Reducing Paper Flow in Utility Infrastructure Management in St Paul, Minnesota

One of the challenges facing utilities and telecommunications firms worldwide is an inefficient paper-based process for managing engineering design information. The challenges associated with a paper-based information flow includes poor data quality, low productivity, multiple versions of similar information, and limited access to critical engineering information within the organization.  I've blogged about this recently

and several times in the past, for example, 2006 and 2009.

In this guest blog Teresa Elliott, Utility Industry Marketing Manager at Autodesk, introduces an article in Municipal Sewer & Water, that describes how the St Paul, Minnesota, Department of Public Works began the process of converting their paper-based system to an electronic underground infrastructure management system. 

"St Paul Department of Public Works is a proactive and diverse community-based city department that through creative partnerships, effective tools and technology, provides a livable community for 287,000 residents.  St. Paul DPW faces challenges typical to many wastewater utilities, such as how to effectively rehab their aging infrastructure, coordinate with other departments, and manage the data associated with this effort.  In the May publication of Municipal Sewer & Water, St. Paul’s article, Pushing Out Paper (page 22), you will learn more about St. Paul DPW, their challenges and initiatives, and how they are using Autodesk technology (AutoCAD® Map 3D, Autodesk MapGuide®, Autodesk® Topobase™) and Oracle® database to convert 100 years of paper-based maps  to an all-electronic system for recording data on its underground infrastructure  to more effectively design and manage their sewer and storm water assets."