Utilities that have adopted a geographic information system (GIS) to support the management and inspection of pipes have significantly increased efficiency. Many utilities store pipeline inspection data and GIS data in the same geodatabase. Unfortunately, further down the road, the geodatabase and multiple associated files become more complex and increasingly vulnerable to serious management complications. An alternative solution that has long-term sustainability involves keeping the majority of pipeline inspection data in a separate database. The question, then, is how the pipeline inspection data can be used in conjunction with the GIS data.