At ENTRUST, innovation drives everything we do, whether we’re revolutionizing electric fielding or advancing gas fielding processes.
The #PoweringTransformation campaign highlights the individuals and teams behind our success, like Loren Washington, Sr. Director in Electric Programs, and Eric Cowan, Vice President of Field Services. Loren’s leadership has transformed pole assessments, while Eric’s forward-thinking approach to real-time data integration has redefined gas fielding practices.
Together, they exemplify ENTRUST’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology and streamlined workflows to deliver unparalleled safety, efficiency, and value for our clients in both sectors.
Loren Washington is a Sr. Director in the Electric Programs department at ENTRUST in San Antonio, TX. With a strong background in utilities services, Loren has been instrumental in leading various projects, including the comprehensive pole inspection services for the Nueces Electric Cooperative.
Loren’s expertise in joint use and pole assessments has been showcased in several blog posts and proposals, highlighting the innovative approaches and tools used to enhance safety and efficiency in the field. Loren’s leadership and dedication to quality have significantly contributed to the success of ENTRUST’s projects and initiatives.
The utility industry has long faced challenges related to joint use and pole assessments, primarily driven by safety and cost concerns.
Safety was a significant issue—without knowledge of what equipment was attached to pole lines, risks such as overloading, improper clearances, and hazards for both civilians and utility personnel were prevalent. Additionally, rising maintenance costs created further complications. Poles shared by multiple entities without proper tracking often resulted in overloaded or unsafe attachments. This inefficiency highlighted the need for a more structured approach to managing these shared assets.
ENTRUST recognized the critical need for improved pole assessments during our work with utility clients starting in 2009. Initially, we assembled application packages to help clients better understand their attachment processes.
By 2012, we took on the task of reviewing joint-use applications, uncovering significant gaps in how utilities managed these attachments. By standardizing attachment assessments, we laid the foundation for systematic joint use, helping clients achieve compliance and improved safety.
The push for innovation in joint use and pole assessments gained momentum due to regulatory pressure. Organizations like the FCC and TPUC pushed utilities to modernize attachment processes, removing barriers in the communications industry. Effective attachment management became not just an operational need but also a regulatory requirement.
At ENTRUST, we were among the first to create structured attachment management processes, offering better efficiency, improved safety, and compliance. What set us apart wasn’t just our adoption of innovative tools but our approach to deploying them effectively.
We didn’t stop at tools. Originally, each pole assessment was handled by a single field team member from start to finish. To enhance efficiency and quality, we restructured our workflow into an assembly line approach, with team members specializing in different parts of the assessment process. This shift increased productivity, accuracy, and scalability, giving us a clear competitive edge.
One of our early successes was collaborating with pole owners to develop industry standards for joint use. By working directly with utilities, we helped establish shared guidelines for managing attachments, leading to safer, more reliable pole networks. These standards reduced inconsistencies and enabled all stakeholders to work together more effectively.
From our early work in pole assessments to today’s technology-driven processes, ENTRUST’s journey reflects our commitment to innovative solutions and industry leadership. By recognizing the need for better joint-use management early on, adopting cutting-edge technologies, and refining our processes, we’ve helped utilities make their operations safer, more efficient, and cost-effective.
Our story of joint use and pole assessments is just one part of our larger mission—Powering Transformation—and driving forward practical, impactful solutions that benefit utility operations and the communities they serve.
Eric Cowan is the Vice President in the Field Services department at ENTRUST Solutions Group. With a strong background in engineering and consulting, Eric has been instrumental in leading various projects, including the integration of new technologies to enhance field services.
He is known for his comprehensive approach to project execution and his ability to manage complex tasks efficiently. Eric’s leadership and expertise have significantly contributed to the company’s success in delivering high-quality services to clients.
The biggest challenge that has driven ENTRUST to adopt new technologies is the need for data and analytics in more real time.
The days of filling out paper forms or paper as-builts are gone. Things need to be seen the same day they are installed.
With this, we have adopted and created several technologies that allow us to show our clients, in real-time, what’s happening with their projects in the field, as they are being built. It also allows us to help them keep track of the budget and schedule much closer than in the past.
