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 Information 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.
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.
This workflow represents the set of tasks an editor user persona performs to extend the grid to provide gas to a new customer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
General users are typically considered “viewers” within the system, and primarily discover and use content created by others within the organization.
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.
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.
The steps below represent a use case where an ArcGIS Dashboard is open on a screen and refreshes every 30 seconds.