Benefits of early OMS implementation
Jim Hayes, PE
SDIT Project Manager
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
POB 15830, Mail Stop A301
Sacramento CA 95852
Carolyn B. Bakke
Sr. Industry Consultant
Intergraph Utilities
LR23A1, Huntsville, AL 35894-0001
SDIT project overview
The SDIT Project's mission is to improve customer service by applying selected
information technology to the work processes associated with the District's distribution
business, while providing internal efficiencies that will facilitate flat or negative rate
growth.
There are four major component systems that comprise SDIT System. They are the
Geographic Information System (GIS), the Outage Management System (OMS), the
Engineering Support System (ESS), and the Mobile Data and Dispatch System (MDD).
After vender selections in August of 1999, the implementation of the GIS and OMS
systems began in the fall of 1999. Each of the major systems and the interfaces between
those systems is shown in the data flow diagram below.
Figure 1. SDIT Data Flow Diagram
The GIS, using Intergraph's G/Electric, is the "custodian" of the GIS data and the
provider of the basic functions for spatial analysis, design and map production. Data
conversion is being performed in parallel with the GIS project implementation. The GIS
is tightly integrated with SAP and Linesoft.
The OMS, using Intergraph's InService, is intended to improve two vital aspects of
customer service: to provide the means to restore interrupted service faster than is
currently possible; and to provide District employees and managers with accurate and
current information about outages so they may better inform customers. The connectivity
necessary to perform outage analysis was not available at the start of this project and will
not be available until later in 2001. Rather than delay the OMS project and its benefits,
the project was divided into two parts - an "Early OMS" and a "Final OMS."
The ESS, using PTI, will provide a better level of system planning to support the capital
budgeting processes, and to improve system reliability and efficiency through analysis of
the existing system. The improved reliability is a customer service goal that will be
measured by fewer outages and better power quality. The improved efficiency will come
from reduced data model maintenance costs for planning models. Higher quality plans
will result in better utilization of capital resources.
The MDD system, using Intergraph's InService, will dispatch crews, troubleshooters, and
service people using wireless technology, and to communicate field information to office
locations and other systems. The system supports project goals by making service
delivery routings more efficient and by providing better information about field
conditions to District non-field personnel. MDD will contain rich scheduling functions to
assure optimal utilization of field employees and crews and will interface with SAP.
Implementation on this project is scheduled to begin in 2001.
