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Field is hooked....Cannot live without it!!

Pat W. Drinnan
Supervisor, Mapping & Facility Records
UtiliCorp Networks Canada
700, 801 – 7 th Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P-3P7
Office: (403) 514-4136, FAX: (403) 514-4411
Email: pdrinnan@utilicorp.com


Abstract
This presentation will provide an overview of UtiliCorps’ mobile solution that allows the Field user to access existing data and record new information directly into multiple corporate systems. The paper will explain the efficiency gains achieved in the movement and translation of data. UtiliCorp delivered a full set of functionality to record information directly into key business systems. This is delivered to the field environment on rugged laptop computers with GPS units and wireless modems, using a Viewer / Redliner application, enhanced to support UtiliCorps’ workflows. The user can bring the map up using his GPS location or search for worksites and individual facilities by a variety of clues. They can view displays equivalent to standard map products, and review any facility attributes. The user identifies the facilities he is/needs to work on and inputs his observations using simple pick lists and the system does the rest. This eliminates any manual paper recording and all re-entry of this information by administrative staff. Having accurate, consistent data available immediately allows us to work more efficiently and effectively. This use of a mobile Data Collection at the front-line of our business processes has resulted in very significant reductions in cost and cycle-times. Our lineman are now saying they cannot live without it!

Introduction
UtiliCorp Networks Canada is an investor-owned electric utility in Canada with over 90,000 kilometers of transmission and distribution lines in two different service areas. An Alberta service area of 220,000 square kilometer with Distribution facilities only and a BC service area of 25,000 square kilometer with both Transmission and Distribution facilities. The AM/FM System models UtiliCorps’ entire electrical network, in both graphical and pure data representations, with true connectivity. It links installed distribution and transmission facilities (185,000 transformers, 900,000 conductor segments and over 1 million poles, among others), to actual geographical and customer information, within this integrated model. Our AM/FM model contains over 30Gb of electronic corporate information.

In our ongoing pursuit of increased operating efficiency, our investigations confirmed that there was a fundamental set of work-steps in all field maintenance operations, which could be elegantly supported by an appropriately-configured viewer / red-liner application, in the hands of our field staff at their worksites. As with all industries performing field operation, inspection and maintenance routines, we were spending far too much time and money on repeatedly translating basic sets of information across a variety of media (paper to paper, paper to digital to paper). Delivery of our enhanced viewer / red-liner application significantly leveraged UtiliCorps’ existing investment in it’s AM/FM model, since this relatively small development effort resulted in the delivery the whole AM/FM model and the value of it’s embedded information, to several hundred field staff and centralized Dispatchers.

The viewer / red-liner implementation provides an economical solution to our need for enterprise-wide access to the master AM/FM model, in both connected and disconnected viewing modes. Almost all departments of the company are making increased use of the master AM/FM model for business analysis and decision-support. The Mobile AM/FM viewer has greatly enhanced corporate-wide access to our model, at minimal cost.

As we explain, this delivery of corporate information and workflow support in an electronic format, has had a tremendous positive impact, in terms of reductions in many areas, such as cycle times, printing, plotting, data translation, and facility checking.

We chose a commercially available Viewer / Red-liner application from Intergraph called FRAMME Field View. This product was enhanced and customized to support a set of specific business workflow requirements for UtiliCorps’ Network Operations field staff. Then interfaced with a GPS unit and a Sierra Wireless modem.

The enhanced viewer now provides easy to use functionality, directly into the hands of field staff at job sites remote from the master model. Our delivery includes powerful search tools, display controls, intelligent redline features and specific customized work tasks. Allowing the field staff and contractors to directly input data for Pole inspections, new service layouts, ground testing, line patrol, outage statistics, and capital retirements directly into other corporate system. Our approach results in all users working directly within the same master model, with identical views and comprehension of the represented facilities.

