Breaking the Silos: Why Interoperability in Drain Survey Software Is Critical for the Future of Trenchless Work
Across the UK’s drainage and trenchless technology sectors, CCTV inspection is a cornerstone of asset management. But while standards like MSCC5 provide a common language for defect coding, the software landscape around CCTV surveys remains fractured. In many cases, data becomes siloed within proprietary platforms, limiting the ability of contractors, consultants, and water companies to collaborate effectively.
That’s where interoperability comes in, and why it’s increasingly vital.
What Is Interoperability in Drain Survey Software?
Interoperability refers to the ability of different software systems to exchange and use information seamlessly. In the context of CCTV surveys, this means:
• Survey data coded in one software can be exported in a standardised format (e.g. MSCC5 XML).
• That same data can be imported into another platform for further analysis, review, or integration into asset management systems.
• Video, imagery, and condition data can be shared across stakeholders, without reprocessing or proprietary lock-in.
Why It Matters: Key Benefits of Interoperability
1. Contractor Flexibility
Survey contractors should be able to choose the tools that best fit their workflow, hardware, and budget, without fear that their output will be rejected upstream. Interoperable systems level the playing field, allowing smaller operators to compete based on quality, speed, and price, not software branding.
2. Data Reusability & Longevity
Non-proprietary, standardised data formats ensure CCTV survey records are future-proofed. Councils and water companies shouldn’t be locked into a single vendor’s ecosystem to retrieve legacy surveys. Open interoperability ensures the longevity and reusability of valuable condition data.
3. Lower Costs Across the Chain
When software systems can speak to each other, there’s less duplication of effort. No need to recode surveys manually, re-export data, or maintain multiple licences simply to meet a client’s preference. This results in cost savings for both the supplier and the asset owner.
4. Faster Reporting, Fewer Errors
Modern interoperable platforms support real-time validation of coding, AI-assisted condition grading, and automated report generation. When these outputs can plug into any compliant system, reporting becomes faster, more accurate, and less dependent on specialist staff at every stage.
5. Compliance with Industry Standards
MSCC5 is built on the principle of open, standardised data exchange. Software that cannot export or import MSCC5-compliant XML data undermines this principle and creates unnecessary barriers. Full interoperability is not a nice-to-have, it’s an expectation under MSCC5.
The Risk of a Walled Garden
Some legacy platforms operate as “walled gardens”, using proprietary file formats and limiting export or import capabilities. This restricts market choice and hampers innovation. Worse still, when software cannot import standard MSCC5 data from other providers, it becomes impossible for water companies to implement multi-vendor strategies, even if alternative platforms are fully certified.
This creates a de facto monopoly, one that has more to do with inertia than with standards or technical merit.
The Way Forward: Open Procurement and Certification
If we are serious about driving efficiency and innovation in trenchless infrastructure, we must insist on open interoperability as a baseline requirement for any CCTV survey software, whether used by contractors or upstream water companies.
Procurement teams should:
• Demand MSCC5-compliant import and export as a minimum requirement.
• Assess new vendors fairly based on certification, functionality, and data compatibility, not just brand familiarity.
• Recognise that interoperability enhances resilience, reduces risk, and unlocks competition.
Conclusion: Unlocking the Full Value of CCTV Surveys
The drainage industry is on the cusp of a smarter, more connected future. AI-assisted coding, cloud collaboration, and real-time QA tools are all improving how surveys are captured and used. But none of this progress matters if data can’t flow freely.
Interoperability isn’t just a technical issue, it’s a strategic one. By breaking down the software silos, we can drive down costs, increase quality, and unlock new possibilities for trenchless asset management.
It’s time to treat open, standardised data exchange not as a feature, but as the foundation of our digital infrastructure.
Article written and supplied by David Miele from Drainify