EnergyBiz - September/October 2007 - (Page 38) Integrated Enterprise Technology Helps Utilities Integrated Enterprise Technology Helps Utilities Increase Efficiency and Reliability, Improve Customer Service, and Reduce Costs Increase Efficiency and Reliability, Improve Customer Service, and Reduce Costs When CEOs from utilities across the country are asked to share When CEOs from utilities across the country are asked to share what they see on the road ahead, they invariably cite a changing what they see on the road ahead, they invariably cite a changing business landscape rife with challenges. They are under presbusiness landscape rife with challenges. They are under pressure to provide reliable electrical service to growing communisure to provide reliable electrical service to growing communities while balancing supply with demand and satisfying existing ties while balancing supply with demand and satisfying existing and emerging environmental regulations. Technology can help and emerging environmental regulations. Technology can help them meet these challenges. Consider, for example, the area them meet these challenges. Consider, for example, the area of residential metering. Many utilities are studying how to make of residential metering. Many utilities are studying how to make metering more efficient, and some have begun replacing their metering more efficient, and some have begun replacing their provide or worse yet, without giving much thought to the backprovide -- or worse yet, without giving much thought to the backoffice functions and applications that depend upon this data. office functions and applications that depend upon this data. Using enterprise solutions, utilities can move beyond the silo Using enterprise solutions, utilities can move beyond the silo approach to change and seamlessly connect AMI with business approach to change and seamlessly connect AMI with business applications. This move does not require process changes or applications. This move does not require process changes or demand new processes. And perhaps more important, it can demand new processes. And perhaps more important, it can be accomplished while allowing data to remain in its original be accomplished while allowing data to remain in its original environment. This limits the need for costly interfaces and extra environment. This limits the need for costly interfaces and extra layers of technology. layers of technology. By connecting and coordinating AMI devices and techBy connecting and coordinating AMI devices and technology with enterprise applications, utilities can automate nology with enterprise applications, utilities can automate more processes, reduce errors and costs, and increase more processes, reduce errors and costs, and increase business efficiency and effectiveness. For example, a failing business efficiency and effectiveness. For example, a failing meter can signal the software to generate a service order meter can signal the software to generate a service order -automatically. automatically. Consider the vital customer call center and the customer Consider the vital customer call center and the customer portal. Integrated AMI technology helps the customer service portal. Integrated AMI technology helps the customer service staff provide faster and smarter responses, facilitated by staff provide faster and smarter responses, facilitated by real-time data that call-center personnel can easily access real-time data that call-center personnel can easily access to resolve queries. And self-service portals provide customto resolve queries. And self-service portals provide custom- Maximize Your Investment in Advanced Metering Infrastructure conventional grid and meter infrastructure with “smart grids” conventional grid and meter infrastructure with “smart grids” and “smart meters” based on improved communications techand “smart meters” based on improved communications technology and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) devices. nology and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) devices. Adopting AMI, however, should not force utilities to comAdopting AMI, however, should not force utilities to completely change the way they do business. If anything, moving pletely change the way they do business. If anything, moving and reorganizing crucial processes and data to suit new techand reorganizing crucial processes and data to suit new technology would be time-consuming and inefficient. Instead, utilinology would be time-consuming and inefficient. Instead, utilities can combine the advantages of enterprise software with ties can combine the advantages of enterprise software with AMI technology to fully realize the benefits AMI has to offer. AMI technology to fully realize the benefits AMI has to offer. Advertisement ers secure access to personal account data and supporting ers secure access to personal account data and supporting material to help educate them about their energy use. These material to help educate them about their energy use. These functions improve customer experience and satisfaction while functions improve customer experience and satisfaction while reducing utility costs and increasing efficiency. reducing utility costs and increasing efficiency. Integrated demand-response participation enables utility Integrated demand-response participation enables utility customers to join voluntary programs to control consumption customers to join voluntary programs to control consumption and use energy more wisely. With these programs, automatic and use energy more wisely. With these programs, automatic controls curtail energy use at peak times, helping reduce cuscontrols curtail energy use at peak times, helping reduce customers’ bills and conserve energy. This in turn reduces the tomers’ bills and conserve energy. This in turn reduces the need to site, fund, and build new facilities. Outcomes like these need to site, fund, and build new facilities. Outcomes like these illustrate the true promise and potential of AMI technology a illustrate the true promise and potential of AMI technology -- a technology that ultimately benefits the consumer, the environtechnology that ultimately benefits the consumer, the environment, and the power grid itself. ment, and the power grid itself. BEnEfits to your BusinEss BENEFITS TO YOUR BUSINESS tHE nEED for intEgratED EntErPrisE solutions THE NEED FOR INTEGRATED ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS As the momentum for AMI has grown, utilities have impleAs the momentum for AMI has grown, utilities have implemented different components of the technology, undertakmented different components of the technology, undertaking these projects in a piecemeal, disconnected fashion. For ing these projects in a piecemeal, disconnected fashion. For example, some organizations have installed smart-meter field example, some organizations have installed smart-meter field devices and in-home devices without having the right IT infradevices and in-home devices without having the right IT infrastructure and software in place to handle the data these devices structure and software in place to handle the data these devices By combining AMI technologies with the right enterprise By combining AMI technologies with the right enterprise software, you can take control of AMI technology and harness software, you can take control of AMI technology and harness its potential benefits, simplifying a complex situation and its potential benefits, simplifying a complex situation and enabling you to own your business processes and data, lower enabling you to own your business processes and data, lower total cost of ownership, and mitigate risk. total cost of ownership, and mitigate risk. For more information please contact Kevin Walsh by phone For more information please contact Kevin Walsh by phone at +1 978-930-1186 or e-mail him at kevin.walsh@sap.com. +1 978-930-1186 or e-mail him at kevin.walsh@sap.com. at www.energycentral.com E n E rgyB z 39 www.energycentral.com E N E RGYB IiZ 39 http://www.energycentral.com
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