Key Success Factors
As everyone knows the key to any successful software / hardware implementation is having end-user acceptance. This means field staff willingly use the system and actually look for ways to use these tools even more extensively. UtiliCorp Networks Canada has not only succeeded in meeting our intended outcome but has gone far beyond our greatest expectations. The Field Staff have developed a sense of ownership in both the software tools and more importantly the data. They now help drive enhancements in the software and are sending in field changes and corrections in unprecedented numbers. The steps that we feel enabled UtiliCorp to achieve such a high level of success are:

1. Business Unit Ownership
All end-users and our Field staff in particular need have a strong sense of ownership in any tool to make it successful. To achieve this we selected a Business Unit owner that had come up through the organization and had been in the same lineman position as they are now. This gave him instant credibility, encouraged open honest communication and an overwhelming sense of trust. He reports to the same Director and VP as most of the Field Users ensuring that he can and is held responsible and accountable for Field View’s success. His strategic goals, objectives and incentives are the same as the field staff which fosters a team approach to our successes. This may seem like a rather insignificant item but has made a huge impact on the field staffs overall acceptance and use of the Field View tool and its data.

2. Easy to Use Functionality
  1. One of UtiliCorps’ biggest successes has been utilizing GPS technology in our service trucks and linking this with our Field View application. This produced our simplest and most powerful search function used by the Lineman called “Locate by GPS”. With just a single keystroke, the facility map is centered around the exact position the is truck located at. This function is without doubt one of the main reasons that our Linemen have taken to this software and say they cannot do without it. Leveraging of GPS technology is not only an impressive locate function, it gives our Dispatchers a graphical view of where each lineman is located at all times. This information is updated via CDPD wireless network every 2 minutes providing a near real time location of all 200 lineman throughout the day. Using this information Dispatch can now send the Lineman in the best position to respond to a new request. This is a huge cost savings to UtiliCorps’ operating costs, by reducing hundreds of hours of unnecessary windshield time for our Lineman. Another, major benefit is on the safety side, dispatch now knows exactly where a Lineman is and if he has not responded in a reasonable time period can send help to his exact location.
  2. After a Lineman has identified all work required along a feeder utilizing the detailed “Line Patrol” function in Field View. The Maintenance group, use a simple VB application which produces an excel report that summarizes all of these repairs. The Maintenance Group then analysis all this information including priorities that the Lineman have suggested and determine what work needs to be done immediately. This is then dispatched to the Lineman along with the excel spreadsheet listing all of the work required. The Lineman then uses a function in Field View called “Hi-light Repairs”. This asks the Lineman to select a spreadsheet anywhere on his hard drive. Field View then hi-lights all required work from the spreadsheet that is in his current view. At a glance the Lineman can now plan his work in the area saving a great deal of time and effort panning around looking for these problems. He can then either refer to the spreadsheet or query the feature in Field View for the repair details. Once he has completed the work he indicates this in Field View against the actual feature. This then tells the Maintenance group, electronically, that the work is completed. As well as updating our corporate record in a timely and accurate manner.
  3. Distribution Outage Statistics and Apparatus Counters are two additional very powerful and easy to use functions. The data captured here is crucial for a number of reasons;
    1. Measuring UtiiCorps’ distribution performance against other utilities.
      UtiliCorp is a member of Canadian Electric Association and provides this Outage information in the form of SAIDI, SAIFI, CAIDI and MAIFI. This information also allows us to benchmark our performance compared to other Electric Utilities. Allowing Senior Management a view of our operating performance and the ability to take action if necessary.
    2. UtiliCorps’ worst performing feeders.
      The Planning and Maintenance Groups now use these statistics and easily produced thematic maps to look at our worst performing feeders. These groups can then analysis the data and see exactly where and what the outages were. This allows them to provide optimal solutions and improve the performance of these feeders. At present UtiliCorp is able to look at the 15 worst performing feeders, out of 430 feeders, each year. Thus we are able to direct our annual budgeted maintenance dollars to improving both our overall performance and customer service.
    3. Providing accurate statistics used for Performance Based Regulations.
      As these statistics will be the basis for measuring UtiliCorps’ performance. The Alberta and BC Regulators will use this information to apply the Performance Base Regulation guidelines towards. Thus UtiliCorps’ future profitability will rely on this information and we need to be very accurate and continual use these statistics to improve our operating efficiency.

