Contract Locators

KorTerra Advantage: Locate Management, Risk Management, and Productivity Management

Integrity Locating, a contract locator operating out of Lenexa, Kansas, provides comprehensive locating services with a focus on quality and on-time performance. They currently employ over 120 active locators and complete approximately one million tickets annually.

Challenge
Before partnering with KorTerra, Integrity Locating Services (ILS) relied on an in-house proprietary system. While effective for a time, this system became increasingly unreliable, with frequent connectivity issues that disrupted field operations and resulted in significant downtime and inefficiencies. Every time locators lost connection, they were forced to log out and back in, wasting valuable time. These connectivity failures led to approximately 60,000 hours of lost productivity per year. As the company grew, the internal development and maintenance of their system was no longer able to keep up with the growing business needs, creating an urgent need for a more efficient and reliable solution.

Solution

• Visual Evidence allows field teams and supervisors to track and ensure the accuracy of photos, improving accountability by utilizing Photo Location, and protecting the company from liability. 
• Customizable dashboards provide real time insights into ticket management, enabling supervisors to monitor key metrics and reduce past-due tickets.
• GIS integration gives locators instant access to accurate mapping information, reducing the risk of errors and improving overall efficiency in the field. 

Win #1
Reduced payroll costs by $1.9 million per year while simultaneously increasing productivity by 300 tickets/week.

Win #2
Damage ratio improved from .13 to .08/1,000 (saving appx. $1,000,000 in paid out damages annually).

Win #3
Transitioned from a non-growth phase to onboarding multiple new clients due to productivity enhancements which increased confidence in their ability to scale profitably.

Results
KorTerra provided ILS with a robust ticket management solution tailored to their needs. Key features included photo location, attachment sync status, and GIS integration, which allowed for more precise and efficient field operations. KorTerra’s dashboard widgets enabled supervisors to track real-time information, reducing ticket completion times and improving accountability. By eliminating connectivity issues, productivity has significantly increased. Additionally, the GIS integration  eliminated the need for locators to toggle between maps and ticket information, minimizing the chance of errors and saving time.

“Before KorTerra, we were in a no-growth mode, lacking the confidence to take on new clients. Since implementing the platform, we’ve already onboarded multiple new clients, with more in the pipeline. The stability KorTerra has provided allows us to confidently evaluate and accept new business opportunities that we couldn’t have considered before.” 

- Gary Ricks, Operations Director, Integrity Locating Services LLC

KorTerra Advantage: Locate Management and Productivity Management

Magnolia Brothers offers utility consulting services and is the exclusive provider of utility locates for one of the largest privately held wireless carriers in the United States. Employing a team of 19 locators, Magnolia Brothers processes upwards of 136,000 tickets annually. 

Challenge
Having a considerable amount of experience with damage prevention and locate ticket management systems in the utility industry, the owner of Magnolia Brothers knew exactly what he was looking for in a ticket management solution. Magnolia Brothers utilized KorTerra since its inception to ensure thorough documentation of work throughout a far-reaching territory, extensive audit capabilities and archived data to establish one source of truth, tools to increase locators’ ability to operate as a team, and 24/7 visibility for team members and stakeholders.    

Solution

• Locators provided complete documentation of work augmented by attachments that tell the whole story, without having to worry about distribution or storage of attachments.      
• Audit capabilities and archived records ensured the protection of all stakeholders in the event of a damage. 
• Defined areas of responsibility throughout a vast territory and real time access to integrated maps while in the field allowed locators to work more effectively.    
• Emergency notifications assured the right personnel were alerted immediately and able to respond promptly.

Win #1
At-fault damages reduced by over 50% through enhanced reporting and records of assets 

Win #2
Implemented a single software solution to coordinate entire operation 

Win #3
Detailed reporting metrics and invoices effortlessly provided to utility clients for account management

Results
As a result of using KorTerra for ticket management, Magnolia Brothers experienced full visibility throughout the organization. Magnolia Brothers is also able to provide end clients with increased transparency and detailed insight into field operations. KorTerra’s reporting capabilities allowed for billing of several types of completed locates (routine, maintenance, emergency) in addition to engineering tasks. Implementation of KorTerra resulted in time and cost savings for Magnolia Brothers, as well as an increased ability for locators to work efficiently.

“KorTerra has made my job tremendously easier; I can’t imagine being in my line of work without it. I wouldn’t even want to attempt to use anything else!”

- Bo Womack, Owner, Magnolia Brothers Utility Consultants

KorTerra Advantage: Locate Management, Risk Management, and Productivity Management

Precision Locating, a subsidiary of Arvig based in Perham, Minnesota, performs all locates for Arvig in addition to other clients. Arvig was established in 1950 and is now one of the largest independent telecommunications and broadband providers in the nation offering internet, phone, and security services.

Challenge

Precision Locating has expanded from initially performing 30,000 locates per year to greater than 175,000 tickets per year. This substantial growth led to an increased need for heightened efficiency, visibility, and overall productivity. Precision Locating sought a damage prevention solution that would not only increase protection of assets but streamline operations throughout the organization. 

Solution

• Increased visibility into productivity by employee, client, and ticket type 
• Identification of time and cost savings opportunities organization-wide
• Significant increase in billing and reporting accuracy
• Elimination of ambiguity surrounding fiber facilities

Win #1
20-24% year over year cost savings 

Win #2
Greater control of asset protection 

Win #3
100% increase in revenue assurance 

Results
Leveraging KorTerra technology has allowed Precision Locating to identify and eliminate unnecessary steps in processes, effectively streamlining operations company-wide. In addition to generating time and cost savings, asset protection and revenue assurance have increased significantly. Managers, technicians, and office personnel have true insight into where tickets stand in the process at any given moment. Visibility is maximized and as a result, so are protection and productivity.

"KorTerra has eliminated unnecessary processes and middlemen by empowering our locators to take care of tickets independently, from start to finish."

- Staci Malikowski, Chief Financial Officer, Precision Locating