T&D Talk: Empowering DEMCO: The Role of Southwire's Data Analytics in Grid Management

T&D Talk is a special series on the T&D World Line Life podcast channel. For each episode, companies can share their stories about how they are supporting the electric utility industry. Through their tools, technologies, products and services, they are helping lineworkers and fieldworkers improve their productivity and safety. 

Our new three-part T&D Talk series is sponsored by Southwire. Part 1 features the episode, “Empowering DEMCO: The Role of Southwire’s Data Analytics in Grid Management.” It features two guests: Mark Phillips, chief engineering and operations officer for DEMCO and Ray Kasten, vice president of digital solutions for Southwire. 

To listen to the full episode, click here. 

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Mark Phillips of DEMCO
Dixie Electric Membership Corporation (DEMCO) is a member-owned electric cooperative based in Louisiana. Mark joined the DEMCO team in 2001 as a lineman. He worked his way up to district line supervisor, then manager of operations, director of operations, vice president, engineering and operations, and now serves as chief engineering and operations officer. He has a passion for innovation, optimized operations and efficient processes. His team works tirelessly around the clock to monitor and maintain its electric power grid. 

Ray Kasten of Southwire
Ray’s career spans 30-plus years in the utility and process industry. His team is responsible for the development and deployment of Southwire’s Grid Resiliency Solutions. Ray started his career in the nuclear industry, providing Enterprise Asset Management Solutions for 80% of the nuclear industry. From there, he leveraged the preventive and predictive strategies and applied them in the transmission and distribution industry.

At ABB, Ray’s team built and deployed the Asset Health Center for Transmission companies (now called APM) that achieved industry recognition. Ray’s experience also included the development and deployment of ADMS which is now part of Oracle Utilities offering. This experience has been leveraged in the construction of the Grid Resiliency offering.

Using Southwire's Data Analytics Platform to Identify and Measure Grid Performance
Southwire's data analytics platform has become an indispensable tool for DEMCO, particularly for measuring and enhancing grid performance. By leveraging advanced analytics, DEMCO can gain insights into various aspects of grid operations, from identifying potential issues to optimizing performance. This proactive approach helps in maintaining a reliable and efficient grid, ensuring that customers receive uninterrupted service.

How Reliability Indices Paint the Picture
Reliability indices, such as SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index), are critical metrics that provide a comprehensive view of grid performance. These indices help DEMCO understand the frequency and duration of outages, enabling them to pinpoint areas that require improvement. By analyzing these indices, DEMCO can prioritize maintenance and upgrade efforts, ultimately enhancing grid reliability.

Benefits Achieved
The benefits of using Southwire's data analytics platform and reliability indices are manifold. Firstly, they enable DEMCO to make informed decisions, leading to improved grid performance and reduced downtime. Secondly, these tools help in identifying trends and patterns, allowing for predictive maintenance and proactive issue resolution. Additionally, data-driven insights can lead to cost savings by optimizing resource allocation and reducing unnecessary expenditures.

Protecting Budget and Justifying Actions
One of the key challenges for DEMCO is managing budgets while ensuring optimal grid performance. Southwire's data analytics platform plays a crucial role in this regard by providing a clear justification for actions taken. By demonstrating the impact of data-driven decisions on grid reliability and efficiency, DEMCO can protect their budgets and secure funding for necessary projects. This transparency is essential for gaining stakeholder support and ensuring the long-term sustainability of grid operations.

Keeping Our Membership Happy
Customer satisfaction is paramount for DEMCO, and Southwire's data analytics platform helps in achieving this goal. By continuously monitoring grid performance and addressing issues promptly, DEMCO can ensure a reliable supply of electricity. This proactive approach not only minimizes disruptions but also builds trust and confidence among customers. Furthermore, by communicating the benefits of data-driven initiatives, DEMCO can keep their membership informed and engaged.

Single Source of Truth with Southwire Grid Resiliency Software
Maintaining a single source of truth is vital for data integrity and effective decision-making. DEMCO utilizes Southwire Grid Resiliency software to consolidate data from various sources into a unified platform. This ensures consistency and accuracy, eliminating discrepancies and providing a reliable foundation for analytics. The centralized approach facilitated by Southwire Grid Resiliency software also promotes collaboration across departments, enabling a cohesive strategy for grid management.

Data Integrity
Data integrity is the cornerstone of any successful analytics initiative. Ensuring that data is accurate, complete, and up-to-date is essential for deriving meaningful insights. DEMCO must implement robust data governance practices to maintain data quality and prevent errors. This includes regular audits, validation checks, and adherence to industry standards. By prioritizing data integrity, DEMCO can trust the insights generated and make confident decisions.

Coaching Opportunities with Regional Operations Managers
Finally, Southwire's data analytics platform opens up new coaching opportunities for DEMCO's regional operations managers. By providing them with actionable insights and performance metrics, DEMCO can empower managers to make informed decisions and drive improvements. Regular training sessions and workshops can help managers understand the value of data analytics and how to leverage it effectively. This continuous learning approach fosters a culture of innovation and excellence within the organization.

Here's what you'll learn by listening to this episode:

• Taking a proactive rather than a reactive approach to grid management through data analytics
• How Southwire’s data analytics platform is helping DEMCO measure and enhance grid performance
• How DEMCO is leveraging advanced analytics to identify potential issues and optimize performance to improve power reliability
• What types of severe weather DEMCO receives in its service area, and how the way its grid is set up helps the cooperative to identify issues and restore power more quickly
• Various reliability indices like SAIDI, SAIFI, CEMI,and CAIDI and how they help utilities to provide a comprehensive view of grid performance
• How CAIDI measures the time it takes to respond to an outage
• How utilities are leveraging the data from AMI
• How metrics are helping DEMCO to understand the frequency and duration of outages and prioritize maintenance and upgrade efforts
• Benefits achieved for DEMCO of using Southwire’s data analytics platform and reliability indices
• How the data analytics platform helps DEMCO to better engage with its customers and build trust with them
• How DEMCO is better able to identify problem areas or concerns, make informed decisions and drive improvements

To hear other stories of how Southwire is helping electric utilities to use tools, technologies, products and services to improve productivity and safety, listen to the past episodes below. You can also go to linelife.podbean.com to hear all the T&D Talk episodes on the Line Life Podcast platform.