​Iron Mountain, MI and Wakefield, MI December 26, 2019 -- Last month the City of Wakefield unanimously approved a proposal from mPower Innovations to provide a powerful enterprise GIS solution to help digitize their electric and water system assets and maintenance processes. This system will help the City of Wakefield support its goal of constantly working to improve and provide reliable service to their residents.

The City of Wakefield will utilize mPower’s Integrator software, a powerful web-based GIS asset management and system integration application that will enable the City of Wakefield to view and update all of their utility assets and access critical information from one browser-based system—eliminating the tedious process of searching for information in multiple sources and maps. Moving to a GIS-based asset management system will dramatically improve communication and response time to planned and unplanned service interruptions and maintenance.

 “With mPower, the City of Wakefield will leap into the 21st Century by deploying powerful technology that will provide City Staff with quick access to information, dynamic reports, and the ability to track an accurate inventory of City assets. In addition, residents will be able to view and report power outages and submit work orders from the comforts of their mobile devices. The City of Wakefield is excited to deploy this software in the coming months,” said Robert Brown Jr, City Manager of Wakefield.

Jason Brown, President and CEO of mPower Innovations added, “Partnering with mPower is a positive signal that the City of Wakefield is embracing new technology and committed to the residents and customers they serve. Building a solid GIS is critical to the maintaining an efficient, safe, and reliable utility.”

The City of Wakefield is one of mPower’s many Michigan municipal customers. The city has completed the onboarding process and is expected to have a fully functional GIS solution by the end of the year.

At our User Group Conference in October we caught up with Scott Ham, General Manager of Silver Creek Water Authority in Sellersburg, Indiana and asked him about his experience working with mPower Innovations. Watch his testimonial below!

GIS has become something of a buzzword these days, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a critical part of a healthy organization’s toolkit to manage assets, track maintenance, and provide access to maps and data to people who need it.
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If you are new to GIS or aren’t sure where to start, choosing a GIS professional to work with is a smart first choice. There are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to choosing a GIS solution and a GIS professional can help you learn about the pros and cons of each one. When choosing a GIS solution, consider the following 5 tips to get you started in the right direction.

1. Don’t throw away your existing data! Do you already have some assets that are geo-referenced? Do you have data that is accurate but not complete? Don’t start from scratch—the company you choose to work with should be able to leverage your existing data and help you complete missing data using sources like paper maps, CAD drawings, spreadsheets, and databases.
2. Leverage your existing maps. Your GIS solution should have the ability to make paper maps accessible in the field. Do you have old CAD drawings? Your GIS provider should be comfortable taking old drawings and referencing them to help build your GIS or converting them to your GIS.
3. Identify a coordinate system.  Identifying the correct coordinate system is key and the first step to ensure all your assets and data are spatially accurate. Using no coordinate system or the incorrect coordinate system will project geometry features to the wrong location.
4. Incorporate high-resolution aerial photography to your maps. A picture may be worth a thousand words but when it comes to GIS, adding high-resolution aerial photography can make the difference between quickly finding an asset or wasting time searching for it. Your GIS provider should be able to help you gain access to affordable high-resolution aerial photographs to enhance your GIS imagery.
5. Plan on having a connectivity model. Is your utility system snapped correctly or do you have loops or missing open points? A connectivity model is part of a healthy GIS. If your data doesn’t support a connectivity mode it is crucial you choose a GIS provider that can analyze and test your connectivity model to help close the gap and create a working, traceable model.
   
   

If you are looking for a GIS solution, mPower Innovations can help you find a solution that leverages your existing data and provides you with powerful reporting and tools that your entire organization can use. Our solutions are adaptable to your work flow and can work with your existing software solutions. If you are looking for a GIS solution, contact mPower today to learn how we can help you find a GIS solution that is cost effective, easy to implement, and powerful.