Why Should SCADA and AM/FM-GIS Be Integrated?
Both SCADA and AM/FM-GIS applications are geographically referenced database sets. Many vendors and consultants present the argument that it is instinctively obvious that data from closely related applications should be integrated. Without a thorough study of specific needs, the costs and benefits of coupling two or more applications will not be known. However, we do know that the cost of labor, energy, regulatory compliance, construction, employee benefits, and just about everything else a utility uses is rising, except for the cost of applied technology. A few examples serve to illustrate this: • Water quality regulations imposed by the Safe Drinking Water Act will cause a ten-fold increase in the number of regulated contaminants by the year 2000. • The public expects to receive excellent service from all organizations they deal with, including water and wastewater utilities. According to a study done by Training Magazine, we are responding to this expectation by a dramatic increase
