Both GEOI Solutions and Virginia Tech’s Statistical Applications and Innovations Group (SAIG) will Utilize Geospatial Data and Artificial Intelligence to Help Improve Mapping and Auditing of Online Dig Requests.
For Immediate Release: Virginia811 (VA811) has enlisted the technology solutions of both GEOI Solutions and Virginia Tech to improve both its mapping and auditing process.
Virginia811 has recently teamed up with GEOI Solutions to provide advanced geospatial automation, data processing, and map change detection analytics to enhance Virginia’s 811 Contact Center (Contact Before You Dig – va811.com) processes. Due to statewide road infrastructure growth and the increased volume of geospatial data updates from contributors across the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia811 will use this technology to enhance its internal mapping and GIS processing tools. To achieve this goal and to stay ahead of the technology curve, Virginia811 will be implementing a software solution powered by GEOI. This solution will work with the latest version of ESRI ArcGIS Pro to automate and streamline Virginia811’s existing GIS data processing workflows.
GEOI Solutions will provide three main features; Configuration Data Manager, Advanced Data Processor, and Change Detection Analyzer. These features will play a critical role in further advancing VA811’s existing technology framework. The Configuration Data Manager will provide an administrative user interface to capture, manage, and configure the parameters required for processing all the data from multiple contributors, including parcel data, building and address data points. The Advanced Data Processor will provide the ability to build complex geoprocessing workflows and perform asynchronous batch processing to dramatically improve the current data processing time.
“This will greatly enhance our process and allow us to perform and provide mapping updates to the one call mapping software more rapidly,” says Debbie Hofbauer, Head of Technology, Projects, & Procurement at VA811. “This technology partnership with GEOI Solutions is a powerful combination due to their unique understanding of the 811 industry and their expertise in geospatial technology, software development, integration and data analytics. Their collaborative approach is uniquely complimentary to how our VA811 technology team operates and we are extremely excited about this new technology initiative and how it will enhance our internal mapping operations.”
In addition, Virginia811 continues to work with Virginia Tech’s Statistical Applications and Innovations Group (SAIG) through its $100,000 PHMSA Grant to use artificial intelligence to enhance its efforts in auditing dig requests that come in through the web, allowing Virginia811 team members to focus on requests in need of further review. SAIG has already provided a preliminary assessment of the data, working on fine tuning overall modeling and the creation of variables, associated risk for each variable, and variable weight. A threshold is also being determined as to when the algorithm will indicate the need for team members to evaluate the ticket.
Virginia811’s President & CEO, B. Scott Crawford, notes that “Using statistical modeling in this manner is a major step in quality assurance. With 67% of notification requests coming through web channels, being able to audit 100% of the web tickets submitted by professional excavators will allow any questions about requests to come to light faster and facilitate Virginia811’s quality assurance specialists to contact those submitting requests for clarification. This is an important step in Virginia’s strong efforts to reduce damages of the Commonwealth’s underground utility infrastructure.”
Phase II of the project with Virginia Tech is well underway and represents a major step toward helping SAIG begin to create an auditing algorithm that will result in 100% of online dig requests being audited. Final results of the project are expected late fall, with anticipated full implementation end of year.
About VA811
Virginia Utility Protection Service, commonly called Virginia811 is the not-for-profit organization created by Virginia’s utilities to operate a quality driven, mission critical, time sensitive, employee focused organization. Virginia811 provides an underground damage prevention safety program for all Virginia stakeholders by continually improving the effectiveness of our quality management system as it pertains to meeting all relevant requirements, while emphasizing a positive customer experience. Find more information and safe digging practices at www.va811.com
Contact Information:
Natalie Faunce Soucie
Head of Marketing & Communications, Virginia811
(540) 529-2785
Daniel Colby
Managing Partner
GEOI Solutions, LLC
(740) 403-8334