Vallecitos Water District (VWD) utilizes Esri’s ArcGIS Platform as a spatial-based GIS business solutions application to help deliver water, wastewater, and reclamation services to its customers. Within its 45-square-mile boundary, VWD serves more than 108,000 people in San Marcos, Carlsbad, Escondido, Vista, and other unincorporated northern San Diego County areas.
Quartic Solutions, a premiere Esri business partner, worked with VWD to modernize several components of its GIS system, which had failed one day and field workers were without GIS for several days. Quartic GIS experts fixed the problem in one day. VWD also had other issues, such as difficulty determining what was wrong with its GIS program and using old software versions.
Quartic's modernization effort included upgrades to the district’s mapping system, which now features functionality for improved field data collection, network tracing, lead pipe management, and dashboards for managers to review water and sewer asset maintenance metrics.
The modernization included a successful pilot test of VWD’s GIS data migration from its legacy software to the current ArcGIS Utility Network. This solution helps the district to understand and maintain its pipe network better. It also enables VWD to access actionable data to support all components of its utility network system (pipes, valves, devices) and to build real-world behavior in the network. Implementing best practices on VWD’s enterprise GIS has resulted in a significant improvement to the usability, performance, and levels of security.
The ArcGIS Utility Network was selected because of its advanced spatial data functions and services that provide smoother handling of large geographic datasets. Using this solution, VWD can also leverage its existing ArcGIS Enterprise system and the ArcGIS Pro desktop application, improving the user experience and communication across the organization.
In addition, ArcGIS® Field Maps was implemented to simplify VWD’s field data collection. Previously, staff used paper documents and manually entered this data into Microsoft® Excel spreadsheets. Esri’s ArcGIS Field Maps is an app that uses data-driven maps and mobile forms to help workers perform data capture and editing, find assets and data, and report their real-time locations. This app streamlines mobile personnel's daily critical workflows; everyone in the field or the office benefits from using the same data.
VWD implemented Esri’s Lead Service Line Inventory application to help them track water lines that have lead in them. This ArcGIS solution can be used to develop a lead service line inventory and monitor the replacement of service lines required to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. Lead contamination in drinking water can be caused by leaching lead used in old water mains, service lines, pipe joints, plumbing fittings, and fixtures. The application delivers capabilities that help track lead service lines, validate service line materials in the field, monitor replacement activities and regulatory compliance, and share information with the public.
Replacing lead service lines is the best way to reduce the risk of exposure to lead in drinking water across a community. Under the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, water utilities must create and maintain a lead service line inventory. Having authoritative information about the number and location of lead service lines is the first step in creating a removal program to safeguard the community’s health. Lead service line inventory is typically implemented by water utilities that want to quickly begin mapping lead service lines and monitoring compliance with federal regulations.
VWD now boasts two dynamic dashboards for internal staff, each offering a unique and user-friendly experience. The System Data Dashboard provides dynamic metrics on VWD's water and sewer assets, presenting counts, length, material, diameter, and more in an easily user-friendly format. The Water and Sewer Risk Dashboard offers metrics on several risk criteria, equipping the team with valuable insights on their water and sewer lines.
Quartic’s GIS experts also developed and implemented a comprehensive pipe maintenance executive dashboard for the district’s management. This dashboard allows executives to track the progress of line fixes and identify areas that still require attention easily and quickly. The implementation included enhancements to third-party software integration, ensuring that the district’s asset management software seamlessly interacts with the GIS environment.
The County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) used its mapping software and technology to respond to Tropical Storm Hillary this January. While the storm significantly impacted public and private property and led to power outages and network issues for several days, the EOC effectively provided maps to support the response efforts. The maps facilitated coordination between County departments, affected cities, non-governmental organizations, and first responders. Some areas of the County received several inches of rain quickly, flooding streets and damaging homes and businesses.
The maps provided necessary information to crews working in the office and the field. The EOC is a temporary unit activated during emergencies and is staffed by the County’s Office of Emergency Services (OES). The County’s Geographic Information System (GIS) was a valuable tool for the EOC workers responding to the flood. The maps were used to help prioritize and facilitate staff response to calls, visualize the extent of damage, and request emergency funding. County workers conducted damage assessments, while residents and business owners, as crucial partners in this process, submitted damage reports.
On February 4, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for 8 counties in Southern California as winter storms rolled through with high winds and damaging rain. The proclamation covered Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. The emergency proclamation included provisions authorizing a California National Guard response if tasked, facilitating unemployment benefits for impacted residents, and making it easier for out-of-state contractors and utility workers to repair storm damage.