      All of the above require very thorough, timely and accurate data. When each outage occurs and the Lineman finds and corrects the problem he enters the information directly into Field View. Within seconds using simple pull downs and pick lists the lineman can record accurate information that is sent directly into to our corporate AMFM database. Then, using a simple VB application everyone in the corporation including the lineman can produce reports showing the outage statistics by customer, by feeder or within an entire service point. As well, users in the Head Office can plot thematic maps using yet another simple VB application.
3. Training & User Documentation
  1. We provided thorough comprehensive training by trainers that were either peers or had been peers in the past. This created a very relaxed and comfortable setting. We found in this setting the lineman were not hesitant to ask questions (there were no dumb questions) or to ask for the pace to be altered either slowed down or picked up. The training was centered on real life examples of using the functionality for specific tasks that the lineman will be performing in the field. This allowed the Lineman to relate better and retain his learnings as he could definitely see how to apply each function to his work. Through this training process some Lineman have really excelled and they have become what we call “Field View Super-Users”. These Linemen are used to handle the roll out of smaller changes and enhancements. This is accomplished by having the “Super-User” travel around his surrounding area holding small sessions with 2 or 3 Linemen in each Service Point. This has proved to be highly successful & a very cost effective way to handle these smaller releases.
  2. UtiliCorp has also, produced a very thorough easy to read and use set of documentation for our Field View application. This documentation has a detailed index or can be searched by key words. Enabling the Lineman to go to their area of interest very easily and quickly. The documentation covers every possible keystroke and function in the Field View application. It has been written in Lineman language so that it easy to understand and follow. The Documentation is stored on-line in a database and is updated whenever, changes or enhancements are made to the Field View application. However, the Lineman always has the documentation available to him even when he is in his truck in the field. This is accomplished by replicating this database regularly when he is connected to the network in the office.
4. Field View Support
  1. UtiliCorp has provided two Business Unit contacts for front line support of the Field View application. The Lineman can normally contact one of these individuals directly and have his question answered or problem solved while he is on the phone. Again, because these Business Unit contacts are considered peers the Lineman do not hesitate to call no matter what the issue. On the rare occasion the Lineman cannot talk to one of the Business Unit contacts directly they can leave a voicemail and their call will be returned within a maximum of two hours. Finally, if the issue cannot be resolved by the Business Unit contact it is referred to our on-site Intergraph help desk for resolution within 1 day. This level of service has eliminated most frustration for the Lineman when he is having problems, as they can usually be resolved during his initial phone conversation.
  2. Our Linemen are now sending in an average of 1200 packets from Field View each month. Each of these packets can have automated or manual entry information in it. The system automatically splits these into two separate directories. With the automated information such as Outage statistics, Property Retirements, Line Patrol or Attribute corrections being electronically update into our AMFM master model every 2 hours throughout the day. Then the manual entry information such as facility model corrections are looked at by one of our Data Integrity staff and the actual changes are made in the AMFM model. We have committed to the Lineman that we will have these corrections done within 2 to 3 weeks and are achieving that goal. The Lineman then sees the corrections he has asked for in a very timely manner. These corrections in the past would have taken months or even years, leaving the lineman feeling there was no point in sending corrections in. As a result of these update processes the Lineman now can see the advantages of up to date information and has really taken a greater interest and ownership in the data for his particular Service Point.
5. Lineman Input and Feedback
Regular visits to the field are made to meet with the lineman by the Business Unit owner of Field View. These visits continue to build and improve the relationship with the Lineman and the Business Unit owner. He sits down and discusses with the Linemen the changes and enhancements that are planned and explores any new opportunities that the Linemen feel would make this tools work better for them. In addition he will ride along with some of the Linemen and watch how they are using the Field View tool. This allows him to look for improvements that the Lineman may not have thought about. All suggestions that are received are recorded and reviewed. Then each suggestion is either incorporated in the next release of Field View (2 releases each year) or an explanation of why not is sent back to the lineman who made the suggestion. Again this has fostered a real sense of ownership amongst our 200 Lineman and 100 contractors.

Particularly, when they see changes made to the software because of their comments or feedback.

Achievement
All of the above success factors have contributed to making UtiliCorps’ Field View application “World Class” and one the premier field applications in North America. We continue to host visits and provide demo’s to other interested Utilities. Recently on one of these visits from another Electric Utility they went on a ride along with one of our Lineman during a typical day. One of the questions that these visitors asked of our lineman was if you could only have one tool what would it be. The Lineman’s answer came back very quickly and firmly. “It would definitely be Field View”. All our field staff have taken a real sense of pride, enthusiasm and ownership in UtiliCorps’ Field View application. The 200 Lineman and 100 contractors now to a man, feel that this tool is theirs and will tell you that they cannot live without it!

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