Solution Advisor Capability
Strategy
Enterprise Architecture
Enterprise Information Management
Solutions Delivered
Continuous Improvements
We help organisations accelerate strategy, establish clarity, deliver outcomes and continuously improve.
Data Architecture
Architecture
Utilities are complex organisations and can take years to develop practical architecture models. Solution Advisor has developed utility reference models to accelerate your Architecture deployment. Our approach aligns with best practice frameworks such as TOGAF, Archimate and DMBOK.
Why consider Solution Advisor?
Utilities are continuously changing / restructuring and responding to rapid market innovation. Traditional utilities core business of delivering electricity is being disrupted through technologies such as solar, battery and microgrids and through regulatory pressure and customer expectations. When developing Technology plans, negotiating system maintenance agreements or reducing operating costs there is a need to quickly understand and adapt the architecture to adequately respond to change.
Architecture - Key components
1. Reference
- Solution Advisor developed key accelerators to support your architecture development.
- Reference to best practice architecture frameworks ensures integrity.
- Architectures are modelled in a repository to enable maintenance of often complex architectures.
Outcome:- Adapted Architecture Framework.
2. Enterprise Artifacts
- Principles, standards and organisational strategy guides the architecture development.
- Requirements, constraints, issues and risks shape the architecture.
- Typically the Enterprise Architecture evolves with the implementation of foundation components, then integration and extension to enable organisation wide analysis.
- Current state and Target state architectures are defined which enable Gap analysis.
Outcome:-Enterprise Architecture and Gap Analysis.
3. Road Map
- Develop transition architectures to guide initiatives.
- Identify architectural elements that will be new, modified and removed in the context of the existing landscape.
- Sequence architectures with dependencies to enable effective program planning.
Outcome:-Organisational Road Map.
Information
Utilities manage electrical infrastructure with millions of data points. Identifying high value remediation activities for critical data can be overwhelming. Often the challenge is to identify where to start or next steps which can be the difference between success or failure.
Why consider Solution Advisor?
At Solution Advisor we bring our proven frameworks and processes to focus efforts on high value remediation and we also provide the solutions to remediate data. Our information framework is built on best practice "Asset management" and "Information management" frameworks to provide a holistic framework for utilities to accelerate the creation of Enterprise Information.
Enterprise Information for Utilities
1. Asset data - The journey starts with Asset data!
- Principles and responsibility and accountability align this framework with your organisation.
- Clear focused scope definition for data enables value to be delivered quickly.
- Data understanding is increased with key processes to improve data and track the data lifecycle throughout the organisation.
- Data instruments are developed to support Governance, Process Applications and Data Quality Measurements.
- Outcome:- Enterprise Data Foundation.
2. Asset information
- Business unit processes highlight priority focus areas to gather information requirements.
- Business unit information requirements are added to the Information Framework Instruments.
- Build on the foundation data instruments and extend to address information requirements.
- Outcome:- Business Unit Information.
3. Organisational information
- Utilise established patterns and apply to information across the whole organisation.
Outcome:-Organisational Road Map.
Data Management
Data Capture
Utilities manage design, construction, as built drawings and many other engineering drawings to operate and maintain and electrical infrastructure. When engineering drawings are managed separately on paper or outside core applications the challenge to keep information current is increased.
Engineer drawings often represent millions of data points and the project to capture and digitise drawings is becoming more urgent as technology disrupts the utility industry.
Why consider Solution Advisor?
At Solution Advisor we bring our proven frameworks and processes to apply to data capture projects for utilities. Our approach establishes or augments standards to establish the minimum foundations. The standards guide new information created and anchor the remediation activities to complete the data capture initiative.
Data Capture
1. Data Governance
- Data Ownership by key business roles.
- Principles and requirements guide data initiatives.
- Agreed standards are key instruments to continuously improve Data.
Outcome:- Data Governance and standards foundation
2. Data Remediation
- Our staff are trained in Asset, Spatial and Real time systems, to capture, structure and maintain Data across the organisation.
- Our approach accelerates improvement in legacy data.
Outcome:- Legacy Data improved.
3. Data Quality
- Our approach to data quality is to begin with measuring 3 data quality dimensions; consistency, integrity and completeness.
- Completeness – Electrical Data entity is stored in the source system ie aligns with the real world.
- Integrity – Electrical Data is valid i.e. values have integrity.
- Consistency – Electrical Data entity with key attributes is stored in the source and downstream systems.
- Each dimension is measured against Good, Ok and Bad rules then rolled up to a metric that indicates overall level of electrical data quality.
Outcome:- New Data Governed with standards.
Data Maintenance
Electrical Data (Asset, Spatial and Real-time) is fundamental to effective management of electrical networks and good quality leads to "Keeping the Lights On" for customers. Standardised electrical data with a known quality and confidence is critical to effective decision making while incorrect data leads to higher cost to manage inefficient processes and waisted efforts to validate data.
Why consider Solution Advisor?
At Solution Advisor we have staff who will work on site, offsite or offshore to securely maintain your data to high standards. We standardise Electrical Data and correct data problems that are usually hidden by staff verifying data with additional field visits. Staff have enough to do managing utility processes without the additional effort to correct legacy data issues. Solution Advisor offers an electrical data maintenance service to help utilities maintain and improve electrical data quality through augmenting onsite teams or delivering managed services. Solution Advisor accelerates the approach to deliver Trusted Data!
Data Maintenance
1. Electrical Data Maintenance Process
- The Data Maintenance work instruction captures explicitly data capture and maintenance standards of Electrical Data.
- Approval, change and critical data processes are defined to provide clarity, to both the utility and data capture team.
- Enhancements, improvements and proof of concepts are regularly presented for consideration.