The County EOC, in its commitment to transparency and accountability, released an online survey to residents and business owners for them to report damages created by the flash flooding on January 22nd. The surveys were then used to estimate the extent of the damage left behind by the storm. There were approximately 2,600 reports submitted by homeowners, and public infrastructure damage was estimated to be over $70 million. To receive FEMA emergency funding, there must be a $70 million threshold for repairing damages. Rest assured, county residents are still recovering from the severe impacts of this storm. GIS maps were generated promptly, were a testament to our preparedness, and helped County officials apply for FEMA funding. They received over $20 million in assistance.
County GIS staff were augmented with local GIS experts employed by Quartic Solutions, a San Diego-based professional GIS services firm, to staff the required emergency shifts fully. Quartic aided San Diego County EOC by creating GIS maps and solutions that support response and recovery efforts throughout the county. Quartic staff were called in to provide on-site support to the EOC from January 27th to February 3rd. The team worked as needed through the weekend to make GIS maps supporting the county’s flood recovery efforts.
With their expertise in creating maps of flood damage and running spatial analysis of damaged hotspots, Quartic staff played a supportive role. Quartic staff took addresses from the survey that County EOC GIS staff geocoded and imported them into ArcGIS® Pro. These maps, a testament to the effectiveness of GIS in disaster response, were then sent to cities, district supervisors, and nonprofits like the Red Cross. They were also used to support other units of the EOC, helping field crews to prioritize debris cleanouts in heavily damaged areas. By overlaying hazard maps with land use and infrastructure data, GIS helped workers identify the critical assets and facilities at risk of flooding, such as roads, bridges, power lines, hospitals, and schools.
To receive the latest storm conditions, response, and preparedness information, please visit Alert San Diego at www.alertsandiego.org.
April 22, 2024: San Diego, CA—Founded in 2004, Quartic Solutions is a premier woman-owned geographic information system (GIS) services firm that recently became an Esri Gold Partner within the Esri Partner Network (EPN). This achievement marks a significant milestone in our collaboration with Esri to help our clients optimize their use of Esri technology. Headquartered in San Diego with representation throughout California, Quartic has a long history of delivering ArcGIS software services to state and local government and utility organizations to clients.
Our mission is to help people accomplish more using GIS technology. We enable the government to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of systems, processes, and operations by utilizing GIS technology, ultimately for the good of the human condition and the environment. Our core service offerings are enterprise GIS (setup, upgrades), cloud GIS (setup, migration), GIS solutions (apps, mobile, web), and staff augmentation.
Our experts deeply understand industry-specific challenges and leverage their expertise to craft tailored solutions that integrate seamlessly into the broader organizational landscape for our customers. Significant time is invested in research and development to incorporate the latest GIS tools and technologies. We ensure all staff is kept updated with best practices from partners. We provide incentives and training plans to employees.
Steps to Esri Gold Partnership
The EPN is a worldwide company community that supports customers with business solutions, implementation services, and dynamic content by leveraging Esri technology across every industry. Quartic started the Esri Gold Partner application process in 2023. We take our business partnership with Esri seriously. We collaborate closely with Esri and work with Esri Professional Services, account teams, industry teams, marketing teams, and partner managers.
Our business development team frequently and actively coordinates with Esri on open and upcoming opportunities. We’ve teamed with Esri on many projects and in many different roles. Quartic also has an open services agreement with Professional Services.
“We’re thrilled to strengthen Quartic’s partnership with Esri by joining the ranks of Esri Gold partners,” said Jodi Luostarinen, CEO. “As one of the first partners to achieve the Esri Gold Partner status in our core industry, State & Local Government, this enhanced relationship with Esri will benefit us and our customers by providing greater efficiencies and tighter integration with Esri, improving geospatial collaboration.”
Quartic & Esri Partner Projects
Quartic’s EPN relationship has helped the company develop and maintain client relationships. Our team is set to continue supporting the City of San Diego, other government clients, and clients spanning multiple industries, including public safety, transportation, etc. We recognize that different clients have different needs. Everything from system architecture to user interface design is delivered to enhance functionality and UX per the client's needs.
We anticipate our client's future needs, allowing seamless integration of emerging technologies and accommodating an organization's evolving demands. Our experts work closely with our clients, fostering open communication channels to better understand unique requirements and challenges. This collaborative spirit also extends internally, promoting quick and robust solutions for comprehensive problem-solving.
