Integrating GPS tracking software to improve business operations
BY JENNY MALCOLM, GPS Insight
Software integration, the process of combining individual computing systems into a unified whole is important to electric and utility companies because it provides the full picture into all fleet activity.
Integrating global positioning system (GPS) fleet tracking software with a geographic information system (GIS), mapping overlays, an outage management system and other software features, can provide the most information for day-to-day operations...
Protecting utility workers using mobile technologies BY TOM OCONNOR, Panasonic Solutions for Business Nearly every lineman has heard of a colleague who has been injured—or worse—while on the job. Because of the dangers inherent to their job (that is, electrical safety in the field), these brave...
For utilities who want to reduce costs in record time BY ROB HOYSGAARD, ARI Save, or saving, is defined as the act of avoiding unnecessary waste or expense. The key word in that definition is unnecessary. A 50 percent reduction is essential, on-the-road vehicles do not result in savings; rather it...
Utility workers and linemen work in one of the most mobile industries in the country. Think about it: utility workers are always moving from one project to the next as efficiently as possible. Since utility workers rely so heavily on their work vehicles, it is critical that they drive a vehicle...
Fleet managers working at electric utilities know that for crews to be successful on any jobsite, they need to have access to tools that will help them work safer, smarter, more efficiently and more profitably. In the electric utility industry, a utility truck, whether an aerial device, such as a...
A coalition of large energy consumers and ratepayer advocates has filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), urging the agency to prohibit transmission owners from independently planning "local" transmission projects exceeding 100 kilovolts (kV). The coalition argues...
Remote field operations present the safety organization with a myriad of challenges when it comes to ensuring the safety of the people that you send out to work in the field every day. Without a doubt, this includes the line workers, but it also includes nearly every member of the staff whose...
For many utilities, scheduling each day’s construction and restoration work means manually organizing and keeping tabs on ever-changing crew schedules and resources. Managers meticulously update whiteboards dotted with color-coded magnets representing crews and trucks. Augmenting the...
In June 2012, the Ontario Legislature unanimously passed Bill 8, the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, which, among other things, requires owners of buried infrastructure in the public right of way – including municipalities, universities, hospitals and private...
Utility workers are often subjected to challenging working conditions for hours at a time, yet are responsible for many mission-critical tasks. These workers must communicate with the entire organization while also representing the customer-facing side of their company. Equipping workers with...
Utility workers and linemen work in one of the most mobile industries in the country. Think about it: utility workers are always moving from one project to the next as efficiently as possible. Since utility workers rely so heavily on their work vehicles, it is critical that they drive a vehicle...
