Lines image

1Spatial partners with Environment Agency and Defra to enable automatic quality-assured and timely geoCOBie asset information delivery from suppliers

Cambridge, UK, 27th October  2020, (www.1spatial.com) 1Spatial, a global leader in Location Master Data Management software, solutions and business applications have been awarded the Environment Agency and Defra Datastore, Rules and Visualisation (DRV) contract following a competitive process.

The Environment Agency need to improve the way in which they manage information around assets, such as embankments, weirs and fish passes. This strategic capability is being delivered in phases by the Creating Asset Management Capability programme, and more specifically the Digital Asset Data and Information (DADI) workstream.

Asset information is a combination of data about physical assets used to inform decisions about how they are managed. Good asset information enables better decisions to be made, including determining the optimal asset maintenance or renewal frequency for an asset.

Quality and timely asset information helps people make informed decisions. Most of the asset data is generated during the design and construction phase.  If incomplete it creates a legacy of poor data for the life of the assets and which will have consequences when making decisions and managing risks.

The Environment Agency’s Asset Management function receives asset data as geoCOBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange). COBie is an international standard, and more specifically BS1192-4, relating to exchanging asset information. The Environment Agency are pioneering its use by developing geoCOBie (including geospatial) as an interoperable data exchange approach for infrastructure asset information.

1Spatial are collaborating with the Environment Agency and Defra to automatically verify and validate the supplied geoCOBie sheets against business and data rules (including geospatial checks) stored in a Data Rules Library. The validation reports will be sent back to the data suppliers and only when verified and validated, will the asset information be loaded into a central single-source-of truth repository. The Environment Agency, Defra, 1Spatial and Black and Veatch have delivered a Proof of Concept (PoC) and the outcomes from the PoC are informing the development of a DRV Minimal Viable Product.

The Environment Agency the leading public sector organisation in developing an asset information management framework that will develop into a digital twin about physical assets, saving the Environment Agency money, reducing risk, providing reliable data and information to those that need to make decisions about assets.

Matthew White, Senior Business Development Manager of 1Spatial commented:

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Environment Agency and Defra for this strategically important initiative. We have an excellent track record of collaborating with organisations across the UK and globally to design, build, implement and support data verification and data validation solutions, improving data quality and data access.”

Karen Alford, Digital Asset Data and Information Manager of Environment Agency commented:

“This proof of concept is pivotal to the Environment Agency’s digital transformation.  It has demonstrated how, by defining data requirements and rules in a machine-readable format, data can be generated at source by suppliers, submitted, verified, and validated before being formally accepted.   Combining 1Spatial data skills with engineering knowledge from Black and Veatch was essential to the successful outcome”

If you have any questions for our team, then please contact us.