Success Story: The City of Cupertino
Cupertino wanted to improve the daily processes for its mobile workforce and streamline the integration of its GIS and Enterprise Asset Management System (EAM) in the field. Their legacy architecture required field crews to either checkout data replicas or maintain a continuous VPN connection from ruggedized laptops. Both approaches were challenging to maintain and time-consuming for field crews and required significant technical support from the GIS and IT departments.
The City moved from a single, internal server hosting ArcGIS Server and SQL to a multi-service AWS deployment. This plan reduced internal infrastructure administration costs, enabled better integration between their business systems, improved infrastructure security, and increased the number of staff utilizing new Esri cloud-based GIS tools. Cupertino significantly improved the daily processes for their mobile workforce and streamlined the integration.
Success Story: The City of San Diego
San Diego’s Environmental Services Department (ESD) used GIS to manage waste collection routes and wanted to expand its program. The technology includes three automated business systems: work management, GIS, and fleet management. To reduce staff manual labor and increase efficiency, San Diego needed an integrated interface that would pull together data from these three specialized systems. The GIS software ESD uses for collection is based on Esri’s ArcGIS software. It uses Salesforce to manage weekly schedules and Routeware on in-cab units to gather data from smart sensors and mounted fleet cameras.
Quartic implemented an automated process to keep data current between these systems. Salesforce, ArcGIS, and Routeware communicate using web service technology. Quartic created the web service components that connect Salesforce and Routeware data. We designed an intelligent system architecture using web services to meet all driver, supervisor, and office staff requirements. Integrating Salesforce, GIS, and Routeware systems increased in-office productivity, reliability, and response times.
Quartic Leadership Team
Jodi Luostarinen, CEO
Jodi, who founded Quartic Solutions in 2004, possesses an unusual blend of GIS management, operational, and technical expertise. With over 20 years of progressive experience in the field, she continues to lead Quartic successfully into the future. Jodi earned a B.A. degree in Geography with Distinction and a M.S. degree from the College of Engineering at the University of Washington. She has many certifications, including Project Management (PMP) and Esri certification. Jodi is one of the world’s longest-standing certified GIS professionals (GISP).
Timo Luostarinen, President
Timo has over 25 years of experience in GIS and related technologies. His leadership has guided the business from a start-up into the established corporation Quartic is today. Timo has served clients in many roles throughout his career and is exceptionally versed in streamlining databases, land and environmental data, and data warehouse implementations. Timo earned a B.A. degree in Geography from San Diego State University. Timo is an exceptional enterprise solutions architect, and with his wide range of computer skills and ability to collaborate across organizations, he can solve nearly any problem.
About Quartic
Founded in 2004, Quartic has provided GIS services to tens of government and commercial customers throughout California and the West Coast. We provide our customers with a full range of GIS services and support, including staff augmentation, drone services, analysis, planning, implementation, security setup, and application development. Our team is heavily certified and always keeping up with the latest advancements to successfully tackle any GIS-related roadblock your organization faces. Our priority is to provide exceptional quality GIS systems and support to our customers. This is accomplished by focusing on client needs, implementing solid designs, and utilizing appropriate technology. Instead of expensive marketing, we let our reputation attract new clients. Visit us at: quarticsolutions.com
San Marcos has moved its GIS Environment to the Cloud! The City has reduced on-site infrastructure costs and can utilize cloud infrastructure's performance, security, and integration capabilities. San Diego-based Esri business partner Quartic worked hand-in-hand with City staff to assess organizational needs and designed and built an Esri ArcGIS Enterprise Cloud environment running in Microsoft Azure. The City's primary goal, to relieve the strain on overburdened on-site resources, was achieved and exceeded, with a robust environment that will improve communication between people and multiple specialized municipal systems.
The City's GIS staff is responsible for maintaining and providing high-quality, site-specific, authoritative spatial data to all departments within the City, including Planning, Development Services, City Clerk, Finance, Fire, Public Works, Parks and recreation, Storm Water, and Community Economic Development. Since 2006, the City has developed over a hundred different GIS data layers and maps that have supported both planning and operations needed for development services and other departmental business.
The City has been running its GIS hardware and software in an on-premise environment for over a decade. As more GIS functionality has moved to the cloud, it has become common for cities to move away from limited internal infrastructure to more flexible and reliable off-premise solutions. The City’s miniature GIS web deployment has gone from a poorly performing, low-reliability mapping system to one that is stable and ready for the future.
The GIS database underwent a significant overhaul in the cloud migration project. The GIS database structures were streamlined, eliminating redundancies and enabling better data management. The database version is now 10.9.1.
