A word from the boss

Empowering people to identify insights

Welcome to our 2021 Winter newsletter.

The last quarter at Mipela has seen a significant number of our Client Success, Solutions, Support, Product teams working diligently in the Dial Before You Dig space as we prepare with our Clients to cutover to the AADBYDS new Referral Service of the Future on 1 July 2021. I personally would like to thank everyone involved internally at Mipela, externally with our Clients and the Association for the collaborative team effort that has been undertaken to ensure this national service can continue to assist in preventing damage and disruption to Australia’s vast infrastructure networks which provide essential services (power, gas, water, telecommunications) we use every day.

This important project has made me think about how do we make more accurate decisions? We have tasked our teams with constantly improving and innovating different aspects of the organisation, from operational efficiency and client experience to actual performance. The constant hurdle is uncovering where untapped value lies to further innovate. To achieve this, we have tried to create an environment with no judgment or opinions on data. Using data to communicate our progress or highlight where we are missing information, to do our daily activities, helps to uncover areas of real potential and, once rectified, improves the experience for everyone. In doing so we have had to communicate candidly to ensure everyone understands the shared goals we are looking to achieve for a successful project.

June sees US going the extra distance in our 11^th year of supporting the MS Brissie to Bay in our #projectMAD “30 Day Challenge”. Our team of 54 MAD participants from Mipela, Partners (DBYD Qld, ISGQ, MC Global, Powered, Sentanil Systems), Suppliers and Colleagues have committed to a virtual trip of 25,000km (one kilometre for each person in Australia that has MS) around the coastline of Australia #makeeverykmcount raising awareness of Multiple Sclerosis and funds to MAKE A DIFFERENCE for those living with this debilitating disorder. Thank you to everyone who us supported us to date in raising $46,744 is very humbling considering the times we face. For those interested in our journey to date click on this link.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions, let us know what we have done well or not so well in these last three intensive months. Personally, for me it has been a time to be reflective, adaptive and I want to continue to be proactive. It goes without saying that we take nothing for granted and are grateful for your ongoing support.

From all the team at Mipela GeoSolutions, stay safe!

Hayden McDonald
Founder and Managing Director

When community focus is key to the success of your project

The Walcha Energy project is located around the town of Walcha, located in the New England tablelands, approximately 55km south of Armidale in New South Wales. The Walcha Energy Project combines solar and wind energy generation with pumped hydro and battery storage to provide a sustainable and reliable source of renewable energy for NSW. Its generation potential is equivalent to 15% of NSW’s electricity demand.

They are committed to reinforcing a strong sense of community and is focussed on delivering a project that produces benefits for the whole community and wide New England region.

In August 2019 Walcha Energy approached Mipela, looking for a stakeholder management solution. A few weeks later Mipela implemented X-Info Suite to provide a web based solution that can manage stakeholders, property information, agreements and associated commitments and associated interactions. Users are also able to capture data in the field using the mobile data capture app, X-Info Aware.

While the conversations with landholders in the region had been underway for more than seventeen years, the engagement initially was quite informal and spreadsheets were used to capture interactions and relevant information. Now all information, including the historical information already captured, is available from one source in X-Info Suite and can be used for several different purposes including tracking stakeholder interactions, sending bulk communications, geospatially capturing data and managing commitments.

“As the project progresses, we continue to increase our functionality within X-Info Suite, establishing additional automated reports, mobile data capture forms and activity workflows to work smarter, not harder,” said Mark Waring, Director of Walcha Energy.

Walcha Energy are focussed on making sure the local community understand the positive impact and benefits of the project. By capturing landowner, stakeholder and interaction information now, it will ensure its future use is high value in ensuring their social license to operate aligns to Walcha Energy’s vision to deliver a holistic, flexible and authentic engagement process with all landowners and community stakeholders.

How Gladstone Area Water Board saves time processing permits using X-Info DBYD suite

Back in 2013 Gladstone Area Water Board (GAWB) were one of Mipela’s first clients to utilise the Works Management module that is associated with the Dial Before You Dig process.

Works Management module is an optional module that compliments X-Info DBYD suite by automating the management of permits. It provides a seamless workflow solution to view, action and report inquiries that have authority to conduct proposed works in the vicinity of the Client’s infrastructure from X-Info DBYD suite for the Client’s “Permit to Work” processes.

X-Info Works Management module is integrated into the same dashboard as the Client’s current X-Info DBYD suite portal.

This module can be applied to works in specific areas such as road reserves or high risk assets.

Tina Underwood, Technical Officer – GIS and Drafting at Gladstone Area Water Board said, “The Works Management module has provided so much value to our business. Not only does it automatically filter out the DBYD responses that will not require a permit, but the workflows also make sure that the permits are processed in accordance with the procedure, meaning no one drops the ball and no application is missed.”

“And it’s all there in the same system, along with any captured communications, contact details and associated documents. It’s the perfect audit trail.”

