The utility damage prevention field is currently at a crossroads, where human expertise and cutting-edge technological tools intersect. Striking the right balance between the two is pivotal for a proactive and efficient approach. In this article, we explore the symbiotic relationship between seasoned professionals' intuition and the role of advanced ticket management systems, like Utilocate, in enhancing utility damage prevention strategies.

A Marriage of Experience and Innovation

While technology advances at an unprecedented pace, it's important to recognize the invaluable contribution of experienced professionals. These seasoned individuals bring decades of insights and intuition to the table. Their ability to assess situations holistically and consider variables that might escape automated algorithms is unmatched.

Roles, Risks and Rewards

Role based permissions in ticket management systems allow for the recognition of different user abilities and the desire to restrict options within the TMS for particular users and open up options for others while still be scaleable and dynamic. Here are a few examples:

1. Routing: Our routing algorithm is sophisticated and ruthlessly efficient, helping your locators visit more sites per day than they previously could have. We recommend it for all locators in the field, but it might be worth turning off for some experienced locators who have in depth knowledge of their area. This is where the fuzzy line of control and trust but you could at least encourage them to try it out. On the other hand novice locators, or employees who aren't being efficient could be restricted to only using the routing algorithm or even to just seeing one ticket at a time so they can't just make up their own route.
2. Emergencies: Emergency notifications pop up and alert users, but if they're not responsive after a certain time they get escalated. Selecting the nearest locator, or the most free one can be configured within the TMS so you don't have to have a dispatcher guessing where people are or who's free. Utilocate can cut out these unnecessary inefficiencies.
3. Novice v Expert: Thinking of it in these terms makes it easier to understand. We can reduce and remove features or just give you everything all at once, many of our clients don't use all the features they have right now and part of that gap can be closed with training. Helping a locator get started the right way means giving them the tools they need, when they need them.

Precision through Collaboration

The synergy between human intuition and technological data culminates in precision through collaboration. While technology offers insights that might be overlooked, human professionals provide context and depth that data alone cannot capture. The collaboration facilitated by Utilocate fosters informed decision-making, ensuring that the right information reaches the right people at the right time. Utilocate captures everything the locator has done and forwards that automatically in a locate package to excavators. This is a seamless automation made possible by collaboration.

The Holistic Approach to Prevention

In the quest for utility damage prevention, it's not about choosing one over the other; it's about a holistic approach. Marrying the strengths of human experience with the capabilities of advanced tools like Utilocate creates a formidable strategy. Professionals can quickly identify patterns and potential conflicts, and data can be put into action swiftly, all within a collaborative ecosystem. Much of Utilocate has been created and developed due to feedback from experienced locators in the field. They might have a manual process which we can automate or a different way of doing something which saves time. The important part in damage prevention is listening to all stakeholders and making the best decision. AI can only make good decisions with good information so we need high quality damage prevention professionals to feed us high quality information. We rely on you as a locator in the field just as much a you rely on the technology!

The Way Forward

As the utility damage prevention landscape evolves, it's crucial to embrace both human expertise and technological innovation. The sweet spot lies in a harmonious partnership, where each component complements the other. The collaboration enabled by platforms like Utilocate ensures that utility damage prevention is not just a task, but a collective effort that safeguards both infrastructure and safety. By valuing and integrating both human insight and technological tools, we pave the way for a smarter and more resilient industry.