The City also took advantage of this opportunity to retire its old GIS desktop client software, ArcMap. Migration is proving to be a success, and Esri’s ArcGIS Pro is proving to be a big jump in functionality and adaptability. ArcGIS Pro, the powerful single desktop GIS application, is a feature-packed software developed with enhancements and ideas from the ArcGIS Pro user community.
Quartic worked closely with the City's CIO to develop a comprehensive design and implementation strategy for this cloud implementation and upgrade project. The production rollout of the new system needed to go smoothly and without hiccups because there were existing system integrations supporting mission-critical applications. City crews use Lucity daily, the city's asset and work order management system. The City wanted a precise and automated rollout of the new system, so Quartic strategically automated the deployment process using a streamlined scripted solution.
The team considered two rollout script development paths: Esri's ArcGIS Enterprise Cloud Builder Tools or Microsoft's Azure Bicep. Both solutions would have been successful, but since the City's Information Technology staff have expertise with Azure DevOps Pipelines, the final decision was to use Azure Bicep. With the City leading, the comprehensive rollout plan enabled Quartic to execute the scripts, resulting in a smooth deployment into production. The migration went seamlessly, with no data or configuration loss and no service failure to the users.
The architecture of the new solution required careful consideration to ensure that the foundation was set for the future needs of GIS applications. The team carefully planned all components, including the network, storage, database, applications, and security. This careful planning has set a strong foundation for growth. While upgrading the software versions, migrating the third-party applications, and completing the ArcGIS Enterprise deployment, focus was placed on the new environment's stability, performance, and reliability.
Network: Azure Cloud is connected to the City's local network, and there is a solution for resolving website names between Azure and the on-site network. The cloud networks consist of a central network for shared cloud services and another specifically for ArcGIS Enterprise.
Storage: Azure's newest storage system replaces the City's aging on-premise file storage. All components leverage premium storage options and Azure and Esri tools to ensure data is safely backed up to multiple locations.
Database: Azure's managed database stores the City's GIS data, which can scale to fit their needs and is also cost-efficient. This component was configured to create data backups every 12 hours to protect the data.
Application and Web: A "multi-machine" ArcGIS Enterprise deployment model runs on the latest Azure editions of Windows and Linux. This model best fits the City's desire for future growth. Automatic operating system updates are tailored to ensure that all GIS applications are consistently available and responsive.
Security: To enhance security for the end product, the team used cloud-native security tools in Windows and Azure that continually monitor for potential threats following Microsoft's security recommendations.
The new infrastructure was built using Azure Bicep Templates and Azure Pipelines (DevOps). Esri PowerShell DSC was used to automate the installation and configuration of ArcGIS Enterprise. The team used Azure Monitor, Recovery Services, and Automation Update Manager for regular infrastructure maintenance, backups, and upkeep.
Having GIS in the cloud will reduce the reliability risk and costs of maintaining on-site infrastructure. By retiring two on-premises servers and instead leveraging the latest technology, the City will experience a faster and more stable environment, enabling City staff to do their jobs more efficiently.
The new deployment also ensures that there will be no recurring outages that waste valuable time and resources. The speed at which staff can access and edit GIS data is increased. The display speed of imagery has also significantly improved, making spatial data editing more straightforward and efficient. Staff can now take advantage of the performance, security, and integration capabilities provided by Cloud infrastructure.
The City and Quartic's implementation team worked together to tackle technical and logistical challenges. The result was an Azure-hosted complete deployment of ArcGIS Enterprise, replacing an on-premises ArcGIS Server and Enterprise geodatabase. The team also implemented an editing and publishing workflow leveraging ArcGIS Pro.
Both parties were pleased with the project outcome and look forward to continuing the collaboration in 2024. Discussions are ongoing regarding further improvements for the GIS program, such as leveraging Esri's ArcGIS Monitor application for better performance monitoring and migrating data editing to hosted data store items.
"Apart from already leveraging one of their staff as “on-site” staff for the City, I'm myself a former member of their staff and was familiar with their excellent team and leadership. I was 100% confident in their ability to deliver a fully functional, secure, and integrated Azure cloud migration product.“ - GIS Program Manager
In September 2015, San Diego began migrating to the Accela Civic Platform, and the Accela ROW Management Module was selected as the replacement for IMCAT. Quartic was brought in to lead the creation, integration, and management of GIS data and processes into the new system. We also created a public-facing custom web app for ArcGIS Online.