We are currently working on a few different projects that involve collecting highly accurate GPS data for our clients to update their mapping system. In the past, the data would be turned in to the client weekly for review.
Now, they can see it as soon as a few seconds after the tech collects a shot, or at the latest the next day. We are also able to create special portals for different parts of the client to view the data they are most concerned with immediately and not have to wait until it is given to them by their internal groups. This allows them to review it while the crew is still close and ask them questions or have them collect something additional if needed. In the past, we may have gotten this information weeks or even months later and had to send crews back to collect the additional data.
These technologies allow our field techs to collect their data more efficiently and with greater accuracy. The efficiencies come more on the back end once the data has been collected and delivered. Since it’s delivered in a much quicker way, the end users are able to see and review the data much faster.
Efficiency is a thing that is always being looked at. They will continue to evolve as the technology evolves. It is a very exciting time.
Connectivity is one of the biggest issues with working with new technology in the field. In most areas, we can have a live connection at all times and can look at the data within seconds of the tech collecting it. But, in some rural or mountain areas, the cellular coverage isn’t there yet for this to be possible.
We have created an offline feature for our applications so the techs can still do their work each day and then sync at night when they get to a better signal area or even better, Wi-Fi. This does delay the reporting and visibly by a day, but it’s still much faster than previous methods.
We are continuously looking at other avenues for improving this but are somewhat at the mercy of the communication companies. A system like Starlink may be the solution if it can get small enough for a tech to wear or have with them away from a vehicle.
Other technologies that ENTRUST continues to hone in on include phone or tablet-based applications at the top of the list. Most innovations revolve around this platform since it’s the most stable and readily available.
We have added things to the applications outside the phone or tablet though to help improve accuracy and clarity. These include things like sub-foot or sub-centimeter GPS collection, Laser scanning, thermal imaging, and high-accuracy photos. All these things help better show the progress or issues that are being found and can assist in getting a resolution much faster.
Gauging the speed of the accuracy isn’t an easy thing to do really. Accuracy increases usually means a slower process but some of the newer equipment and software allow for less time in the field to collect more accurate points. There is also less equipment needed to get the higher accuracy wanted by our clients. Some of our projects are even using locate equipment with built in RTK GPS. This allows for one tech to locate a line and collect sub-centimeter accurate GPS at the same time, on the same piece of equipment.
Typically, we roll this type of equipment out slowly to make sure it will perform the way we expect it to. Once we have done our due diligence and are comfortable with it, we roll it out across the company. We try to work with these equipment providers as well to make sure their equipment works well and also provide them with some thoughts on improvements for future releases. We are fortunate to have some great vendor partners that are willing to work with us on improving their equipment.
What we are seeing more recently is the ability to send small crews out to complete this work now. What may have been a 3-person crew before, can now be done with two or even sometimes one. This will reduce the cost of the collection for the client while still increasing efficiency and accuracy. In most cases, this also reduces the number of customer complaints and concerns because there is less disruption in their area.
At ENTRUST we attend several industry-based conferences and committees during the year and spend a lot of time with our clients to get a better understanding of their wants and needs. We also have strong relationships with our vendors who provide us our equipment, so we always know what new technology or advancements are coming down the line. This allows us to discuss these things a bit with our clients ahead of time and gauge their interest.
We are really looking more at GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) capabilities and where this can go. It’s made some great strides forward recently and is getting much closer to being a solid tool to help in trouble locate areas or really congested areas below ground.
Another area we are looking more into is thermal imaging photography and scans. This allows us to get a better understanding of where some trouble areas may be, without having to send a tech into a possibly unsafe situation. Although we do a lot of high-resolution scanning today, we want to branch that out more into the thermal space.
From electric fielding innovations under Loren Washington to Eric Cowan’s advancements in gas fielding, ENTRUST’s commitment to transformation spans all aspects of utility engineering. The #PoweringTransformation campaign underscores our dedication to creating solutions that address today’s challenges while anticipating tomorrow’s needs.
By combining advanced tools, real-time data, and reimagined processes, we continue to drive progress across the industry. As we look ahead, our vision remains clear: to empower utilities with the expertise, technology, and ingenuity needed to build a safer, more efficient, and sustainable future.
Want to learn more about #PoweringTransformation? Check out our page here.
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