In early 2020, Gladstone Area Water Board further enhanced its permit management by introducing the use of mobile data capture app, X-Info Aware to the process. This app allows the inspectors to receive and respond to tasks assigned to them in real time, mitigating the need for paper forms. Following an inspection and approval, the permits can be automatically issued via email to the nominated person.

What’s new? Product update

Mipela GeoSolutions are releasing the latest product versions, available from 30 June 2021.

Version 6.1 of X-Info Connect and X-Info WebConnect contains some great new features, which include:

Capture Forms Accessibility for Non-Registered Users

Simple web forms to capture data is available for non registered users. This means external users can access forms to record and submit information without the need to login. The forms can be accessed by defining public settings for capture activities or sending an accessible link in an email. This is an ideal tool to capture stakeholder feedback.

Seamless Imagery Support

Any maps displayed in activities can now use seamless spatial data layers to display raster imagery as one layer. This results in efficient storage and uniform delivery of imagery.

Significant software changes for version 6.1 of X-Info Maps and X-Info DBYD suite have been made to accommodate the new Next Generation DBYD Referral Service.

Compatibility with Next Generation DBYD Referral Service

From 1 July 2021 the Association of Australian Dial Before You Dig Services (AADBYDS) is changing technology provider for the Next Generation DBYD Referral Service. The Next Generation DBYD Referral Service will be delivered by Esri Australia’s SmarterWX Sentinel application via the 1100.com.au website. Several changes to the X-Info Maps and DBYD software have been made to support this new service.

Seamless Upgrade

Upgrading from previous versions of X-Info Maps to accommodate the Next Generation DBYD Referral Service will be seamless by utilising an upgrade executable to handle field changes within X-Info DBYD suite configuration. For X-Info DBYD suite clients using X-Info Connect for their DBYD workflow beyond the automated responses, a X-Info Connect database upgrade utility is available to accommodate these changes.

Some other key features included in this version include:

• Webhook support – Support for the SmarterWX Sentinel webhook to enable data to be delivered in real time
• Next Generation DBYD Referral Service API – Utilising the new platform API by sending the response via the API
• Enhanced multi threading – Multi threading improvements will be developed for email and web hook reading and processing
• EWS Authentication – An additional email authentication method for DBYD email
• Extended Browser Compatibility – Chrome and Edge web browsers are now supported for the administration console to configure both X-Info Maps and X-Info DBYD suite projects.

Tips and Tricks – X-Info WebConnect

Q1: What do Activities look like in X-Info WebConnect?

A1: Activities in X-Info WebConnect provides users with easy access to the common processes or tasks they use X-Info Connect for but through a browser based portal. Activities cover common tasks such as finding a property or work request, adding a communication, updating contact details and assigning jobs to users.

With the use of Activities, we can set up overviews, dashboards, reports as well as design activities for specific users to manage their respective processes and workflow. This makes their daily tasks more simplified by removing the additional steps and information that isn’t needed to be seen. Users only see what they need to see to perform their role.

1. Activities can be folderised into logical groups such as Search, Create or Report

2. Navigation tools and contextual activity buttons display along the top of the record

• Navigation tools allow you to:
  • Go back and forth between pages
  • Go up and down a list
  • Print the record/page you’re currently in
  • Save changes you’ve made to the record
  • Undo any changes you’ve made
• Contextual activities are designed and built in collaboration with you, to best suit your individual business and workflow processes

3. Contextual activities can be included as buttons within the layout to maintain a simple and intuitive user interface.

Q2: Am I able to print from X-Info WebConnect?

A2: Printing is available for Search results, object layouts and overviews. The print button is enabled in the toolbar when printing is available. Some layout elements may not be printable, such as buttons and pop up windows. A print preview or .pdf will be generated in a new tab or can be opened in a .pdf viewer, depending on the browser being used.

Printing from Search results

Example of a .pdf in print preview mode

Q3: Should I be using a certain browser for X-Info WebConnect?

A3: We recommend using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge for X-Info WebConnect for optimal performance.

Q4: What if I don’t have any Activities set up, or I want to make changes to my existing ones?

A5: Please log a request with Mipela Support to arrange this for you. We can also teach you how to create Activities if you’re a power user.

If you would like further information or assistance please contact the Mipela Support Team at support@mipela.com.au.

Update on DBYD service

Your X-Info DBYD suite portal – now with interactive maps

This exciting update to your X-Info DBYD suite portal provides a fresh approach and a simplified way to view your data. Spatially search for data and display results in an interactive map using the map search option on your dashboard.

Interrogating DBYD data has never been so easy, choose a street name and zoom in to see what enquiries have been made on that street.

The hover feature displays the sequence number and the enquirers name, click on it and go straight to the enquiry page to view all of the details.

More so than ever before, X-Info DBYD suite is delivering data in different ways to support our clients with an easy to use and informative portal. Mipela keep improving, to deliver you a fully maintained service that can be combined with Permit and Works Management options. X-Info DBYD suite forms one part of a larger solutions for our clients, proving automation for repetitive tasks where reliability is key.