Tested workflows

To ensure that workflows are useful for system design purposes, they need to represent real user experiences, and the actual steps that users will take in interacting with the system. These workflows represent some of the foundational activities required to create, access, and maintain a gas network. The contents of the workflows were defined by working with experienced staff and Esri customer feedback to identify the specific steps, sequencing and type of activities involved in each workflow.

Developing a workflow as a detailed, stand-alone set of steps allows them to be repeated, iterated on to tweak operations, or adjusted to improve performance or user experience. Once each workflow is clearly defined, it is used consistently throughout the remainder of testing to establish the performance baseline and conduct load tests. If your organization does not have clearly documented, standard workflows with individual steps defined, consider using these workflows as a starting point that can be adjusted based on your needs.

This implementation of the Network Management System’s reference architecture was load tested for the following ten (10) gas utility workflows:

These workflows support both editor and general user user personas.

Editor workflows

Editors perform edit operations on the data, either editing attributes and geometry on single records or editing attributes in bulk. Editors may range in expertise and overall comfort with technology and may also perform edits in the office or in the field.

Create a service

This workflow represents the set of tasks an editor user persona performs to extend the grid to provide gas to a new customer.

  1. Sign in to ArcGIS Pro and open project
  2. Locate asset
  3. Zoom to service Area of Interest (AOI)
  4. Create and change version
  5. Create metal service tap
  6. Create company service pipe
  7. Create plastic curb valve
  8. Create customer service pipe
  9. Create meter group
  10. Zoom to distribution pipe extent
  11. Validate topology
  12. Reconcile
  13. Post
  14. Change version to default
  15. Validate topology in default

Remove a service

This workflow represents the set of tasks an editor user persona performs when a service needs to be removed from the network for any reason, such as a demolition.

  1. Sign in to ArcGIS Pro and open project
  2. Locate asset
  3. Zoom to customer pipe
  4. Create and change version
  5. Abandon customer pipe
  6. Edit vertices of customer pipe
  7. Abandon riser
  8. Abandon meter
  9. Abandon plastic curb valve
  10. Modify riser and meter
  11. Zoom to company pipe
  12. Abandon company pipe
  13. Edit vertices of company pipe
  14. Zoom to dirty area
  15. Validate topology
  16. Reconcile
  17. Post
  18. Change version to default
  19. Validate topology in default

Replace a main

This workflow represents the set of tasks an editor user persona performs when a gas utility needs to replace a gas main due to its age, condition, or other reasons.

  1. Sign in to ArcGIS Pro and open project
  2. Locate asset
  3. Zoom to pipe
  4. Zoom to AOI
  5. Create and change version
  6. Outrage trace
  7. Split the pipe
  8. Abandon the split pipe
  9. Edit vertices of split pipe
  10. Add two controllable valves
  11. Add coated steel distribution pipe
  12. Modify terminal connections – pipe 1
  13. Modify terminal connections – pipe 2
  14. Modify terminal connections – pipe 3
  15. Zoom to pipe
  16. Validate topology
  17. Reconcile
  18. Post

Extend a main

This workflow represents the set of tasks an editor user persona performs when a gas utility needs to extend a main, such as due to new construction.

  1. Sign in to ArcGIS Pro and open project
  2. Locate distribution pipe
  3. Zoom to AOI
  4. Create and change version
  5. Move metal end cap
  6. Abandon metal end cap
  7. Add transition
  8. Zoom to new extent
  9. Add plastic pe distribution pipe
  10. Add plastic end cap
  11. Validate topology
  12. Reconcile
  13. Post
  14. Change version to default
  15. Validate topology in default

Trace analytics

This workflow represents the set of tasks an editor or general user persona performs when they need to understand potentially impacted upstream or downstream areas by a main break, burst pipe, or other reasons.

  1. Sign into ArcGIS Pro and open project
  2. Locate asset
  3. Zoom to selection
  4. Run upstream trace
  5. Run downstream trace

Modify a feature

This workflow represents the set of tasks an editor user persona performs when a service pipe has been moved from its currently documented location during construction, or to perform simple data correction.

  1. Sign in to ArcGIS Pro and open project
  2. Locate asset
  3. Create and change version
  4. Select features
  5. Edit attributes
  6. Move location of service pipe
  7. Validate version
  8. Reconcile
  9. Post
  10. Change version to default
  11. Validate default

Linear referencing

Linear referencing is the method to store and geographically locate data using relative positions along a measured line feature without the need to explicitly use x,y coordinates or an address.

  1. Sign in to ArcGIS Pro and open project
  2. Select pipe by attributes
  3. Zoom to selected pipe
  4. Zoom to AOI
  5. Run reverse route

General user workflows

General users are typically considered “viewers” within the system, and primarily discover and use content created by others within the organization.

Query assets

This workflow represents the set of tasks a general user persona would perform in a web application to identify and view assets of a certain type or by a set of attributes.

  1. Sign in to ArcGIS Enterprise
  2. Open web application
  3. Open query builder
  4. Enter query criteria
  5. Run the query
  6. Zoom to results

View network

This workflow represents the set of tasks a general user persona would perform in a web application to view and search for a specific device within the network.

  1. Sign in to ArcGIS Enterprise
  2. Open web application
  3. Enter device ID in search box
  4. Select result from suggestions
  5. Zoom to device

Summarize assets

The steps below represent a use case where an ArcGIS Dashboard is open on a screen and refreshes every 30 seconds.

  1. Sign in to ArcGIS Enterprise
  2. Open dashboard
  3. Automatic refresh (30 seconds)
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