Industry webinar highlights how utilities are transforming drone inspection data into actionable maintenance intelligence through integrated asset management workflows.
MinMax Technologies recently sponsored an industry webinar hosted by T&D World titled “From Field to System – Instantly. The Future of Drone Data Integration.” The webinar brought together utility professionals and technology leaders to discuss how electric utilities are modernizing drone inspection workflows and improving operational decision-making.
A featured utility perspective was presented by Matt Cooley, Distribution Services Unit Manager at People’s Electric Cooperative. Cooley shared real-world operational experiences from the cooperative’s transmission structure drone inspection program, which has been part of operations for several years.
While drone flights significantly improved field visibility and data collection capabilities, Cooley explained that the office-side review process remained labor-intensive. Teams were often required to manually review video footage, extract still images, identify the correct structures, and determine follow-up maintenance actions.
This practical utility experience highlighted a challenge many utilities face today: collecting high-quality field data while struggling to efficiently convert that information into usable maintenance records, inspection documentation, and long-term asset intelligence.
The webinar also featured Billy Lara, Director of Customer Experience and Field Operations Support at MinMax Technologies. Lara demonstrated how modern utility asset management platforms can streamline these workflows by directly integrating drone photos, GPS coordinates, thermal imagery, and inspection findings into the asset record.
Using MinMax eSMART, utilities can:
The webinar additionally highlighted recent workflow improvements that allow field crews to tag video observations directly from the drone controller during inspections. This enhancement enables utilities to quickly identify critical frames and accurately associate them with the correct structures and assets—supporting one-person inspection crews, improving compliance readiness, and strengthening field efficiency.
The session emphasized how integrated drone workflows are helping utilities improve operational efficiency, strengthen reliability programs, enhance documentation practices, and support long-term asset management initiatives.
The webinar is now available on-demand through T&D World for utilities interested in learning more about modern drone inspection integration strategies and the future of intelligent asset management. Check it out here: https://app.webinar.net/ymKWqRmMwpb
For additional information about MinMax eSMART and utility drone inspection workflows, please email info@minmaxtech.com.
Originally published on minmaxtech.com .