The virtual utility of today and tomorrow combines internally and externally managed business processes and enabling integrated systems into a single automated business entity leveraging best-in-class capabilities actually provided by the utility and its virtual business partners. This is actually happening today at various levels and to varying degrees in distribution and asset-focused energy utilities. In the United Kingdom, for example, “wires” owners are leveraging asset operators and their service providers to perform all required asset management business processes associated with operating a wires-related business and associated facilities and equipment.

The drivers of cost control and increased focus on customer service and customer care are, in particular, driving dynamic enterprise integration and the evolution of virtual utility business models. In the case of an asset-focused energy distribution company, utilities have been leveraging pre-cursor virtual utility business models for some time. Now with the productization of EAI and B2BAI platforms and standards, technology is playing an increasing role in supporting energy and water utility business priorities. In both current and evolving utility business models, dynamic enterprise integration is critical to enabling IT projects. Dynamic enterprise integration will allow utilities to support required and ongoing business process change and integration. In addition, the “dynamic” element maps well to the evolving virtual utility business model, as best-in-class business process providers will come and go, as the utility’s business objectives and priorities evolve over time.

Enabling Technology Platforms and Process Integration

EAI and B2BAI platforms and associated standards will be reviewed in the associated presentation as enablers of dynamic enterprise and inter-enterprise integration. Both of these technology platforms, their providers, associated standards, and other application technology vendors’ support for integration platforms are changing rapidly, as both major platform categories will continue to evolve from service platforms to product platforms. Enterprise Application Integration is an IT strategy and enabling platform that enables unrestricted sharing of data and business processes among any connected applications and data sources in the enterprise (Linthicum, 2000).

Process automation is a supported service that is provided as an additional component of an EAI offering. Business process automation is normally implemented as another technology and business-enabling layer that allows EAI technology administrators and their business counterparts to centrally define and manage workflows, business process threads, and even business processes. In almost real time, it is currently possible to measure business process performance and throughput. In other words, EAI workflow tools can be used to measure current business process performance, change business processes, and re-measure the performance of the altered business process against the original benchmark. EAI workflow tools have the potential of becoming the ultimate business and IT management tool for enterprise process change.