Managing over $2.6B in Critical Infrastructure

Icon Water manages over $2.6 billion of water and sewerage assets across the ACT and Queanbeyan regions. These assets are essential services, ensuring safe drinking water and reliable sewerage systems for thousands of residents.

To manage this infrastructure, Icon Water relies on GIS technology. However, their existing ArcGIS Enterprise platform struggled to keep pace with modern demands. The platform required a complete overhaul to continue supporting the organisation’s operations, growth, and alignment with Icon Water’s Digital Strategy.

The Challenge: Outdated and Unreliable Systems

Icon Water’s previous ArcGIS Enterprise platform faced growing issues with system stability, scalability, and compatibility with newer technologies. This was impacting their ability to maintain and manage critical infrastructure effectively. Additionally, with increased system usage across the business, there was a growing need for better functionality, modern user interfaces, and faster performance. If left unresolved, these technical challenges could lead to data inconsistencies, inefficient workflows, and difficulties meeting the organisation’s strategic goals.

The solution required a comprehensive upgrade of the entire ArcGIS Enterprise environment, all while maintaining continuous service to the community.

The Solution: How NGIS Transformed the System

To tackle these challenges, Icon Water partnered with NGIS to design and implement a solution that would modernise their ArcGIS Enterprise platform. This was not a simple task—the project involved multiple technical domains, tight timelines, and the need for seamless collaboration across teams.

Here’s how NGIS delivered the solution:

• Comprehensive Planning: NGIS worked closely with Icon Water to thoroughly review the existing system and user requirements. This phase involved developing a detailed platform architecture covering both software and infrastructure elements. NGIS also outlined a precise project roadmap to ensure all steps were coordinated and aligned with Icon Water’s broader goals.

• Specialist Expertise: The project’s complexity required a team of specialists in cloud infrastructure, software architecture, integrations, user application development, and data migration. These experts worked across seven technical areas, ensuring that all aspects of the system upgrade were completed with high precision and quality.

• Managing Risk and Complexity: Given the project’s urgency, NGIS implemented a strategic risk management approach. Tasks were broken down into manageable workstreams, ensuring clear dependencies were identified and each upgrade component could progress smoothly. This method reduced the likelihood of delays and ensured that every specialist could focus on their area of expertise at the right time.

The upgrade process was extensive. It involved migrating 75 corporate datasets and layers, refactoring 37 critical system integrations, and rebuilding or upgrading 20 essential user applications. NGIS also ensured the transition to the upgraded platform was seamless, with minimal disruption to Icon Water’s operations.

The Results: A Future-Ready System

Thanks to NGIS, Icon Water now operates with a fully upgraded and future-proof ArcGIS Enterprise platform. The results of the project include:

• Improved System Stability: The new platform is significantly more reliable, reducing downtime and ensuring critical data is always accessible when needed.
• Enhanced User Experience: Modern user interfaces and improved system performance have led to higher system usage across Icon Water’s teams, empowering employees to work more efficiently.
• Seamless Data Integration: The upgrade streamlined integrations between key business systems, such as asset and customer management platforms, resulting in better data accuracy, faster access to information, and more effective workflows.
• Future-Proof Capabilities: The new system meets current operational needs and positions Icon Water to adopt new technologies and innovations. The platform now aligns with modern cybersecurity standards and supports advanced geospatial tools, enhancing the organisation’s ability to manage critical assets.

A Stronger Foundation for Essential Services

By partnering with NGIS to modernise its ArcGIS Enterprise environment, Icon Water has laid the foundation for improved service delivery and operational efficiency. The project has set up the organisation to continue providing vital water and sewerage services to the ACT and Queanbeyan communities, all while staying ahead of future challenges and opportunities in asset management and technology.