MultiSpeak Integration Case Study Gregory A. Wolven, P.E.Jeff Newman Director of EngineeringCoordina

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MultiSpeak Integration Case StudyGregory A.
Wolven, P.E. Jeff NewmanDirector of
Engineering Coordinator of Mapping and
Communications

• February 15, 2006

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WHY ?

• Why do we want to change ?
• We have ALWAYS done it this way.
• The little end of the pole has ALWAYS gone into
  the ground.

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• What we intend to cover in this presentation
• Definition of the problem
• Desired solution
• The MultiSpeak approach
• How is it working ?

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Interfaces we are talking about today

• Work Order System to Staking
• (FA to Staking)
• Customer Information System to AMR
• (MR to CB and CB to MR)

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Objectives

• Streamline the Interface between Accounting,
  Staking, Engineering Analysis, Mapping, OMS and
  AMR
• The ultimate goal is the ability to share
  pertinent data to individuals throughout our
  networked system, enabling better performance
  from all affected employees.

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16,235 active accounts
Approximately 115MW NCP
37 Substations
2,626 miles of line
6.2 cons/mile
43 total Employees
THIS is why MultiSpeak is important to
us!
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Definition of the problem

• Outputs, if available, leaned toward an ASCII
  comma delimited flat file.
• Competing products between vendors did not
  encourage cooperation.
• Software updates on either end of the pipeline
  usually broke the information interface,
  requiring interface updates that usually had a
  dollar cost and the associated down-time.

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MultiSpeak Points

• MultiSpeak is NOT a religion
• If you do not want to use it, dont.
• MultiSpeak is not a panacea, it is not the
  magic wand that fixes all of your problems.

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Work Order System to Staking(FA to Staking)

• Units and Materials - the problems
• The construction unit profile report has to be
  processed into a column orientated ASCII file.

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Work Order System to Staking(FA to Staking)

• Units and Materials - the problems
• Each utility required different report formats
  based on preference and printing requirements.
• Too many steps.
• Not consistent between versions of Work Order
  Accounting systems.

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Work Order System to Staking(FA to Staking)

• Units and Materials - The Old Way
• Export Units in CAPS XL to a construction unit
  material profile report.
• Transfer the report file to StakeOut Server
  computer.
• Run custom MiniMax program to process the report
  to parse out data to a column orientated ASCII
  file.
• Run a StakeOut Server import routine to read the
  column orientated ASCII file.
• Synchronize StakeOut clients with StakeOut Server
  to update field computers

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Work Order System to Staking(FA to Staking)

• Units and Materials - The MultiSpeak way
• Export a MultiSpeak Units and Materials XML file
  from iVUE. (MultiSpeak v 2.2 Batch)
• Import the MultiSpeak XML file directly into
  StakeOut Server. (MultiSpeak v 2.2 Batch)
• Completing the cycle
• Create new work orders and Transfer completed
  work order information (Units, materials and
  header) from StakeOut to iVUE. (Custom .dll)

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CIS and AMR Data Flow
Account Number Name/Address Service
Location Billing Cycle Account Status Meter
Readings
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AMR Statistics

• 23 Distribution Substations
• 3,000 AMR meters deployed over these Substations,
  with more set everyday
• Active communications path and AMR equipment
  installed in all substations (900Mhz radio)
• Meters statuses are changed on a daily basis.

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Account Status Changes
Web ServicesNew meters to new connectsMeter
change outsRemove meters / disconnectsCIS data
changes reflected in both systemsAdd / Remove
Consumption monitoring by statusInteroffice
transfers of service readings (read now)
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CIS data changes reflected in both systems
Real Time Customer Info MultiSpeak 2.3 / 3.0 (Web
Services)
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Integration with CIS
Request meter reading from AMR system without
leaving CIS application. CSRs learn ONE
application
Read Now
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Integration with CIS
Meter reading automatically populates CIS
application
Gets Latest Reading
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MultiSpeak Case Study

• MultiSpeak Benefits
• Consistent interface between software versions.
• Reduce processing and conversion steps.
• Create vendor neutral non-proprietary interface.

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MultiSpeak Case Study

• MultiSpeak Benefits (continued)
• Allows the selection of the BEST applications for
  our utilities without settling for 2nd, 3rd or
  4th best.
• This is decided by US, the end-user, not a
  software vendors ability to interface/integrate.
• Allows us, the end-user, to concentrate on our
  REAL jobs instead of chasing after interfaces and
  fixes.

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• MultiSpeak Benefits (estimated savings)
• Dont need to give access to some people for a
  system that they dont really use (training
  issues).
• Savings in meter data entry.  5,200 5 minutes
  433 hours.  40.00 an hour 17,333 a year
  (during 3yr deployment).
• Send Units and Materials to StakeOut.  
• Was always updated once a month 
• Comparing the ascii way to the MultiSpeak way
• 15 minute improvement 12 times a year 3
  hours a year.  120. 
• Based on 20 changes a month on material costs 
  1 minute per material item.  20 minutes a month
  12 times a year 4 hours a year 160.00. 
• Prices of materials are becoming less stable. 
• Therefore the need for current price updates is
  increased. 

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• MultiSpeak Benefits (estimated savings)
• If you update the price of 100 material items a
  week  100 1 minute an item 52 weeks 86
  hours a year 3,466 a year.
• Hassle factor is reduced. 
• Being able to have things automated enables you
  to do things that you wouldnt otherwise be able
  to do.
• (Lost opportunity cost)

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MultiSpeak Case Study

• MultiSpeak Lessons
• Versioning  one vendor has a MultiSpeak version
  supported and another vendor has a different
  version supported.
• Getting all the vendors into the MultiSpeak way
  so that all interfaces can be MultiSpeak.
• Some pain in being one of the first. Vendors
  THOUGHT it should work.

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In Conclusion

• MultiSpeak is NOT a religion
• If you do not want to use it, dont.
• Nothing worth having is without some work.
• Use the tools available to make the job as easy
  as reasonable, not everyone has unlimited
  resources.
• If you cant work smart, you gotta be tough.
• MultiSpeak is not a panacea, it is not the
  magic wand that
• fixes all of your problems.
• We feel the benefits FAR outweigh the upfront
  work

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For further information go to

• www.multispeak.org

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• Gregory A. Wolven, P.E.
• Director of Engineering
• gawpe_at_winenergyremc.com
• Jeff Newman
• Coordinator of Mapping and Communications
• jeffn_at_winenergyremc.com
• WIN Energy REMC
• P.O. Box 577
• Vincennes, IN 47591
• [phone]
• www.winenergyremc.com