For service qualification we did Polygon layers in ArcGIS Server and would send an point for the address to test if the point fell within the polygons, and if it was in the polygon then we said they qualified for the service represented by the polygon. So we used the Rest Service exposed by the ArcGIS Server to do that query. For example we have a Polygon for PON (fiber to the home) and a Polygon for Nodes (for our CATV Node Areas). If the address fell within, those service boundaries defined by the PON and Node polygon's we would claim the qualified for which ever polygon they fell in. If address fell in both, then we would prioritize which one was better service. We also use the same concept to identify the Tax District an address falls in, so that we can compute Tax Rate correctly for the address. We do this for Sales Tax and for Franchise Fees. So behind the scene batch jobs use these ArcGIS Server Services to automate workflows, but for non batch situations as with users talking to customers, we built a Web Page that includes a map with the layers, and a dashboard above the map that has service indicators that light up with each polygon layer they fall in, so the user has something simple to understand. Since our company still has Copper Plant, we do have a more complicated Service Qualification that we have to do after the ones above, where we create a 500 foot buffer around the address, and pull back all serving stations in that 500 feet, and look at prerecorded pair trace distances we stored for each station. If the distance stored with the station is within 18,000 feet, then we are able to serve DSL. So that is only tested if the PON and Node qualifications fail and DSL is all that is left. This has worked great for us over many years, and allowed us to automate work flow in batch jobs behind the scene while also giving us the ability to inform users who are talking with customers.
Robert “Edward” Gause, GISP | Director of Information Services | HTC | p 843-369-8483 | www.htcinc.net | This is life. Connet with it.
