Populating attribute fields in your GIS may seem like a daunting or even unnecessary task at times, but the information being added to your utilities will more than likely come in handy down the line. Aside from being able to access important utility information quickly (pipe size, length, material, inverts, year installed, etc.), it can make searching for particular data in your GIS (such as documents) much easier.
The more information you have access to, the greater the possibilities!
One of our engineers here at Ruekert & Mielke has explained how beneficial GIS has been to her for doing her job. She often refers to attribute data and asbuilts linked into the GIS as the first step in planning new projects. Talk about convenient!
Another example of how adding attributes to your utilities can be beneficial is when using the Asbuilt Search Tool found on your AssetAlly home page.
Once you enter the asbuilt portal page, you are able to search asbuilts based on feature type, description, street name, and year. Having access to street names, in particular, makes using the search tool much more effective.
Say you receive an urgent phone call about a water main break on CTH NN. You can efficiently find an asbuilt containing crucial information by simply searching the street name.
Attribute data provides characteristics about spatial data. You need both of these components of data in order for your GIS to be utilized to its full potential.
The AssetAlly team is happy to answer any questions you have about attributing your utility data. Members of our team also have the capabilities of assisting you with attributing tasks, if you have your hands full.
