AI-Enabled Tool for Enhancing Storm Response and Grid Operations

The new tool integrates AI capabilities with IFS’s existing management systems to improve dispatch efficiency, emergency response, and field personnel support, enhancing overall utility service delivery.
Feb. 25, 2026
3 min read
shaunl/iStock Unreleased/Getty Images
bucket truck on icy road

IFS has introduced a new artificial intelligence–enabled field service tool aimed at utilities seeking to improve storm response, crew coordination and day-to-day grid operations.

The product, called Resolve for Utilities, was unveiled at DTECH 2026. It builds on IFS’s existing Field Service Management platform and is designed to support utilities facing mounting operational pressures, including aging infrastructure, more frequent extreme weather events, workforce shortages and heightened customer and regulatory expectations.

According to the company, the new offering integrates AI capabilities developed by IFS Nexus Black with its established field service and asset management software. The goal is to improve how utilities dispatch crews, manage restoration efforts and coordinate large-scale emergency responses.

The system includes an AI-driven crew callout function intended to provide real-time visibility into worker availability and streamline communications during both routine maintenance and emergency events. IFS says the platform can help planners manage resources across multiple regions while reducing manual coordination tasks.

Another component focuses on mutual aid coordination, which utilities rely on during major storms and natural disasters. The software is designed to support communication and resource sharing between utilities and partner organizations when large numbers of outside crews are deployed.

Resolve for Utilities also includes enhanced mobile tools for field personnel. The company says the system can provide technicians with guidance based on real-time operational data, equipment images and historical work patterns, with the aim of improving productivity and decision-making in the field.

Carol Johnston, vice president of energy and utilities at IFS, said the company developed the tool in response to industry-specific challenges.

“Utilities are navigating an increasingly complex operating environment—from workforce constraints to extreme weather and grid modernization, with increasingly high customer expectations,” Johnston said. “Our intense attention to this area reflects both our heritage in Utilities Field Service Management (FSM) and our commitment to evolving alongside our customers with modern, practical innovation. Nobody understands the utilities market like IFS, and it’s this industry-specific application of AI that is enabling the utility providers we work with to radically improve efficiencies and deliver better moments of service to their own customers.”

Kriti Sharma, CEO of IFS Nexus Black, said the company’s focus was on practical deployment in demanding environments.

“Our approach is simple: listen closely to our utility customers, innovate quickly where it matters most, and deliver solutions that perform under real-world conditions—fast,” Sharma said. “This is AI designed for the workers who restore power in treacherous conditions, who scale transmission poles after disasters, and who keep critical infrastructure running 24/7. When lives are on the line, safe, reliable AI isn't optional—it's everything.”

IFS said the new utility-focused solution is designed to integrate with its broader asset lifecycle management portfolio, which includes asset investment planning, capital project management, supply management and enterprise asset management tools. The company indicated that the AI enhancements can be implemented on accelerated timelines compared with traditional software deployments.