"Not just Maps" Utility Locate Request "POC"

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been diving into the capabilities of ArcGIS Experience Builder and I have not been disappointed.

Did you know that you can not only pass through information from a map to a Survey123 but you can also pass through geometry!!!

Shout out to Kenny Ratliff - GIS Manager for Oldham County Water District in La Grange, Kentucky!!! His question about last week's newsletter led me to dig deeper into experience builder...

After talking with Kenny and getting the needs... I was able to put together this "POC" or Proof of Concept. Let me show you what I was able to create maybe it can fuel some ideas for you and your organization... Keep in mind this is not a polished end version just proof that the concept that the end goal could be reached... It is in need of some refinement...

The goal was to have a way for customers to request a utility locate. (where the utilities are marked on the ground before an excavation happens). The customer needs an easy way to locate their property and define where on the property they plan to dig. Also, the customer needs to be able to provide details about the excavation all in one easy-to-use interface. No login is required.

Let's start on a Hub Site...

Inside my "Public Works" Hub Site on the menu, I have a link to a Utility Locate Request. After clicking on this link it will take you directly to the Experience Builder, Experience I created...

This Experience consists of 4 pages. The Home Page you see here above welcomes the user to the application and gives them 3 choices in the form of buttons.

New Locate Request - This option will take the user to the locate request page.

Re-locate Request - This option will take the user to the re-locate request page. Which is a replica of the New Locate Request Except it has a different survey123 that has different questions.

Emergency Locate Request - This option takes the user to a warning page informing them that all emergency locates must be by phone and not submitted over the internet and gives them the number to call.

Let's Check out the New Locate Request Page .....

On this page what you see is a Map with all the parcel data for the target area on the left. On the right is a survey123 that shows a map question at the top and a collapsed excavation information tab with questions about the excavation.

I know the instructions are a little hard to see but it defines steps 1, 2, and 3 for the user. Step 1 Use the Search Tool Below to locate the Parcel of land on which the excavation is to take place. Once you have found the parcel click on it to validate. Step 2 Use the Pencil tool to define the dig area on the parcel. Step 3 Open and fill out the excavation information below... Then Submit...

Using the search tool the citizen can search by address or owner name within the parcel information...

Once the parcel is located. The parcel data including the geometry of the parcel are passed through to Survey123 on the right once the user clicks on the parcel to "validate it"...

Using the Pencil Tool on the map question, the user can define the dig area on the parcel of land.

Then finally they can fill in the excavation information and Submit Locate Request.

If the user needs to request an emergency locate you can see to the right, what they would see if they chose that button on the home page.

There are many more functionalities with this POC but this is the main part. Keep in mind if you needed to trigger an email using Webhook's that could be possible. For example, sending the dispatch an email with relevant information when a locate request is received. Additionally, sending the requestor an email with details about moving forward with the excavation. This just is the forward-facing or customer engagement piece there is another whole setup for the internal response to the request by pulling up the customer request and responding and documenting the utility location work...

All of this was done with no coding at all... Drag and drop configuration...

I hope this gives you some ideas and gets you to open up experience builder and give it a try... It's pretty fun...

Keep up the good work... Thanks, Kenny...

Until next time...