Data…The New Life Line for the Field!
Pat W. Drinnan
Supervisor, Mapping & Facility Records Aquila Networks Canada
700, 801 – 7th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P-3P7
Office: (403) 514-4136, FAX: (403) 514-4411
E-Mail: pat.drinnan@aquila.com
Abstract
This presentation will provide an overview of Aquilas’ mobile solutions. The paper will
explain how our lineman has simple easy access to data, as well as tools to utilize this data
back in the field. The lineman defines their own needs and run simple VB reporting
applications live against our corporate Oracle databases. With new Service level
agreements for municipalities this is paramount as we are penalized financially if we do not
meet these service levels. Street Light repairs must be done within 10 working days. Street
Light reports allow the lineman to manage this work. The lineman have functionality to
display the results of Maintenance reports in his field mapping software. This eliminates
manually locating the required maintenance work. Outage reports now pinpoint where
actual problems are allowing the lineman to focus on resolving the problems. Many other
reports are available providing the lineman valuable information to track or perform his
work. Automated reports save the lineman hundreds of hours, eliminating multiple old
manual systems that each different office or lineman had used. Having accurate, consistent
data available immediately allows us to work more efficiently and effectively. This use of
mobile Data Collection, direct corporate system entry and automated User defined reporting
has resulted in very significant reductions in cost.
Introduction
Aquila Networks Canada is an investor-owned electric utility in Canada with over 100,000
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 Aquilas’ 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.
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. Aquila 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.
With the implementation of Aquilas’ mobile technology the paybacks promised in the
original business case are now finally starting to be realized. This has drastically improved
the image of our AMFM system. Everyone from Senior Management down now speak in
glowing terms of its value and accomplishments. Overnight it has gone from a system that
was a deep dark money pit to one of three mission critical enterprise systems that the
corporation cannot operate without. The field staff now, utilize this mobile technology as
their only source of facility information and have come to trust it completely. If the field staff
come across errors they willingly send in corrections and these corrections are completed
immediately for them to see and use. This has created a great deal of faith and ownership
in the data by the field staff.
Aquilas’ mobile technology is now being used as a full Distribution Asset Management
System. This is a fully integrated electronic solution that has had a tremendous positive
impact, in terms of reductions in many areas, such as cycle times, printing, plotting, data
translation, and facility checking. The field staff can record all information required against
the actual Distribution facilities right at the source in the field to manage each piece of plant
through its’ entire life cycle including the retirement of the facility.
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 Aquilas’ Network Operations field staff. To
leverage Aquilas’ investment in technology even further we interfaced a GPS unit to not only
our Field View map but to the Dispatch department near real time via CDPD through a
Sierra Wireless modem.
The Mobile technology 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.
