To support their GIS transformation and meet evolving design needs, Fortis Alberta selected Automated Utility Design (AUD) from SBS to streamline engineering, increase consistency, and integrate with enterprise systems.
Fortis Alberta delivers electricity to more than half a million residential, commercial, and industrial customers across Central and Southern Alberta. Covering a geographically vast and complex service territory, the utility operates approximately 129,000 kilometers of overhead lines and over 1.1 million power poles, representing about 60% of Alberta’s total grid.
The Case for Change
Fortis Alberta’s legacy design tools were no longer supported and lacked smart features or integration. “We had a design tool that doesn’t really have any smarts within it,” said Daniel Plantinga, Senior Design Specialist. “There was always a lack of consistency, duplication of efforts, and minimal integration with SAP or our compatible units.”
The decision to upgrade their GIS to Esri’s Utility Network triggered broader modernization efforts across multiple departments, one of which was design. “This umbrella project has kicked off ten different initiatives, with AUD being a key piece,” added Neel Krishan, Senior Engineer, Standards and Projects.
Evaluating AUD
The Fortis Alberta team worked with consultants to assess potential design tools and reached out to peer utilities for feedback. “When we saw SBS’s customer list, we recognized some sister companies and neighbors,” said Krishan. “We contacted many of them to understand their experiences.”
That outreach helped confirm AUD’s value and SBS’s reputation.
“What stood out wasn’t just the software,” said Plantinga. “It was the relationships. Energy Queensland, for example, said they wished all vendors were like SBS. That kind of feedback made our decision easier.”
Highlights of AUD
The team was especially impressed with AUD’s ability to automate complex calculations and reduce dependence on disconnected tools. “We saw a one-click design that draws your pole, brings in the material with cost, and does analysis like voltage drop and cable pull all in one tool,” said Plantinga. “Today, those are separate processes across multiple systems.”
AUD’s configurability also aligned with Fortis Alberta’s philosophy: “We wanted something configurable, not something we’d have to heavily customize just to do basic things, like display the color orange in CAD,” said Plantinga.
Phased Implementation
Fortis Alberta is taking a phased approach to deployment, starting with a vanilla implementation of AUD in advance of the Esri Utility Network transition. “This gives us time to train our folks and avoid overwhelming the design team with simultaneous changes,” said Krishan.
The team is also exploring engineering integration for Canadian nonlinear structure analysis. “We’re evaluating options like SpidaCALC to perform those calculations outside AUD and bring the results back in,” said Krishan.
Engaging Designers Through Change
A key part of Fortis Alberta’s strategy is involving end users in the process.
“This isn’t just a tool for them, it’s their tool,” said Plantinga. “We’ve been telling our designers: we’re not here to build it for you, we’re building it with you.”
That openness has generated a high volume of feedback. “One lesson we’ve learned is to have a structured intake and prioritization plan,” said Krishan. “The ideas are great but they can be overwhelming if you’re not ready to manage them.”
Looking Ahead
Implementation begins shortly, and Fortis Alberta expects to see major gains in consistency, automation, and communication. “AUD gives us the integrated, modern design platform we need,” said Plantinga. “It helps us build better designs, faster, and support more reliable service for our customers.”