Fulcrum for water infrastructure solutions

It’s not easy overseeing the #2 necessity of life, just after air. In addition to managing the intricate water network and maintaining essential services, water utilities must comply with a dizzying number of regulations from federal agency regulations all the way down to small town local ordinances. Oh, and somehow at the end of the day, they must also make enough money to stay (ahem) afloat in a world where expenses from materials to workforce continue to climb. The Fulcrum data collection platform is utilities’ go-to for water infrastructure solutions, helping to navigate these challenges. Let’s explore how Fulcrum empowers water utilities to streamline operations, make informed decisions, and ensure optimal service delivery.

Holistic insights, informed strategies

Fulcrum provides water utilities with a panoramic view of site conditions and work progress. This comprehensive perspective offers both high-level insights and detailed information, enabling utilities to fine-tune internal strategies and better advise stakeholders. Reliable and readily accessible data proves progress and field conditions and is essential for communications, regulatory compliance, and securing funding.

Bridging the gap between field and office

The synergy between field and office is vital for efficient utility management. Fulcrum bridges this gap seamlessly, connecting physical conditions observed in the field with digital data in the office. This integration informs design decisions, system upgrades, and recommendations. Through its industry-best integration with Esri and other GIS applications, Fulcrum unleashes advanced geospatial capabilities to both help field teams and to boost the usefulness of data collected. 

Comprehensive and consistent data

Informed decisions rely on accurate data. Fulcrum’s data collection processes ensure consistency and thoroughness, enabling utilities to make informed choices regarding system upgrades and designs. Our user-friendly interface guides field teams to capture accurate and comprehensive data using mandatory fields, drop-down menus, and can require evidence such as photos or videos to back up the information collected. Streamlined and efficient data collection processes improve productivity, and virtually eliminate the need for re-visits or do-overs.

Visual documentation and accountability

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But how many words is an automatically geotagged video worth, where the location and direction the camera faces show on-screen? Fulcrum stands apart from other water infrastructure solutions by giving that extra bit of unimpeachable evidence to document equipment and site conditions. These visual records serve multiple purposes, from justifying funding applications to demonstrating project progress. The integration of visuals with automatically captured geolocation data does much to enhance transparency and accountability in operations, particularly when reporting to the public or regulatory agencies.

Colin Diehl, CEO of Fulcrum environmental consultant client DIEHLUX, LLC, summed up this feature as follows:

When you have a video that shows exactly where you were and what time it was when the video was taken, that provides evidence that things are as you say. This video and the corresponding GIS and timestamp information tells the complete story of a site in a way that a written report simply cannot.

Regulatory compliance and audit trails

Finally, meeting regulatory requirements is non-negotiable for water utilities, and failing to do so results in fines, penalties, and in severe cases, the possibility of jail time. Fulcrum offers a solution by capturing complete audit trails, making sure that regulatory reporting is accurate and comprehensive. The platform’s capabilities streamline the process, easing the burden of compliance and freeing up valuable resources for other critical tasks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Fulcrum is a versatile tool that stands apart from other water infrastructure solutions to revolutionize data collection. It offers insights that light the way, connects the dots between field and office, keeps data on the straight and narrow, captures the visuals that prove conditions, and ensures everything’s above board in terms of regulations. With Fulcrum, water utilities confidently overcome challenges and ensure seamless service delivery. And as the landscape evolves, Fulcrum remains a trusted ally in optimizing water utility operations.