The engineer's dream is to buy a suite of engineering applications containing a geographic information system (GIS), supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA), distribution analysis (DA), outage management, load management, automated meter reading (AMR) and a few others, install them and immediately begin using them. Unfortunately, it's just a dream. A lot of time, effort and money must go into planning, data collection, data entry, modeling, customization, integration, training and maintenance — accompanied by frustration, rethinking and changes — before a working automated system becomes a reality.

Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEC, Mt. Crawford, Virginia, U.S.) recognized the need to automate engineering functions and create an interactive model of its distribution system in the early 1990s. It had used Milsoft's DA software for more than 10 years to make engineering studies, and had a Landis and Gyr SCADA system and a hybrid load management system for controlling water heater switches. With the development of GIS and facilities management (FM) applications, SVEC decided this should be the basis for an information system that would model its physical plant and interface with its accounting and billing systems. It could add applications such as outage management, staking, line design and metering to use this information and interface with these databases.

Based on SVEC's size — about 26,000 customers, 115 employees and a total utility plant of less than US$70 million — it was not feasible to implement a sophisticated and expensive GIS/FM system. Over the past nine years, SVEC has had success with a building block approach, and its customers and employees are realizing the benefits of the automated applications.

Digitized Maps and GIS

In April 1992, SVEC purchased AutoCAD, an E-size digitizer and a pen plotter and began digitizing maps. The paper maps were created from aerial photographs taken in the 1960s and were not tied to any standard coordinate system. An arbitrary coordinate system was set up and the lower-left corner of each of the 420-plus maps was tied to this arbitrary system. SVEC created a template and standard symbols for the digitizer along with routines to place symbols, background and all other objects on the proper layer during digitization. A draftsman and four system operators, who man the Operations Center around the clock, digitized the maps over 15 months. This resulted in faster updates along with clearer, faster and easier reproductions.

Once it had all the maps, SVEC evaluated GIS and FM systems. The utility decided that the return on investment was not sufficient to warrant an FM system but that a GIS application would fulfill its needs, providing information on the customers, distribution lines, substations, protective devices and other major equipment.

SVEC chose GenMap software from Gentry System Inc., now Autodesk (San Rafael, California, U.S.), for its open architecture, use of AutoCAD and Microsoft's Access database (which SVEC already used) and ability to interface with other applications such as Milsoft's DA.

SVEC modified symbols to add attributes and tags to link the mapped symbols to the database. While the utility was able to do most of this through custom software, it had to do a significant amount of verification and cleanup work manually. SVEC printed copies of the maps and gave them to field personnel who, along with their normal duties, made field inspections and noted conductor sizes, conductor types and phasing on the maps. They also verified equipment information and noted discrepancies. One employee also was dedicated to this task full time for approximately six months.

The planning engineer defined sections and parent sections for connectivity on the paper maps. These sections coincided with protective devices, conductor changes and taps. As a result, SVEC divided the 4500-mile (7200-km) distribution system into more than 18,000 sections.

SVEC then used GenMap to enter the field data and section numbers as attributes and create the Access database at the same time. SVEC was able to complete data collection and entry in 24 months with in-house personnel. The utility wrote software to import customer data from the legacy billing system to add name, address and telephone to the database. It installed copies of GenView (a view only version of GenMap) at each of the three district offices so all necessary personnel would have access to the GIS model of the system. At this point, basic information about any customer, device or line segment was available by selecting the entity on a map.

The First Floor: Outage Management and IVR

The next logical step was an outage management system. After evaluations, SVEC selected DataVoice International's (Allen, Texas, U.S.) Outage Management and Prediction System (OMAPS) and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, based on open architecture, interfaces with the billing system and GenMap, cost considerations and references.

OMAPS uses the connectivity model imported from either GenMap or Milsoft's DA to generate an Interactive Distribution Grid (IDG), which resembles a directory tree. This display shows at a glance the relationship of sections, including protective devices in the connectivity model, the number of customers beyond each section or in it, any priority customers and other details. Selecting the section and clicking the appropriate mouse buttons displays a list of customers in each section. The IVR answers all incoming calls and gives options to report an outage, enter a meter reading or to speak with an operator. The ability to speak with a person, instead of a machine, at any point in the call was a key issue for management to accept the system. Caller ID streamlines the outage entry process, allowing a customer to report an outage and have a ticket created within 45 seconds. By answering up to 12 incoming calls at a time, the IVR relieved the problem of customers not getting through during major outages. The utility can increase the number of lines as required. The IVR has other features: “call back” to verify restoration, automated calls with a reminder for delinquent accounts and billing inquiry.

As outage tickets are created, either by the IVR or manually by Customer Service Representatives (CSR), they are displayed on the Outage Ticket Log (OTL) screen with a prediction on which protective device on the source side of the customer (or common to a group of the customers) has failed. This is displayed on the IDG by yellow flags beside each section affected. When field personnel confirm the predicted protective device is actually out, the dispatcher creates a device ticket that changes the yellow flags to red. A crew can be dispatched with notations displayed in the OTL or IDG. A summary screen displays all predictions or outages and the number of customers each affects to prioritize multiple outages. With the click of the mouse, the display screens can show written messages with pertinent information entered by CSRs and play voice messages recorded by customers using the IVR.

Restoration is also done from these screens. All beginning times, outage durations, location information and customer information are recorded automatically or updated manually. The CSR uses drop-down lists to enter outage causes and failures; customer counts and outage hours are calculated and recorded automatically. Standard reports are readily available and CSRs can customize reports easily from a pick list of fields.

