health vulnerabilities and locations into the Community Information Utility (CIU). To leverage this data for public good, Acorn needed to develop an application that allowed the immediate access of critical registrant data for first responders, emergency medical services, and public health and safety organizations for use in all emergencies while maintaining data accuracy and privacy.

The Solution

Acorn established the Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR), a first of its kind solution that relies on voluntary public data including name, birth date, address, type of vulnerability, emergency contact information and legal guardian information provided by vulnerable citizens. This data is stored the information utility and is confirmed, updated and maintained by Acorn staff.

The CIU and its applications are the foundation of the VPR. The integration with the community’s emergency dispatch system and local utility provide the essential data in real-time needed for improved emergency planning for those requiring assistance.

The data collected is activated and displayed during emergency calls providing first responders key information to address the specific needs of registrants.

Public data used by the VPR solution and data sharing partnerships not only creates increased public safety for vulnerable people, it also provides efficiency in emergency management.

Large-Scale Emergencies

During large-scale emergencies, community emergency management teams have access to registrant data to assist in coordinating an efficient response. For example, during blackouts Acorn can query data on who is medically electric-dependent and quickly provide this critical information to response teams.

Localized Emergencies

VPR data arms first responders with information to perform their jobs more effectively and efficiently. This data also protects emergency response teams by identifying potential safety hazards like the presence of combustible oxygen tanks before entering a home.

Benefits

VPR data provides significant benefits to registrants and those using the information for emergency planning.

A Proactive Approach to Public Safety

Local utility companies can use VPR data to notify registrants who rely on electricity of planned power outages so they can safely prepare beforehand. Sault Ste. Marie’s electrical utility, PUC Distribution Inc., uses CIU-connected auto dialer technology developed by Acorn as a super-efficient method of contacting residents in the face of outages.

In the event of extended, unplanned power outages, the local utility provides VPR data on electric-dependent residents to the Canadian Red Cross to further investigate if additional assistance is required.

Visit: www.soovpr.com for more information about the Vulnerable Persons Registry

“This registry gives a new meaning to public service accessibility and efficiency."

~ Alex Miller, President, ESRI Canada

Powering New Investment: How It Took 120 Minutes to Attract a $400 Million Project

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 20:02:20 GMT

The growth of most communities relies on courting outside businesses. This can be a daunting task for economic development corporations because they need to tell the right story to prospective businesses to entice investment. The CIU supports economic development by quickly providing the most accurate locational information requirements outside investors need to buy into a community. These data-driven stories inform businesses on key land conditions and specific criteria to accommodate business requirements.

The Challenge

Ontario’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program was developed in 2009 to encourage and promote the greater use of renewable energy sources like solar, wind and bioenergy. The province’s commitment to procuring renewable energy incentivized the development of large power generating facilities. Pod Generating Group, a developer of renewable energy projects looking to capitalize on Ontario’s green economy, sent out requests for information to several Ontario municipalities searching for specific details on land use for new, utility-scale ground solar projects.

The criteria for suitable land was extensive with utility connection points, proximity to municipal grid infrastructure, plot size, soil type, degree of slope, and clarity of sight to the southern horizon all as part of the geographic and locational requirements for the project. Securing Pod Generating’s project in Sault Ste. Marie would mean a nearly $400 million investment into the community.

The Solution

Benefits

Using multi-enterprise, data Acorn delivered viable land options to Pod Generating within a matter of hours. The efficient delivery of accurate information helped Sault Ste. Marie secure multiple renewable energy projects totalling an overall investment of nearly $400 million into the community while creating jobs for residents.

“When you’re able to quickly respond to inquiries about economic development opportunities, it communicates to investors that this is a community where businesses grow. There is less red tape, less bureaucracy, and a sense that moving projects forward is seamless. It creates a reputation that the City and the Economic Development Corporation make things happen in an expedited manner.”

~ Daniel Hollingsworth, Executive Director, Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation

Providing Heightened Safety for the Visually Impaired at Lower Costs

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 19:40:57 GMT

An Audible Pedestrian Signal (APS) is a device used to communicate pedestrian timing in a non-visual format such as audible tones or verbal messages. The visually impaired rely on APS technology to navigate their communities and provide increased safety when crossing at intersections.

The Challenge

The City of Sault Ste. Marie and Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) approached Acorn to determine the best locations for five new APS devices. The City traditionally spreads the installation of municipally-owned equipment equally across its six wards. However, the City and CNIB wanted to develop a more equitable solution for the location of these devices for improved public safety and smart allocation of municipal resources.

The Solution

To determine the best location for APS devices, Acorn performed an impact analysis weighing each intersection based on potential usage and safety impact. The analysis relied on several shared municipal, health, and organization data sets including postal codes of CNIB clients, proximity to bus stops, right hand turning traffic at intersections, commonly used pedestrian routes, street speed, crossing width, number of pedestrian collisions and the locations of facilities commonly visited by CNIB clients based on client survey data.

Most communities determine the need for APS through a suitability checklist or a point scale. This requires manual evaluation which is time-consuming and labour intensive.

By layering this information, Acorn was able to build a suitability grid and weigh each intersection based on these features to determine the most equitable placement of APS in the community.