The Accela ROW Management Module consolidates GIS and project information from multiple departments and systems, including utility data from Public Works, Capital Improvement Projects (CIP), Primavera project management, Development Services Department (DSD) permits, special events, and excavation moratorium locations. This information is analyzed by time and location to identify and highlight areas of potential conflict in the ROW.
Quartic developed a series of scripts to feed the Accela API with data from the City’s Enterprise GIS and Primavera CIP management system. Through this development effort, Quartic worked with the City to identify authoritative data sources and enforce maintenance and content standards.
The Project Finder Web App uses much of the same data as the Accela ROW Management module. Python scripts were created to access the source data and refresh the map services every 2 weeks. The app lets citizens see City CIP projects, permits, special events, and moratorium locations. Searches can be done by address and filtered by project type. Project details and contact information are easily viewed by clicking on the map.
View Project Finder Web Application Here
Improving bus stops will make public transportation safer and more enjoyable. In early 2022, Long Beach Transit (LBT) was looking for solutions to its challenges in maintaining the condition of bus stops and bus stop amenities. It provides bus transportation in Los Angeles and Orange County. The company has a fleet of 250 buses across 14 cities covering 100 square miles. The company has a ridership of more than 23 million customers.
It uses Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to generate interactive and static route network maps and analyze ridership patterns across its service area. The GIS supports the transit business by enabling staff to plan, maintain, and locate transit infrastructure. GIS analysts regularly fulfill map and data requests and keep the GIS databases and web maps current as the bus timetables and routes are updated. Check out more here: GIS Data Catalog.
The project team was a coalition of three companies, Long Beach Transit (LBT), Environmental Research Institute (Esri), and Quartic Solutions. LBT uses Esri’s ArcGIS platform for their GIS and thus turned to Esri for guidance in choosing an ArcGIS-based solution. ArcGIS Field Maps, along with a customizable survey template, were selected. Quartic Solutions, a woman-owned Esri business partner and premier GIS services firm was chosen to provide GIS staffing and expertise to LBT in March 2022.
The project started.
A prototype was successfully tested.
The first stage of systemwide fieldwork will begin in the summer 2023.
Public transportation in Los Angeles is essential to many people’s everyday lives. Long Beach Transit ensures everyone feels safe and can enjoy the entire bus experience, from waiting for the bus to reaching their final destination.
LBT (Long Beach Transit) has over 2,000 bus stops in its service area. While their Transit Customer Amenities (TCA) Department is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness at each bus stop, they have faced some challenges. Issues like how to maintain an up-to-date database of site conditions, ensuring ADA accessibility, and making sure amenities are maintained and available at each bus stop. The condition information about the bus stops is critical and necessary for making sound decisions, such as which bus stops need improvements. TCA had a legacy solution that provided access to the bus stop data but was looking for additional tools to help make its employees' jobs easier.
In 2012, LBT developed a bus stop survey containing basic information about bus stops. After using the old system for over ten years, the staff knew exactly what they wanted to change. They needed a solution that would help minimize data entry errors during the field data collection and provide a new option for capturing photos. Being able to attach photos would really help staff record details of the visual conditions at specific locations.
They also wanted a more streamlined, user-friendly application interface. By standardizing the wording of the amenity inventory, they felt they could reduce data entry errors, such as typos and non-accurate descriptions. The plan was to develop a database better suited for storing complex infrastructure relationships (1 to many relationships). Then, design an application allowing supervisors to review and approve work. Adding better data tracking associated with bus stop amenities was also important.
The three organizations worked well together to address and resolve the complications LBT was facing with their previous legacy software. The project team architected a cloud-based solution using AWS infrastructure and the Esri ArcGIS platform. The solution included a mobile field map data collection application and an on-premise web mapping application.
A solid foundation for the project was built by cleaning and loading existing data into a new database. The data were organized into 14 related tables covering a wide variety of information such as passenger amenity types, amenity conditions, comments, and pictures. Then, crucial data regarding ADA compliance was incorporated. The traffic condition data was added to enrich the dataset, including the site conditions, such as the stop area location and pedestrian crosswalks.
The field data collection application was created using the survey template included with ArcGIS Field Maps. The Field Maps App is available for download via the Apple App Store and/or Google Play Store. Once downloaded, the Field Maps App was configured for LBT staff, and tools to minimize user input errors, archive data, and facilitate editing were included.
Offline data collection is built into the Field Maps App. Once a field user is reconnected to the network, the local data stored in the Field App is uploaded to the ArcGIS Portal. Then, after the sync, a supervisor can view the approval screen, where all the new and/or edited records are presented in an intuitive table format, ready to approve.
