Ground Truth Before Design

Utility infrastructure has to work every hour of every day—yet the drawings, data, and tools behind it often lag reality. Shawn Weekly, Software Developer at POWER Engineers, joins Deb and Reg to explain why as-builts frequently diverge from what’s on the ground, how that breaks downstream processes, and what practical fixes look like.We dig into LiDAR as-builts, why a 3D model isn’t a “digital twin,” and the role of document management and transmittals in cutting delivery from months to weeks. Shawn outlines how standards (IEC/IEEE/ANSI) should be API-accessible, how RAG and knowledge graphs can power useful agents, and why adoption hinges on aligning tools with the sources engineers actually trust.If you’re trying to make design data reliable—and make change stick—this episode offers concrete steps and a clear north star for the next decade.In this episode:Why substations often “work in spite of the tech”The hidden cost of inaccurate as-builtsLiDAR, point clouds, and safer paths to ground truth“Digital twin” vs. a 3D model (and why it matters)Standards as APIs + the role of RAG and knowledge graphsVisit TonicDm to learn more.