GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS

The Changing Face of Dispatch
Putting GIS to Work and Reducting Outage Response Time

During the infancy of electrification that scenario wasn't as far-fetched as it may seem in today's fast-paced environment of drive-through service and instant information.

You've always been there to restore service when storms strike or equipment fails, but with today's service-savvy customers demanding better power quality and reduced outage time, what was once considered excellent response may not be enough to keep them happy.

The good news is that the latest innovations in Geographic Information System (GIS) technology are putting the power of geo-spatial information to work improving outage management and reducing customer down-time.

Saving Time and Money
At White River Valley Electric Cooperative (WRVEC) in Branson, Missouri, John Bruns, Manager of Engineering and Technology, said uaDispatch™, a comprehensive outage management application developed by Utility Automation Integrators, is saving his cooperative time and money.

"In the dispatch center, we are able to generate a much more refined list of outages so our crews know exactly where to go to fix a problem," Bruns said.

WRVEC has expanded its GIS capabilities even further by utilizing both interface portals and Web-enabling modules that are integrated with their existing systems.

An interface portal integrates the utility's GIS with its third-party automated telephone answering and voice recognition systems. Customers can report outage calls directly into the outage management system without talking to a dispatcher or other service personnel.

Web-enabling modules expand the ability of personnel to view, query and manipulate data from any PC or laptop via the Internet.

"For the first time in our history, WRVEC dispatchers can log on to the system from home and offer extra assistance in the event of a major storm," Bruns said. By accessing a connection to the Internet anywhere in the field, managers can also have up-dated outage information to work with.

Employees throughout the utility can also access applications from any company PC, turning the entire facility into an outage management center instead of relying on one or two operations workstations when mass outage situations arise.

WRVEC is also looking at utilizing GPS-based automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems in its trucks to provide real-time crew tracking. This next phase of integration will allow dispatch managers to see crews in transit as well as those actually working outages. A determination can then be made as to which crew is closest to incoming calls and best suited to respond quickly.

Not only has WRVEC taken advantage of UAI's outage management software, it also implemented applications that automated facilities management and planning, field staking and design and Intranet-enabled viewing of the system's electronic maps.

Bruns said White River Valley Electric Cooperative has more than 60 people actively using GIS in departments throughout the utility and has received payback in productivity gains.

The beauty of integration into an existing GIS is the ability to implement components in a logical, systematic way.

Improving Customer Relations
Utilities like Lee County Electric (LCEC) in Ft. Myers, Florida, are implementing the same outage management system to improve customer relations, reduce overtime expense and increase revenues. Ken Simmons, Supervisor of System Operations at LCEC, said the visual representation of what is happening as outages occur is a valuable tool in the restoration process.

"That is one of the biggest benefits," Simmons said, "Just being able to look at things graphically and see where crews are located as opposed to where outages are occurring helps tremendously."

Simmons said another benefit is the wealth of information stored within the GIS and readily accessible when needed.

"If we have to replace a pole, the specs are already there for us," he said. "We don't have to wait for a lineman to call them in from the field."

Providing Virtual Connectivity
"This application of uaDispatch™ analyzes incoming outage calls and makes predictions as to which piece of equipment has failed," said Vasile Dragu, UAI's Director of Technical Services. "As additional calls come in, that analysis is constantly reviewed and updated. As a result, line crews can be directed to the suspected source of the problem instead of spending hours visually inspecting miles of line."

Where previous generations of electronic maps simply gave dispatchers an electronic picture of the system, UAI's technology provides virtual connectivity between map components.