Conducting Rapid Inventories with Katapult Pro

When it comes to building a safe and reliable grid, utility engineering and construction almost always rely on height measurements and Hastings sticks to gather detailed and accurate info. The foundation of new builds rests on field data and measurements. 

However, when utilities plan equipment upgrades or initiate smart grid technology, or when internet service providers want to assess attachment agreements or evaluate current footprints, they don’t necessarily require exact measurements— they need a little data on a lot of assets collected really quickly. 

Katapult Pro doesn’t just help teams gather specific, highly accurate data collection for construction or new buildouts. It also supports and improves workflows that require breadth instead of depth so teams can gather more general info on huge volumes of poles and equipment. 

A Little Info on A Lot of Assets 

If we approach photo, attribute, and map-based processes the same way we approach attachment workflows, conducting surveys becomes really painful really fast. Our engineering team uses Katapult Pro for rapid inventories to collect data in bulk and get the right amount of info really quickly. 

When height measurements aren’t needed, field technicians can collect hundreds of assets each day by foot (or a few thousand by car if just focused on aerial networks). There are two main applications we tend to see this used for: telecom audits and distribution inventory. 

Telecom audits help answer questions like: 

• Where’s my network? 

• What condition is it in? 

• How do I access it?

• What’s it going to take to upgrade? 

This summer, we grabbed this municipal audit data in our own backyard. It’s a prime example of how Katapult Pro can be used for rapid surveying. Not only does it help providers to know where they’re located and where they can expand, but it also gives municipalities info about the ISPs in their area, so they can leverage new services. 

Dillsburg Inventory

Similarly, distribution inventories answer questions like:

• Are my records accurate? 

• What’s the condition of my equipment? 

• What are the specs of my equipment? 

• How many transformers/streetlights/fuses/cut-outs do I have? 

We gathered data in another nearby borough and used that info to make note of some of the transformers in the area. This kind of broad photo data gives a lot of valuable insights for utilities trying to upgrade their grid, update equipment, plan projects, and more. 

Franklintown Transformer Inventory

One of our engineering staff collected this entire job of over 600 poles in seven hours. 

Because Katapult Pro leaves the work of identification and annotation to the back-office team, he didn’t need to measure attachments or ID equipment in the field, he could just focus on snapping photos. 

Katapult Pro for Rapid Inventories

Managing equipment and assets keeps accurate data and info to inform projects, improvements, upgrades, and emergency response. With hundreds of thousands of poles and pieces of equipment, utilities need rapid data collection in huge volumes to clue them in on their assets. Because Katapult Pro also has engineering design tools and workflow management processes, that data can then be used to inform upgrades, keep accurate records, and plan new projects. 

Thanks for reading! Rapid data collection isn’t the only new thing coming in 2025, so be on the lookout for more info on our newest products. Hit the link to find out how Katapult Pro can help collect rapid audits and surveys— contact@katapultengineering.com.