Houston, TX — The PODS Association today announced a major milestone in their strategic collaboration: the development and deployment of the first three PODS data model modules (ILI, Integrity Regulatory and SCADA Link) integrated with Esri’s Utility and Pipeline Data Model (UPDM). This achievement results from PODS and Esri working together through the Esri Advantage Program (AP).

The Esri Advantage Program is an enablement initiative designed to help organizations optimize their use of Esri technology through strategic guidance, hands‑on support, and close collaboration with Esri experts. Through this program, Esri provides dedicated advisory resources, technical specialists, and a flexible framework that accelerates customer initiatives and ensures alignment with Esri’s latest capabilities and best practices. The PODS Advantage Program is uniquely structured to maximize technical alignment between Esri and the PODS Association, ensuring that industry‑standard pipeline data models work seamlessly within the ArcGIS ecosystem.

Pipeline operators who have an Esri Advantage Program of their own may supplement the PODS Advantage Program by contributing credits from theirs to PODS.

This collaboration is guided by a cross‑organizational leadership group known as the “Fantastic Five,” consisting of the Esri AP Advisor, PODS Technical Committee Chairs (TCG, TCDM), PODS Technical Coordinator, and PODS Executive Director. Meeting bi‑weekly, the group evaluates ideas, scopes activities, and oversees progress to ensure that each initiative delivers measurable value to the pipeline industry.

Accelerating PODS Module Deployment on UPDM

The first three PODS modules being implemented on UPDM represent a significant step toward expanding PODS capabilities for operators, including those who do not have a full PODS core implementation. By leveraging Esri’s Professional Services team, the collaboration enables:

• Faster integration of PODS modules with UPDM
• Increased alignment between PODS standards and ArcGIS capabilities
• Broader access to PODS modules across the operator community
• Inclusion of PODS data as sample datasets in Esri product testing and demonstrations
• Enhanced collaboration between PODS subject‑matter experts and Esri technical specialists

These first three modules will serve as foundational components for future PODS‑UPDM integration efforts, supporting regulated pipeline business information such as specifications, regulatory attributes, inspection data, activities, and document linking.

• ILI – Inline Inspection Module: Stores all ILI data with millions of data points, allowing run-to-run analysis no matter the vendor and/or tool.
• IR – Integrity Regulatory Module: Traces how IMP activities drive the repairs in the field while supporting submission of annual reports (192, 195 and TX RRC) thus improving project prioritization, identifying why you performed a task, and supporting risk analysis, calculations and annual reports/regulatory submissions.
• SL – SCADA Link Module: Includes physical ties to sensor locations along a pipeline system, such that the volume factors for line pack calculations can be automated via a Unique ID that links back to SCADA.

The PODS community is recognized for its strong standards‑driven approach, shaped by diverse suppliers, technologies, and processes across the pipeline industry. The collaboration with Esri reinforces PODS’s commitment to community‑sourced data models, continuous improvement, and cross‑sector alignment.

Supporting the Pipeline Industry’s Digital Transformation

As pipeline operators increasingly rely on ArcGIS as a system of record, engagement, and insight, the integration of PODS modules with UPDM broadens PODS’s reach into another pipeline industry segment and strengthens the industry’s overall ability to manage millions of data records, streamline regulatory workflows, and enhance operational decision‑making. “By working more closely and collaboratively through the Esri Advantage Program, PODS and Esri are accelerating the modernization of pipeline data management for the benefit of their mutual stakeholders and the betterment of those they serve and the world in which we all live,” said Tom Coolidge, Esri’s Pipeline Industry Solutions Director. “This partnership ensures that operators can leverage the best of both organizations—industry‑standard data models and world‑class GIS technology.”

Esri is the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping. Since 1969, Esri has supported organizations worldwide with advanced geospatial solutions that drive digital transformation and operational excellence.

The PODS Association develops and maintains the Pipeline Open Data Standard, the industry’s leading data model for managing regulated pipeline information. PODS is a community‑driven organization committed to advancing data standards, interoperability, and best practices across the pipeline industry.

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