Distributing GIS Data to Office and Mobile Workers in a Utility Enterprise
Bill Elliott
Executive Consultant
PlanGraphics, Inc.
112 East Main Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
Abstract
As information technology (IT) continues to improve, electric and gas utility companies are investigating alternatives for providing GIS data to a wide variety of internal users, both office staff and mobile field-workers, across the enterprise. This paper will address new technologies of the Internet and field computing as automation enablers for distributing critical GIS data to those users and streamlining operations.
The Business Case for Field Automation
To be successful, field force automation must become an integral part of the utility enterprise IT architecture in the organization. Field force applications, field-to-office data flows and field crew interactions need to be designed as key elements of the major operational business functions they support. The business drivers for automating field components of applications are no different than those for automating office business processes in an environment of deregulation and competition. Field automation business drivers include:
The Duality of Utility Information Technology
Studies have shown that the operating a utility distribution enterprise today is far more data intensive than most other business pursuits. Examination of the utility IT environment reveals a duality of information systems supporting the enterprise. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software has taken over traditionally separate front office applications such as finance, accounting, human resources, materials management and job costing. These front office systems are rapidly being integrated into the single, software environment of ERP to improve efficiency, reduce redundancies, and lower administrative headcount.
Today, however, no such unifying software enabler exists for back office applications. AM/FM/GIS, Work Management, Outage Management, Engineering Analysis, SCADA, network maintenance, and emergency response applications exist as islands of automation, and require specialized software provided by a multitude of different vendors organizations. Additionally, most field force automation solutions are sold separately from back office solutions, many of which are closely related to the field processes being addressed. This situation requires interfacing and/or integrating multiple software packages from different vendors to achieve the desired result of automating entire business processes linking the office to the field and back again.
Field Force Automation of Work Management
Automating work management processes to include linking field crews electronically into work management applications using Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) offers the following benefits:
Field Force Automation of Outage Management
Linking AM/FM/GIS facility locations and network connectivity data to outage management systems offers advantages in precisely locating the source of outages based upon incoming customer calls. Providing this information to emergency crews in the field during restoration activities offers the following benefits:
As more regulatory agencies adopt performance-based rate making schemes in the future, shortened outage restoration times will have a more profound impact on the bottom line.
Integrating AVL into Outage Management and Work Management Processes
Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) provides the ability for dispatchers to view the location and movement of service vehicles in real-time. Integrating this technology with map-based outage and work management software applications offers the following benefits:
The Expanding Role of Wireless Internet
An understanding of the basic technologies used in automating the field force is essential to successfully implementing field systems. Recently, wireless Internet technology has provided a means for bringing the Internet into the field. This new capability needs to be considered in the design of any new field automation process or system.
It is no surprise that Internet use at utility companies is on the increase. A recent Meta Group survey found that utilities plan to make greater use of Intranet capabilities to move engineering and operations data around the enterprise. Two factors are speeding up the implementation of Internet-based applications – 1) increased government regulations mandating use, and 2) new Internet product extensions by the GIS vendor community.
Oasis, FERC 888, 889, 888A, and 889A regulations now mandated use of the Internet to disseminate information in the electric transmission industry. Distribution companies have taken notice of these regulations, and are voluntarily implementing Internet solutions.
Internet Architecture offers the advantage of supporting
computer networks defined by open standards and low-level communication protocols. These basic Internet protocols are defined as follows:
These standards can be implemented on most hardware/network environments and offer capabilities for either ‘Server-side’ or ‘Client-side’ solutions, depending on the amount of local processing desired. Esri now offers web-based products, such as MapObjects IMS and ArcView IMS that can provide GIS functionality over the web to both office and field users.
Field Automation Business Processes and Application Strategies
Implementing field systems is never easy. One of the most difficult questions to answer when planning a project is, "Where do I start?" Numerous strategy options are available for implementing field systems that support operational applications. Whatever strategy is chosen must be synchronized with the utility’s overall enterprise IT mission and business goals.
Field Force Overhead
A few years ago, Cox Cable Company conducted a study on how its field technicians were spending their time. The study’s results revealed the following statistics about the average field technicians’ workday:
Using these results, Cox Cable began automating field-related business processes with the goal of reducing the 31% job-related overhead, particularly time spend communicating with dispatchers over voice radio and waiting for job assignments. Since an estimated forty to sixty percent of utility company staff spend a substantial portion of their workday in the field, the potential cost savings are significant.
