Access to geodata and property information is increasing. But being able to retrieve data is not the same as having a functioning information supply system.
For an energy company that needs geographic information for purposes such as grid expansion, operations and maintenance, land access, public consultation, or project planning, an important question therefore arises:
How much of the chain—from raw data to information that can actually be used in operations—should we build and manage ourselves?
The answer isn’t just about technology or the price of data. It’s about which parts are strategic to own ourselves—and which parts may be more efficient to consume as a ready-made information supply.
Much of the real estate information used in Sweden originates from Lantmäteriet. For the energy company, the question is therefore not necessarily whether it is possible to access raw data.
The more interesting question is what needs to happen next.
For the information to be usable in operations, an entire chain may be required:
Base data → continuous retrieval → processing and refinement → quality-assured delivery → packaging → updating → API, map service, or business service → information that can be used in business processes.
It is this chain that is easily overlooked when the discussion is reduced to the question of where data can be retrieved.
For an energy company, the real question is rather: How much of the infrastructure between the raw data and the business process do we want to—and need to—build and manage ourselves?
An energy company may have both the expertise and good reasons to handle parts of the information supply internally.
But in that case, the entire chain must be taken into account.
How should the information be retrieved? How often does it need to be updated? Do different information sources need to be combined? Should the information be processed before it is used? How should it be distributed to GIS, business systems, and other workflows? And who is responsible for ensuring the solution continues to function when data sources, technology, or business needs change?
This means that the cost of the raw data itself is only part of the equation.
The time, expertise, technology, and ongoing management required to make the information usable must also be taken into account.
Read the article “Which Property Owners Are Affected When the Power Grid Changes?”
There is no one-size-fits-all answer.
For an energy company with an established geodata organization, its own integration platform, and substantial internal resources, it may make sense to own and manage large parts of the chain.
For another organization, it may be more appropriate to outsource parts of the information supply to an external partner.
One way to make this assessment is to start with a few specific questions:
The more users, recurring needs, information sources, and integrations involved, the more important it becomes to look at the entire information supply chain rather than just access to raw data. It is also in such situations that Metrias’ added value has historically been most evident.
Information provision does not necessarily mean the same thing in every situation.
In a single project, the need may be clearly defined: Which properties are affected by a planned route, and who are the property owners? In such cases, a pre-selected dataset may be more relevant than building a custom information chain for a temporary need.
In other areas of the organization, employees need to be able to search for and work with up-to-date information on an ongoing basis.
And when the same information needs to be kept up to date for a portfolio, a geographic area, or another defined population, updating it over time becomes a central part of the requirement.
For real estate information, these needs are met by different types of solutions: a customized one-time data extract, independent ongoing searches, or recurring delivery of up-to-date information.
It is therefore important not to start by deciding which service to purchase. Start by determining how the information will actually be used.
When information is used in network expansion, operations and maintenance, land access, public consultation, or project planning, it needs to function where the work actually takes place. These are established areas of application for property information within the energy, telecommunications, and infrastructure sectors.
This may mean that information needs to be made available in a GIS, via an API, as a map service, or through another business-oriented solution.
Herein lies an important distinction between data access and information provision.
In the first case, the organization receives the data and builds on it itself. In the second, a larger portion of the work—from source to consumption—may already be handled.
This does not mean that one model is always better than the other. However, the energy company needs to know which model it is actually choosing—and what that requires internally.
Metria is not an alternative to Lantmäteriet as a source of property information. Much of the basic information comes from there.
Metria’s added value lies in what can be done with the information on its way to the customer’s operations.
Depending on needs and setup, this may involve retrieving and processing information, combining different information sources, creating relevant selections, packaging and updating information, and making it available through, for example, APIs, map services, or other solutions that fit the customer’s workflow.
Metria can thus help the client avoid having to build and manage parts of the infrastructure required to make data usable in their operations.
This aligns with Metria’s broader value proposition in real estate information and geodata: combining information sources, integrating into systems and workflows, flexible delivery, and reduced manual labor. The exact scope depends on the service and the customer’s setup.
Learn more about Metria Maps’ map API for GIS systems and custom applications
For the energy company, the question therefore goes beyond “should we buy the data or collect it ourselves?”
Instead, start with the business need.
What will the information be used for? How up-to-date does it need to be? How many people will use it? Which information sources need to be combined? In which systems and workflows should the information be available? And how much of the underlying infrastructure does the organization want to build and manage over time?
Once those questions are answered, it becomes easier to determine what should be handled internally and what can be consumed as a ready-made information service.
Because, ultimately, it’s rarely the data itself that’s the goal.
It’s what the business can do with it.
Are you currently working with raw data, or do you want to reduce the effort involved in processing, updating, and making information available?
Metria can assist with various parts of the chain, from foundational data to information that can be used in your operations. The approach that works best depends on your needs, existing systems, and what you want to manage yourselves.
See how Metria helps energy companies with geographic information and digital solutions
Contact us to discuss your needs.