Field Applications at DTE Using the Pocket PC
Daniel Fletcher
Analyst DTE Energy Suite 625 SB 2000
2nd Ave. Detroit MI, 48226
Telephone: (313) 235-7581, Fax: (313) 235-7175
E-Mail: fletcherd@dteenergy.com
Charlie Marlin
Sales Manager Graphic Technologies, Inc.
2729 Deford Mill Road Owens Crossroads, AL 35763
Telephone: (256) 828-6760
E-mail: charles.marlin@gti-us.com
Abstract
DTE Energy is driving IT to the frontier of its service territory in the form of
mapping applications on Pocket PC devices that make pole inspections and
gas leak surveys more efficient. The primary cost saving for the pole
inspection application results from replacing a paper-laden process with a
fully digital round trip exchange of data from the AM/FM/GIS system to
field workers and back again. 30,000 plots a year are no longer made, and
DTE has eliminated costly and error-prone manual data entry. End users
have accepted the Pocket PC and prefer it to the old process. An additional
benefit of the pole inspection is that distributed engineering service centers
can learn about defective poles more quickly and decide whether to fix them
with internal resources or contract with external resources.
The second project, a gas leak survey, has been implemented as a mobile
application to replace the legacy mainframe application which was not Year
2000 compliant. Field workers use digital maps and forms instead of printed
cards.
Outline
A. DTE Company Background
B. The Pole Inspection Application
- The requirement
- The old process
- The motivation for change
- Developing the application
- The new process
- User acceptance
- Evaluation
C. The Gas Leak Survey Application
- The requirement
- The old process
- The motivation for change
- Developing the application
- he new process
D. Conclusions
A. DTE Company Background
DTE Energy is a leading energy and energy technology provider. It is a developer of
merchant power and industrial energy projects. It is a growing leader in energy
trading. It sells electricity, natural gas, coal, landfill gas, steam and chilled water. It
is one of the nation's largest purchasers, transporters and marketers of coal. It
develops and invests in emerging energy technologies such as distributed generation.
Detroit Edison, a subsidiary of DTE Energy, is the nation's seventh largest electric
utility, supplying energy to 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan. Another
DTE utility subsidiary, MichCon, is the nation's 10th largest natural gas local
distribution company. It serves 1.2 million customers across Michigan. Together,
these operations create a leading energy provider with assets of more than $17 billion.
Michigan took an important step toward energy deregulation with the passage of a
bill to restructure its electric utility industry. The new legislation, signed into law in
June 2000 offers electric choice to all Michigan customers by 2002. DTE Energy
announced its merger with MCN Energy, Inc. in 1999 and completed the merger in
2001.