The three district offices and the Operations Center at the headquarters use the same interactive OMAPS screens. The district offices manage outages during the day and the Operations Center manages them after normal working hours. Control passes back and forth easily at the beginning and end of office hours since everyone uses the same screens. Personnel encountered some performance problems at first with the wide area network (WAN) between headquarters and the districts but creating local databases with automatic updates solved those problems.

SVEC realized savings and benefits as it implemented Milsoft, digitized maps and GenMap applications; however, when it implemented OMAPS, employee involvement and benefits took a significant jump. One employee commented, “This is the best thing the cooperative has done in the 30 years I have been here.” Employees are aware of the importance of accurate information, since errors tend to show up quickly as service personnel are dispatched to predicted outages. Integrity checks run on data by GenMap and OMAPS during database updates also identify errors in modeling.

The Second Floor: MapViewer Provides More Accessibility

One constraint encountered with these applications was the limitation of viewing and using only one map at a time. Personnel could query information into a key map, but the query feature of AutoCAD took more time than was practical. The solution to this problem was MapViewer from Partner Software (Athens, Georgia, U.S.). This application translates the AutoCAD maps and Access database into a seamless database, making the whole electric system and associated data available on one screen. It is now possible to zoom into any area and select any customer, device or line segment, and view all the data associated with it. SVEC is currently in the process of entering 911 street names. A CSR can use the “Find Item” button to locate and access data using any name, location, telephone, account number or other defined field.

DataVoice and Partner Software worked together to develop a dynamic MapViewer reflecting OMAPS management of outages on the MapViewer screen. Lines are highlighted in yellow or red for predicted or declared outages. Individual tickets and dispatched crews are indicated on the screen. The “Find Item” feature can find information relating the particular line segments and customers affected by any predicted or confirmed outage.

SVEC recently implemented Map-Viewer. Technical services and field services departments that use the system on laptops and pen-based PCs now have up-to-date information available in the field. In the future, SVEC plans to expand this to other departments.

The Third Floor: Staking Package Implemented

The latest addition to the list of applications is Stakeout from MiniMax Software Corp. (Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, U.S.). Although not yet fully implemented, SVEC will use it to automate a major portion of the work order process by allowing field services personnel to create sketches and staking sheets in the field on a pen-based PC. By use of a docking station, the PC checks existing work orders in and out of a file server, so pertinent information is available to all involved in adding, updating and tracking information relating to work in progress. An interface with the legacy billing system allows exchange of data for work order accounting and inventory control. Interfaces also will automate the exchange of data with GenMap, updating the maps and the Access database.

Lessons Learned

The building block, value-added approach has been successful. Starting with the basics, adding compatible applications and avoiding expensive frills and a “big-bang” approach minimized costly problems and conflicts. Too many companies made huge investments to collect volumes of data, only to have something happen that required starting over or abandoning a large portion of the work they already completed.

SVEC encountered only one incident of this nature. An application was implemented using SVEC data and failed to work like the demonstrations. After convincing the vendor that the software methodology wasn't compatible with SVEC's system, the vendor offered a refund rather than make the necessary revisions. Fortunately, there was a limited investment in data entry and customization resulting in minimal losses. This experience substantiated the need to get a demonstration of the application using your own data if at all possible. This approach has proven successful with several of the other applications.

When planning and evaluating applications, SVEC has learned to take into account:

• New applications are more readily accepted by personnel when:

  • Their input and ideas are solicited and utilized wherever practical.

  • They are kept informed of applications under evaluation.

  • The user-friendly application enhances their job instead of creating additional work.

  • Proper training and one-on-one assistance is provided.

  • An in-house administrator is familiar with the applications, able to perform most troubleshooting and answer related questions.

• Compatibility with existing and future applications.

• Designation of an administrator, who is familiar with engineering functions and computer applications.

• Have more than one person familiar with the applications or to assist with troubleshooting and answering questions.

• Documentation of procedures and software.

• Benchmarking studies or review of the entire process associated with each application to best take advantage of the software.

Future Floors

With a sense of satisfaction, SVEC acknowledges it still has much to do. It has several associated applications to implement that will further enhance its engineering information system, as well as accounting and billing functions. The utility can also implement a customer inquiry and credit card payment system using the IVR. The IVR needs to interface SCADA and AMR applications with OMAPS. Pop-up screens can supply customer information to CSRs as they receive calls by using caller ID. The arbitrary coordinate system SVEC uses for its maps needs to be tied to a State Plane coordinate system to facilitate the use of GPS in the future, and the utility needs to streamline and improve the exchange of data between applications. Multispeak compliance should assist this process. More personnel in the field, including service and line crews, will have access to this information via portable PC technology.

Automation of engineering functions is challenging, exciting and rewarding and undoubtedly will continue to be so in the future. Questions and suggestions from personnel concerning new applications or changes to take advantage of existing applications, along with their enthusiasm in using them, bode well for the future.

Since SVEC is relatively small, and research and development funds are somewhat limited, the utility's philosophy is: “We don't want to be right on the leading edge of technology, but we don't want to be very far from it.”

SVEC's building block approach allowed the utility to learn from the problems and mistakes of others, increase efficiency, improve service and receive employee and customer acceptance.

Dan Stogdale is a planning engineer in the engineering department at Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEC). He received the BSEE degree from Virginia Tech, where he was in the Cooperative Education program working alternate quarters at SVEC. After graduation in 1972, he became planning engineer for Rappahannock EC, then operations manager for BARC EC in 1979. He returned to SVEC as planning engineer in 1989. He is licensed as a professional engineer in the state of Virginia.