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Transmission Work Management

Product & Service Offerings

Business-Focused Strategic Planning

Utilities are quickly finding that transmission assets in the deregulated environment are a challenge to operate effectively and efficiently, but also an opportunity to improve earnings. Traditionally, transmission lines and substations were part of the energy delivery make upnot a stand-alone, for-profit business. That has now changed. Utilities vary greatly in what they are doing with transmission: operating it as usual, creating a separate TransCo, adding lines for load requirements, selling capacity, or building merchant lines to capture generation cost differentials. Yanco Associates works with your utility and your vision to develop the required strategic business processes and system plans.

Transmission Work Management Strategic Plan

Based on the identified requirements of all the stakeholders and a clear understanding of the utility transmission business as it exists today and needs to exist in the next several years, we develop a multi-year strategy for the required systems. Our solutions combine people, processes, and systems in a synergistic relationship. Yanco Associates believes the processes and the systems should facilitate employees meeting all strategic goals and requirements for both internal and external customers.

Strategic Design and Implementation

The identification of issues that obstruct the utility or business unit from meeting its goals is the first step in gaining and maintaining a competitive business advantage. The next step is the implementation of the systems, providing the required change management support, and working through the issues. To facilitate this process, Yanco Associates has developed tools, techniques, and guides that allow the development and assembly of functional and technical requirements for the processes and systems that will support those processes. Based on these requirements, our team also develops complete RFPs for the required services, response systems for RFP evaluations, and implementation support and management.

System Integration Planning

Utility reality is that legacy systems exist and need to be incorporated in a “go-forward” plan. SCADA and interchange meter readings need to be incorporated in the network model and stored for future load-flow analysis. Federal, state, and local filings for new lines require a central repository for “response control.” Land management, vegetation management, and coordination with local distribution companies all require a plan and process path in the system. Our strategic plan focuses on current system capabilities, business requirements, plans for new systems, as well as the specific project focus. We offer the development of an integrated business process and systems strategic plan and detailed design.

Transmission Work Focused Business Process Modernization, Product Specifications, Configuration, Implementation Planning, and Installation Support

Typical Services

  • Utility goals and objectives for both the short range (1-5 years) and long range plan.
     
  • Current business process review, a walk-through of major functions (needs identification, records, data, line siting, design, permitting, project management, construction, records, etc.).
     
  • Understand, analyze, and deliver an evaluation and opportunity presentation.
     
  • Future processes for the to-be” business model recognizing the goals of the utility or the transmission group. This will include the business activities in which the group will engage as an owner, operator, RTO, ISO, or other business model.
     
  • Business process, system, and data assessments based on both future and current processes and systems that are used to facilitate the work.
     
  • System specifications, including available packages, custom application features, unique (utility specific) designs, interfaces, and RFPs. This includes the creation of entity diagrams for the system and data flows.
     
  • System selection, project planning, and implementation support
     
  • System design, configuration, installation, integration.
     
  • Data acquisition planning, conversion, and migration
     
  • Software prototyping, FAT, SAT, SIT testing.
     
  • Change management.
     
  • Documentation and training.

Representative Experience of the Yanco Associates Team

  • Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) - Investigated system and process issues, developed business plan, business processes “to-be ”functional and technical requirements, benefits, implementation plan, and computerized response evaluation system. Asset focused transmission system that required integration to existing process based system.
     
  • Bonneville Power Authority/Oak Ridge National Laboratories - Investigated and provided tools and processes for the coordinated maintenance of vital assets for the transmission of power to Northwest population centers.
     
  • Northeast Utilities - Performed a Transmission Strategic Implementation Project (TranSIP) which investigated system and process issues, business processes “to-be” functional and technical requirements, benefits, implementation plan, and an evaluation system. Process focused system that required integration to existing legacy systems with a three phase go-forward plan as other systems were changed/added.
     
  • American Transmission Company - Developed an asset-focused maintenance strategy to allow ATC to perform just-in-time maintenance on critical assets ensuring reliable operation while minimizing costs.  This approach has proven to be particularly beneficial in monitoring protective relay and other critical equipment operations, while enabling true Smart Grid functionality.

 

Send mail to ron@yanco.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2009 Yanco Associates
Last modified: 09/21/09