The Company
Aurora Energy is a power distribution company serving New Zealand’s Otago region. With a lean engineering team of around 20 people, the organization relies on accurate, accessible drawings to support safe operations, fault response and network reliability.
The Challenge
Formed in 2017, Aurora Energy inherited decades of drawings stored across multiple formats and locations, including paper sketches, Microstation and AutoCAD files. Many were offline, inconsistently named and lacked version control.
As drawings were stored differently across offices, engineers often encountered mismatched versions between substations and office records, leading to rework and inefficiencies.
“All I wanted was all the drawings in one place… one source of truth, one location, and access for all.”
— Sandeep Avirineni, Drawing Management and Drafting Lead
Aurora Energy needed a centralized system to consolidate drawings, standardize processes and ensure accountability.
The Solution
Aurora Energy selected RedEye, an Accruent solution purpose-built for drawing management. RedEye provided a centralized repository, strong version control and simplified access for engineers, contractors and consultants.
The team initially uploaded more than 15,000 drawings, expanding to approximately 21,000 over time. Working with Accruent Professional Services, Aurora Energy simplified workflows to better match how teams actually work.
Key improvements included standardized numbering, visualized metadata for all 40 substations and phased training for engineering teams.
Related Resource: Explore Our Solutions for Utility Industry
The Results
Aurora Energy quickly saw improvements in control, efficiency and accuracy. QR codes were added to drawings used in tenders and construction, ensuring field teams always accessed the correct version and creating a clear audit trail.
Benefits included:
- Stronger version control
- Fewer errors and rework
- Faster access to drawings
- Improved collaboration, including with Transpower
Standardized workflows are now consistently applied across all network areas.
Related Resource: Learn More About Engineering Document Management Software
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