The Service Planning Bus Stop Web Application offers more advanced functionality when staff is on-premise. The Bus Stop Web App is a web map containing current LBT stops, active routes, and historical ridership data combined with the new bus stop amenity data. The color of the bus stops easily visualizes the staff's progress in the field. Staff can quickly review a stop’s amenity data in pop-up menus by clicking on the map.
LBT makes service changes to its service network three times a year. To facilitate these recurring service changes, the solution also includes functionality to automatically add new stops and inactivate old stops if a new service change is initiated.
Like in every complex project, there were some obstacles to overcome. In this case, the challenge arose when incorporating the old 2012 amenity data. The data was collected as one big database table with no relationship classes. Specific amenities had multiple values and duplicate entries. To load the old data to the new normalized tables, Quartic designed an ETL model that appended and split data as needed for the improved schema. Data cleanup tasks, such as standardizing to coded domain values, were automated, resulting in a tidy dataset with increased data integrity.
Picture 5. is a screenshot of an example of the coded value domains - the left column is the domain name to be assigned to certain fields, and the right is the options for that domain. This prevents users from making spelling/formatting errors.
With the data being collected and turned into an easy-to-read format, LBT can provide up-to-date bus stop amenities and ADA information to the public and transit customers. LBT staff can more easily identify which bus stops have accessibility improvements and the condition of those improvements. They can collaborate with related government agencies, such as municipal public works departments, to better prioritize crosswalk and sidewalk pedestrian improvements. The restructured data and new application architecture were tested in June 2022 by LBT staff by collecting bus stop amenities and ADA information. The test used the Metro Route 130 service transition to LBT Route 141. The first stage of systemwide fieldwork will begin in the summer of 2023.
Based on the successful conclusion of the prototype project, LBT will consider planning a larger 0system-wide implementation and rollout, incorporating the updated bus stop data into LBT's GIS databases alongside the GTFS (General Transit Feed System) network, land use, ridership, and demographic information. This is an example of how GIS technology can support transit operations and make public transit safer and more enjoyable.
"Quartic has extensive experience with a highly qualified GIS technical service team.” - Service Development Manager, Long Beach Transit
The City of San Marcos wanted to have a way to share mapping data easily and directly with citizens. They developed an easy-to-use website that is now open to the public. The data site hosts a full range of GIS data, most available for download. The data were grouped into categories to make it easier to find specific datasets. Data such as parcels, roads, jurisdiction boundaries, addresses, parks, trees, and more can be downloaded with just one click. Check it out here: City of San Marcos ArcGIS HUB
The website, called the San Marcos HUB, showcases the City's interactive web maps and web applications. Esri's ArcGIS Portal HUB application is the engine behind the site. The city developed the Site with the help of Quartic Solutions. This San Diego-based woman-owned small business specializes in delivering GIS solutions to local government and utility organizations.
The City of San Marcos, CA Emergency Management Operations has implemented its Incident Status Dashboard using Esri's State and Local Government Tools. The Dashboard is a comprehensive web-based tool that offers information that may be used to make decisions and enables staff to give more effective incident briefings.
GIS can be used in many ways to improve the operations of cities and local governments. The City of El Cajon uses GIS to discover, maintain, and visualize its NFPA 704 Warning Placard data. When large amounts of hazardous materials are stored and used at a business, warning placards are required. These placards act as an immediate warning system for emergency service personnel, helping them identify the kinds of materials present and the dangers they pose. The City of El Cajon uses Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) Enterprise ArcGIS products in daily operations.
They have a small GIS team that expertly tackles all problems. The City's GIS team supports 911 response, Pavement & Sidewalk Management, Sewer and Storm Drain Maintenance, Traffic Data, Street Light, Signal, Signage, Capital Improvement Projects, Planning Data, Housing Information, Inspection data for Fire & Building Inspectors & PW Inspectors, Special Event Coordination, Park Assets, Street Furniture, and more. With all that data, they use GIS tools to help others with Data Sciences and Spatial analysis to clarify facts, visualize patterns, etc. In August 2022, Quartic was brought in to streamline processes by automating repetitive tasks and modernizing the City’s enterprise GIS system. Quartic can provide GIS expertise when El Cajon needs GIS consulting services.