Benefits

This project illustrates the benefits of shared data and the cooperation between the city, CNIB and health services. With the help of Acorn, the City implemented new APSs and established a valuable service, providing the greatest benefit moving forward for community members with visual impairments. This was accomplished while reducing time and labour costs.

Data-Smart Emergency Response Planning Enables Community to Protect Children, Expectant Mothers and At-Risk Residents

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 19:26:43 GMT

The Challenge

A community may be threatened with little notice by a wide variety of potential emergencies. One example is a boil-water advisory which is a directive given by public health agencies when a community’s drinking water could be contaminated. Pathogens in the smallest amounts of water can pose serious health risks if ingested. In addition to tracing water flow to identify affected residents, Acorn developed partnerships and procedures to use shared municipal, health, and Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR) data to identify and contact at-risk residents.

The Solution

Through advanced GIS tracing tools and database relationships, Acorn is able to determine the areas affected by any number of emergency issues.

For boil water advisories, Acorn can use VPR data to identify ‘registered vulnerable persons’ who rely on medical equipment that ‘requires’ water. These residents can be contacted within minutes and have bottled water delivered to their homes Through public health data, Acorn could determine pregnancies or recent pregnancies in the affected area. This information could then be provided to the public health unit which would be able to contact all individuals within hours to ensure they were informed of the specific precautions they should be taking to protect their families.

Acorn could also leverage municipal and social services data to identify all schools, daycares, and home daycare facilities. This information would be provided to the public health unit and Child Care Algoma so they could be contacted about the present health risks.

Today, the process of communicating public health risks is much faster and efficient. Acorn has developed a spatial auto dialer in the CIU. This tool uses the contact information connected to water rate-payers to deliver recorded notices to affected residents. This technology is capable of contacting hundreds of people in a matter of minutes to effectively address public health risks associated with municipal infrastructure.

Benefits

Through the use of the CIU, Acorn is able to quickly identify the areas affected by boil water advisories. The at-risk population can be identified with less time and effort using multi-enterprise data and be notified of potential health risks to ensure public safety is maintained. The partnerships, GIS tools and integrated data could also be used to notify vulnerable populations for any number of possible emergencies.

“If you look at this boil water event as an example, the operating authority contacts us and public infrastructure data allows us to create a polygon around the affected area. And then a whole bunch of things happen in a matter of less than two hours. Through our Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR), we can identify and contact those who need additional assistance. Using health care data, we can reach the known pregnancies who would be affected; municipal and DSSAB allows us to quickly identify all of the schools, pre-schools, and daycare facilities. Nobody in the world can do that. So, people are interested in how that happens? It works because the data is interconnected and we have great data-sharing relationships.”

~ Paul Beach, Manager, Acorn Information Solutions

EarlyON Centres

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 19:47:45 GMT

EarlyON Centres offer free high-quality programming for families and children age 0 to 6. EarlyONs provide child and family centred programs and services that are consistent at all locations around Ontario, but also meet the unique needs of the families who attend each program.

EarlyON Centres Identified Need

EarlyON Centres have to provide quarterly reports of attendance to the Ministry of Education. In the past, this data was captured on paper and left up to the Data Analysis Coordinator (DAC) to transcribe the information onto an Excel spreadsheet. Not only did they need to calculate visits, they also had to identify how many parents and children made a first visit.

How We Helped

All of the information required by the Data Analysis Coordinators for their reporting and planning is now captured electronically with a swipe of a key-tag saving hours of time for the DAC

We created KEyON as their digital sign-in software. Having this system also allows us to grab more information to ensure the best possible planning for the future needs of the centres in the districts we serve.

We compare EarlyON Centre visitors with the local population of children to determine:

Where gaps may exist and if a new location/outreach site may be beneficial;
Which centres may be under-utilized (and could use more promotion or a better location);
Which centres may be at capacity and in need of additional staff/funding.

We also examine visitor data to gain insights on:

The socio-demographic characteristics and child development metrics (like the Early Development Instrument) of the neighbourhoods where families are coming from to help tailor programming and food offerings;
The exact time of day when visits are occurring to help optimize days/hours of operation;
The age groups of children attending;
Seasonal visitation trends; and many others.

These types of insights are extremely valuable to the region administrators who are looking to optimize efficiency and maximize the number of visits the EarlyON Centres receive.

“EarlyON | Waterloo Region has been using the KEyON system since 2019. SSMIC worked alongside of us to ensure that training and guidelines were provided and understood by all team members. They were receptive and quick to implement changes to the system that we requested. This enabled us to best meet the needs of our families (i.e. changing the security questions to accommodate rural families) when barriers were identified in KEyON being used universally with all families. With the announcement of the Ministry of Education that EarlyON Child and Family Centres were to reopen with pre-registration in place, SSMIC quickly adapted to this new expectation and rather than putting a system in place that would not work for those “on the ground floor," they invited EarlyON leads from across Ontario who are (and will be) using the KEyON system to form a working group to provide direction, testing and suggestions for the new pre-registration system. With EarlyON leads a part of this process, it ensures that KEyON will continue to meet the needs of families and EarlyON teams as our doors reopen. If you are not already using KEyON, we highly recommend the KEyON system and the SSMIC team. They have been amazingly supportive, flexible, and quick to respond to the changing needs of our EarlyON realities.”

~ Stacey McCormick Director, EarlyON Operations YMCAs of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo