Regional Power Company Accelerates Storm Recovery

Example case study showing how a regional electric utility could successfully implement Field Squared’s Field Service Management Platform to improve storm recovery operations. The platform enables the utility to streamline field response during hurricane season, gain real-time visibility into crews and assets, and significantly reduce power restoration times.

“Before Field Squared, coordinating crews during storm recovery was a logistical nightmare. Now, we have real-time visibility into every team and every job, which has made a huge difference in how fast we can restore service.”
- Director of Field Operations

About the Customer

Serving more than 600,000 customers in a coastal region regularly impacted by hurricanes, this regional electric utility has made reliability and readiness a core part of its operations. With a field workforce of over 1,200, they are well-equipped for both normal grid maintenance and emergency response. But during hurricane season, when multiple major storms can strike within weeks of each other, the pressure to restore power quickly and safely becomes a constant operational challenge.

Challenge

Each year, storm season creates a familiar and difficult cycle. High winds bring down poles and power lines. Flooding damages infrastructure. Thousands of customers lose power across a wide area. While field crews mobilize quickly, the utility’s reliance on manual coordination slows everything down.

Damage assessments are often handwritten on paper and then delivered back to supervisors for data entry. Crews check in by phone or radio, but there is no central view of who is where or what has been completed. Dispatchers must work with limited information, and management struggles to track progress. Customers are left waiting for updates, unsure when service will be restored.

The utility required a faster and more connected approach. It had to be mobile, reliable in offline conditions, and scalable enough to support emergency operations throughout the season.

Solution

The utility deployed Field Squared across its storm recovery operations to create a real-time, mobile-first command center for field activity.

Crews received digital work orders through rugged mobile devices. Instead of relying on paper forms, field technicians could enter data directly into custom mobile workflows. They captured photos, noted materials used, and completed safety checks, all of which were stored and synced automatically when connectivity was restored.

Real-time GPS tracking allowed dispatch to monitor the location and progress of every crew. Supervisors gained visibility into which areas had been assessed, where crews were active, and what equipment was needed. GIS-tagged forms ensured accurate location data for every repair and inspection.

Field Squared also enabled automated reporting, helping the utility quickly generate the documentation required for FEMA and insurance claims. With integrated customer communication tools, the utility provided residents with accurate, timely updates about estimated restoration times.

Benefits

With Field Squared in place, the utility has transformed its storm recovery process. On average, restoration times have improved by 28 percent across two hurricane seasons. Field crews complete more repairs per shift, and dispatchers can make better decisions in real-time. The risk of duplicate visits has been reduced, and safety has improved through better visibility into hazards and field conditions.

Damage assessments that once took days now happen in near real-time, complete with timestamped photos and exact GPS coordinates. Reports that used to take weeks can now be compiled in hours. And customers now receive clear, personalized updates instead of generic outage notices.

Summary

This regional utility no longer approaches storm season with a patchwork of paper forms and guesswork. With Field Squared, it operates with a modern, fully connected field service platform that adapts to high-volume, high-stress recovery situations. When the next storm hits, the utility is ready to respond more quickly, recover more efficiently, and restore service faster for the communities that rely on it.

“The ability to capture damage assessments digitally, even when offline, has been a game changer. It’s helped us speed up FEMA reporting and reduce the administrative burden on our teams during high-pressure situations.”
- VP of Emergency Response and Infrastructure