Heartland Fire & Rescue is a joint powers agreement (JPA) between El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon Grove that creates a cohesive Fire Rescue/EMS service area. Quartic created a field solution that would provide fire inspectors with a way to catalog NFPA 704 Placard information. The NFPA 704 regulations ensure public safety by identifying businesses that house hazardous materials. The ArcGIS Field Maps solution included a new feature service, web map, and mobile data entry form. It greatly simplified in-situ data collection for Heartland’s inspectors.
By taking advantage of Arcade's newer capabilities in ArcGIS Field Maps, field inspectors can maintain placard data more accurately. Once the Quartic team published the new enterprise geodatabase feature class as an editable service and built a web map for field editing, users were exposed to new functionality. Eliminating data entry errors in the field was a requirement of the project. The new Arcade Editor enables more complex and creative expressions and is designed to enhance data quality by using controls such as field auto-calculations and required fields.
The team at the City maintains a central database of valid addresses and wanted this same address dataset to be used when assigning a business address to a new placard location. In cases where a placard is located without a valid address, inspectors can manually add an address on the fly. This was implemented by writing an auto-calculate Arcade expression.
Using the spatial function” closest”, the application finds the nearest existing address and populates the address field. If inspectors know the address calculated is incorrect, they can flag the record and type the correct address into another field. This flag is useful for controlling the initial address entry and tracking potential address corrections needed in the primary address database. The new mobile data entry application meets or exceeds the scope outlined by the client, and the new map viewer is a great visual tool with point symbology that matches the 704 placard standards to a tee.
Heartland Fire & Rescue inspectors are now equipped with the latest Esri field collection technology and can quickly and accurately survey businesses for compliance with hazardous chemical placard posting regulations. Because the project was built using an enterprise geodatabase-based feature service, the companion viewer web application refreshes the map in real-time. In addition, Heartland and El Cajon GIS staff can further QC the address data and amend the primary source address database when inspectors flag missing addresses. This is a great example of a project that benefits the City long-term by improving the hazard placard maintenance process and maintaining the City’s core address data.
"My favorite part of this project has been working with the Quartic team, who are always upbeat, professional, innovative, positive, and smart. The outcome of this project was just what we wanted, and it benefitted us on many levels." - GIS Analyst, City of El Cajon
GIS people to the GIS people. Quartic excels at providing highly technical solutions to complex problems. However, fast response and general staff augmentation can be just as necessary, which was an immediate need for the City of El Cajon. Its small GIS team expertly tackles all problems. Quartic was brought in to assist their efforts, reduce their workloads through automation, provide new capabilities, and upgrade/maintain their overall enterprise GIS system. Quartic provides Senior GIS Programmer/Analyst expertise to support El Cajon’s GIS needs as they occur.
Several of the City’s ArcGIS products were upgraded on both the backend and frontend. The City supported daily operations using Environmental Systems Research Institute’s (ESRI) Enterprise ArcGIS System 10.7.1. Their work used to be done primarily in ArcGIS Desktop ArcMap and ArcCatalog, but now since ArcGIS Pro is available, those older user interfaces are slated for retirement in early 2026. Services published to ArcGIS Server were based on ArcMap runtime, which has been retired as of ArcGIS Server 11.
The database was reworked and is now in alignment with best practices that better support versioned editing and logical groupings of data. Actively edited data in stand-alone file geodatabases are now stored in the centralized enterprise geodatabase. ArcGIS Server was upgraded to 10.9.1 to access newer capabilities allowing the City time to re-publish all services with ArcGIS Pro runtime and prepare for the 11. x version migration. A new SQL Server enterprise geodatabase was built, and all existing data was migrated from the old database.
This database structure implements smarter versioning and avoids using feature datasets as storage folders. Almost all actively edited data resides in the enterprise geodatabase, consolidating it into a single production editing environment. ArcGIS Pro is the go-to; new attribute rules maintain data quality and encourage program use. With Quartic’s professional GIS support and Esri’s current software, the City has successfully resolved many legacy issues. The GIS team now has access to current software capabilities, has better organized and maintained data, and has renewed confidence that the GIS system is in good shape and more able to support City operations going forward.
The City of El Cajon has been working with Quartic to streamline, automate, and upgrade many routine GIS data maintenance tasks. Manual GIS maintenance consumed too much of the city's GIS staff's valuable time. Since the work has been completed, the team has been able to be more efficient and put their energy towards other priority projects.
Municipalities often share GIS data with neighboring jurisdictions and regional government agencies. El Cajon is no exception. The City of El Cajon shares data with regional GIS agencies: SanGIS and SanDAG. Keeping data current between government organizations can sometimes be a challenge. Quartic helped the city improve these data-sharing processes. The previously manually downloaded data from the SanGIS/SANDAG Regional Data Warehouse has been automated. Python scripts have replaced labor-intensive download, extract, and data enrichment processes. These scripts also perform data administrative tasks such as cleaning up disk space.
