Editor’s note: Originally published by SSP Innovations under SSP SPANS. Updated by the 3-GIS Team with the current product name, 3-GIS | SPANS, and other revisions.
Managing electric and communications infrastructure requires constant coordination between pole owners and attachers. In joint use workflows and transfer requests, both parties must exchange information, respond to proposals, and document the outcome.
Structured communication helps make that process consistent.
When proposals follow a defined workflow with standard responses and attached business processes, any user can enter the process midstream and quickly understand its status and history. This consistency also makes it easier for organizations to manage staffing changes and maintain continuity across projects.
Structured workflows provide another advantage: better reporting. Unstructured communication is difficult to analyze, while standardized processes make it easier to track activity, identify bottlenecks, and understand performance across the system.
That said, structure alone does not solve every problem.
One issue seen across the industry is proposals that remain open because one party never completes their portion of the process. Without a way to close those conversations, reporting becomes unreliable and projects stall.
Proposals in SPANS
In 3-GIS | SPANS, communication between the pole owner and the attacher takes place through a proposal workflow.
Most proposals move through three phases:
1. Planning: Both parties determine what work will be completed and agree on associated costs.
2. Construction: The agreed work is performed and documented.
3. Recap and close: The proposal is finalized and the workflow is closed.
Breakdowns can occur at any stage. To prevent proposals from remaining open indefinitely, SPANS provides options that either shorten parts of the workflow or allow the pole owner to advance the proposal when another party does not respond.
Shortening the conversation: Unilateral recapping
Simple processes are usually the most effective, but joint use workflows still require accurate records.
Many SPANS users streamline the recap phase by allowing only the pole owner to complete it.
Traditionally, both parties review and confirm the final costs and rental changes associated with a proposal. In practice, however, those details are often resolved through direct conversations outside the system.
With unilateral recapping, the pole owner completes the recap step and closes the proposal. This approach reduces delays while still maintaining the official record of the agreement.
Utilities that adopt this model often see proposals close faster and projects move forward without unnecessary back-and-forth inside the workflow.
Advancing the conversation: Recall construction
Joint use construction frequently requires coordination across multiple organizations. One common frustration is the lack of notification when required construction work is finished.
Electronic systems can track these milestones and notify all parties, but only if the updates are entered promptly.
Sometimes attachers do not record construction completion right away. When that happens, proposals remain stuck in the construction phase even though the work may already be finished.
To address this, SPANS allows pole owners to recall construction.
This feature moves the proposal back to a stage where the owner can continue the process without waiting indefinitely. The owner can then document construction activity themselves, note that work was completed by a third party, or move the proposal directly to inspection or recap.
While this approach may not include the attacher’s detailed construction record, it prevents proposals from remaining open indefinitely and keeps the workflow moving.
Balancing structure with flexibility
Technology alone cannot eliminate every challenge in joint use coordination. Clear communication and cooperation between organizations will always matter.
But tools that balance structure with flexibility can reduce many of the common delays.
Features like unilateral recapping and recall construction allow pole owners to keep proposals moving when workflows break down. The result is fewer stalled projects, clearer records, and a system that supports real-world coordination rather than slowing it down.
What this means for joint use workflows
Joint use coordination works best when communication is structured but not rigid.
Proposals need clear phases and defined responses, yet they also need a way forward when one party stops engaging. Without that flexibility, even well-designed systems can leave work stalled and reporting incomplete.
With capabilities like unilateral recapping and recall construction, 3-GIS | SPANS helps utilities close proposals, document outcomes, and keep joint use projects moving.
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