AM/FM/GIS Field Viewing and Editing
One of the first field applications implemented at many utilities is the capability for field staff to view and edit AM/FM/GIS maps and data on handheld computers in the field. Using today’s technology, field map viewing applications are not difficult to implement, provided adequate digital map data exists. Business processes are typically not altered significantly when these systems come on-line. In its simplest form, map viewing is by computer screen, replacing paper maps carried into the field. Search times for finding and viewing items of interest are significantly reduced, map information can be updated more frequently (electronically), and paper source materials are not damaged in harsh outdoor environments.
Capturing and recording field staff updates is an important element of providing electronic maps in the field. For field update applications, important process design decisions need to be made. To what extent should field staff be empowered with tools to edit and update GIS data? Should the field systems be view only, provide redlining capabilities that office staff will interpret for updating, or full database update capable in the field?
Answers to these questions depend upon an organization’s business culture, as well as the responsibilities and competencies of its field staff. Field staff may be better equipped to understand observed plant in the field, hence they would be the best suited to record it. Perhaps, information system staff would be better able to post the recorded data to the master GIS database, because they understand the intricacies of the GIS software and database. Typically, field staff record the data in a manner that facilitates ease of collection, while office system staff have the role to insuring the new data validated and accurate before it is posted to the master GIS database.
Work Management Field Processes
Automating field tasks for work management offers significant benefits. Recording ‘as-built’ drawings electronically facilities posting to upstream systems in a timely fashion, thereby reducing work order posting backlogs. Recording work order status electronically also provides more rapid updating of job status and job costing information.
The most critical element in automating the field component of work management processes is that field activities need to be closely integrated with their related in-office work management activities to be effective. Implementing work management software that includes field automation components that provide integrated office-field processes is, perhaps, the best approach. Increasingly, work management solution providers are offering more robust field automation components.
Outage Management Field Processes
Field automation can do much to improve traditional information flows that support outage restoration. In a manual environment, examining trouble tickets, then predicting the cause of an outage by viewing all infrastructure located inside a map grid area where the outage was reported, is typically imprecise. True network connectivity, to include customer-to-serving transformer connectivity, in a GIS or outage management system will provide more precise pinpointing of the source of an outage more quickly.
Dispatch automation can also play a significant role in speeding recovery operations.
Use of Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) in crew vehicles can provide dispatchers with information in real-time, such as the status of repairs and the location of field crews. Geocoded map displays that can pinpoint the location of a damaged transformer are invaluable to dispatching crews to the right location quicker. Adding tracking of crew vehicles using Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) technology to the mix will improve the dispatcher’s ability to dispatch the nearest crew to an outage site. Field automation is a key element for improving outage response capabilities.
Field Force Automation Implementation Approaches
When deciding which field applications to roll out first, two general approaches should be considered. Initial implementation can focus on either ‘scheduled response’ applications or on ‘rapid response’ applications. Examples of applications in these two categories include the following:
Scheduled Response Applications
Rapid Response Applications
Implementing field automation solutions for scheduled response applications offers the advantage of testing the technology in a lower risk environment. Since many of the functions performed are non-critical in nature, missteps and snafus encountered when rolling out the applications can be corrected without major impact on utility network operations and/or customer service. Rollouts of scheduled response field applications also provide more time for field staff to embrace the technology and to become proficient in its use in a more routine setting.
One disadvantage to implementing field automation in scheduled response areas is that the return on investment may be lower than for rapid response applications. Generally, field automation of rapid response applications offers the advantage of a more significant cost/benefit. However, for these applications the risk of failure or a major fiasco during disaster recovery could be catastrophic to the project, and severely tarnish the reputation of the utility.
Once the field application to be automated is chosen, the project planner must decide in what manner the application will be rolled out across the organization. The automated application could be phased-in by introducing it sequentially to each functional area, to each department, or to each district within the company. Enterprise-wide cutovers at the conclusion of the rollout period also need to be well planned and managed.
Phasing in a new field application will give field staff and other stakeholders' time to adjust to the new technology during the rollout period. A phased roll out will also provide opportunities for adjusting procedures and software and for increasing training time, as needed, during roll out before the enterprise cutover.