With all of these changes/upgrades, there are no longer questions about where the data is located. The team knows that all the SanGIS data is up to date at the beginning of each month and can rely on its currency and authoritativeness. The new database is more performant than it was before. The team learned that migrating from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro has a bit of a learning curve, but that was quickly shaken off with the proper guidance.
With the initial upgrades complete, Quartic is now assisting El Cajon with several other projects that have been on the back burner. The variety of the GIS work is great and exactly what Quartic is established for; providing quality professional services for all GIS-related tasks. For example, the team has published the City’s historical imagery, created new enterprise feature classes with enforced data quality checks, published new services, and built web apps and experiences for internal and public-facing audiences. Together the team developed a City asset dashboard, an ArcGIS FieldMaps application for fire inspectors, and a Survey123 application for bicycle registration, and helped update the City’s organizational theme for its ArcGIS Hub and web applications.
"The Quartic Solutions Team has really helped my GIS vision come to life here at the City of El Cajon. Quartic can take a project and run with it, they listen to what you really want, and then they create that dream that you've always wanted to do for your City.” - GIS Analyst, City of El Cajon
Geographic Information System (GIS) technology can be used in various industries to enhance efficient data usage and, through that, better decision-making. Long Beach Transit (LBT) has realized the importance of good-quality data and the benefits of GIS. LBT is a municipal transit company that provides bus transportation in Los Angeles and Orange County. LBT has a fleet of 250 buses across fourteen cities and a ridership of 23 million customers. LBT uses GIS technology to generate interactive and static route network maps and analyze ridership patterns across its service area. The GIS supports the transit business by enabling staff to plan, maintain, and locate transit infrastructure. GIS analysts regularly fulfill map and data requests and keep the GIS databases and web maps current as the bus timetables and routes are updated.
In early 2022, LBT turned to Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute) for guidance and support for its GIS operations. As an Esri Advantage program member, LBT uses Esri’s ArcGIS platform for its GIS. As a forward from Esri, Quartic Solutions, a woman-owned Esri business partner and premier GIS services firm, was chosen to provide GIS staffing and expertise to LBT in March 2022.
LBT goes through 3 service changes a year. The service changes involve a change of bus routes, stops, and schedules. Preparation for the service changes takes months and the collaboration of multiple departments. Quartic supports these transitions by adding new bus stops to their geospatial bus stop bank, editing or adding route lines for static and interactive maps, updating the systemwide web map, and maintaining their GIS Data Catalog available to the public.
When the service planners at LBT consider limiting or expanding the hours of transit in an area, Quartic has assisted by visualizing the spatial component of ridership data for the area. This allows LBT to have an easy-to-read document that supports their decision-making. Ridership data is collected in various ways across the transit network. One example is TAP (Transit Access Pass), a contactless smart card for automatic fare collection. The recorded TAP data includes the longitude and latitude of the bus stop where the card was used. This data is used to visualize the amount of boardings and/or alightings (departures) in the Long Beach area. The maps are helpful when service changes are proposed or when micro transit (small-scale on-demand transit) opportunities are considered. Quartic has also implemented a monthly dashboard that provides average daily boardings at bus stops with the option to filter by route, time period, amount of boardings, weekday, and stop number.
Quartic has been a part of various projects at LBT. One major project was a collaboration with Quartic and ESRI to develop a prototype of field surveying that would streamline the collection of bus stop amenities, such as seating, shelters, lighting, and ADA accessibility. The three organizations used Field Maps and Enterprise to create a customized survey template in Field Maps that standardizes the amenity data collection, allows for picture attachments, and syncs to the LBT Portal, where a supervisor can approve the records. After a successful prototype test, LBT plans to conduct field surveying soon.
Another request was an improvement to the current Comfort Zones Application. Comfort zones are rest stops for bus drivers and can change when routes or bus stops are added or removed. The original map application consisted of individual maps for each route and did not allow for driver 0feedback or filtering.
Quartic combined Survey123 with ArcGIS Dashboards to create a dashboard with one map that the driver can filter by their duty number, weekday, and/or route. When a driver clicks on a comfort zone, they see a picture of the rest stop, the building address, and a link to Google Streetview. A right-side panel on the dashboard opens a Survey123 form where the driver can add or view comments concerning the comfort zone.
