By Kate Steger, Business Development Representative
Over the past year and a half, Firmatek has used our data mapping capabilities to provide services for the electric utility and telecommunication industries. In our period of growth, we have learned that many groups are on completely different pages with their asset inspection systems. While some have adapted to using digital data mapping technology to improve their inspections, others are still using an unreliable, time consuming approach to check for problems. With this old school methodology, cooperatives will never work as efficiently as those who’ve adapted the newer digital data mapping mindset.
Digital mapping services can provide a status update of every pole with organized, ready-to-use data at the tip of your fingers. You can determine the status of every piece of equipment’s condition noted by pole and location. You can better estimate when you’ll need new parts. You can also plan ahead for when you’ll need personnel to provide maintenance. None of this would be possible with a simple drive by inspection. Whether you need the accuracy of LiDAR or the visual inspection from drones, we work with you to determine what will work best on your project based on your needs and specifications.
We also hear quite a bit that cooperatives have their own drones to inspect. While it’s great that cooperatives have taken a step in the right direction, there’s much more to the bigger picture than just flying a drone and taking an image. Without an organized process to check all poles, a picture at the top of one pole can only be so helpful to the overall system. By incorporating Firmatek into your asset inspection routine, we’ll provide a reliable system to inspect and store your data. Drones are great, but there is an entire process behind turning your data into actionable insights. It’s not your field guys job, nor should it have to be. But if you want to create a consistent routine to help you manage your assets, you’re better off hiring a third party provider. Firmatek is not here just to inspect your poles; we pride ourselves on providing companies with the organized data and actionable insights needed to make reliable and informed decisions.
It’s time your company starts implementing a proactive approach to maintenance. We’re living in a time where we have the capability to save money, resources, and headaches by being knowledgeable about our asset’s conditions before issues arise. Manual asset monitoring is time consuming, costly, and often dangerous. With Firmatek’s inspection solutions, we help minimize risks and maintain strength and resiliency to keep your systems as strong as the communities you serve.
There’s no reason for companies to solely rely on the traditional inspection process when Firmatek can providea quicker, more organized, and more reliable solution. If your cooperative or utility company is interested in working with Firmatek, please reach out to Kate Steger at kate.steger@firmatek.com.
Download our Telecommunication Inspection Services flyer for more information.
About Kate Steger
Kate joined Firmatek in August of 2017. Prior to joining Firmatek, she worked at McCarthy Building Companies as a Preconstruction Estimator. During that time, she coordinated with subcontractors to ensure bid coverage and understanding of the respective scopes, and resolved any constructibility issues. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Construction Science. Kate is passionate about relationship building and connecting with professionals across the various industries Firmatek serves.
Other Articles by Kate
Drone & LiDAR Inspections Improve the Utility Industry: Here’s How
What We Learned at the Energy Drone and Robotics Summit