- Teams are augmented with onsite, offsite or offshore resources to capture and maintain data.
Outcome:- Electrical Data maintained.
2. Electrical Data Quality
- Our approach to data quality is to begin with measuring 3 data quality dimensions; consistency, integrity and completeness.
- Completeness – Electrical Data entity is stored in the source system ie aligns with the real world.
- Integrity – Electrical Data is valid i.e. values have integrity.
- Consistency – Electrical Data entity with key attributes is stored in the source and downstream systems.
- Each dimension is measured against Good, Ok and Bad rules then rolled up to a metric that indicates overall level of electrical data quality.
Outcome:- Electrical Data Quality Measured.
3. Skilled people
- Our Electrical data staff are trained in Asset, Spatial and Real time systems, data capture processes.
- Our teams mobilise quickly, and scale as required with onsite/offsite and off shore teams.
Outcome:- Trusted Electrical Data.
Data Governance
Network Data
Utilities interact with millions of data points to manage an electricity network. Many Utilities are now focusing on completing the LV Network to help manage the increase distributed energy resources being connected to the grid.
Why consider Solution Advisor?
At Solution Advisor we bring our proven frameworks and processes to apply to utilities. Our approach to improve network information is built on best practice "Asset management" and "Information management" frameworks to provide a pragmatic approach for utilities to accelerate improve network Information.
Trusted Network data is essential to manage the “Electrical Network of the Future”
Modelling electrical network components in alignment with the real world is becoming more critical as distributed energy resources increase, and time to make decisions decreases.
Complete, and accurate Network Data is required to manage new emerging patterns of consumption and generation while maintaining a stable and secure electrical network.
Network Data
1. Network Data Foundation
- Modelling the complete electrical network is foundational to utilities.
- Alignment to real world assets and electrical connectivity supports key business functions
- Standards are key instruments to continuously improve Network Data.
Outcome:- Network Data Defined
2. Core Platforms
- Our staff are trained in Asset, Spatial and Real time systems, to improve Network Data .
- Our accelerates improve Network Data quality.
Outcome:- Integrated Network Data.
3. Technology Disruption
- DER technologies are being connected to the grid at increasing rates.
- ADMS and DERMS systems rely on quality network data to manage electrical processes.
Outcome:- Technology disruption managed.
4. Network Data Quality
- Our approach to data quality is to begin with measuring 3 data quality dimensions; consistency, integrity and completeness.
- Completeness – Electrical Data entity is stored in the source system ie aligns with the real world.
- Integrity – Electrical Data is valid i.e. values have integrity.
- Consistency – Electrical Data entity with key attributes is stored in the source and downstream systems.
- Each dimension is measured against Good, Ok and Bad rules then rolled up to a metric that indicates overall level of electrical data quality.
Outcome:- Network Data Quality Measured.
Electrical Data
Electrical Data represents the real-world physical assets and the logical network within systems data that is required to manage an electrical distribution network. Standards and definitions are critical to Electrical data symbology across the organisation.
Why consider Solution Advisor?
Our staff understand Electrical Data in the context of utility organisations. We have system agnostic data reference models to accelerate the definition of electrical data, proven frameworks to structure electrical data and the detail templates to accelerate data initiatives.
Electrical Data
1. Electrical Data Context
- Networks provide the highest level of context for electrical data. Typically distribution utilities manage electricity networks (poles and wires) and communication networks (SCADA, AMI and IOT).
- Electrical Data Groups define collections of assets based on whether the physical asset performs the function of a structure, device, conductor or subsidiary asset. Asset Management functions also require non-physical asset data to perform business
functions therefore additional asset group are created such as Logical data.
Outcome:- Electrical Data context.
2. Electrical Data Structure
- Electrical data classes are defined for each group for example; structural grouped data will include pole, cross arms entities, device grouped data will include Transformer, switch entities and conductor grouped data will include wire and cable entities.
- Electrical data sub classes are defined for each class and is the lowest level to represent electrical data. Sub class data is defined with similar risk profiles, maintenance requirements and data characteristics.
- Electrical data key attributes are identified that support business functions.
- Electrical catalogue accelerates the definition of electrical data. Based on a typical electrical Transmission and Distribution business the catalogue data is derived without reference to application data structures or any specific organisation and therefore serves as a best practice reference model.
Outcome:- Electrical Data defined.
3. Electrical Data Business Classification
- Business classification of electrical data identifies business value, data ownership and applications that store electrical data.
Outcome:- Business aligned.
Data Quality
Trusted Network data is essential to manage the “Electrical Network of the Future”
Modelling electrical network components in alignment with the real world is becoming more critical as distributed energy resources increase, and time to make decisions decreases.
Complete, and accurate data is required to manage new emerging patterns of consumption and generation while maintaining a stable and secure electrical network. Utilities store with millions of data points to manage an electricity network are are striving to improve the quality of data to increase confidence when decisions are made from many sources of data.
Why do anything about Data Quality?
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Data quality is a hidden problem, as people across the organisation deal with data issues individually and often manage processes with personal information products. Corrected data is often stored locally in applications such as MS Excel and MS Access, and referred to again in the future as a source of truth. Different individuals often have a different view of the same asset or measurement.
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Regulatory obligations require “actuals” reporting, however estimation factors are used in submissions which represents risk to the business.
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Trust in data is low and the organisational efficiency impact of incorrect data is small as it only usually affects 1 person who visits the field to validate data. – The efficiency impact is magnified with asset replacement programs or asset improvement projects when data quality is poor.
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Automation of processes is minimised with poor quality data and limits the value from core application functions. Often maintenance plans are created manually due to the lack of good quality data.
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Distribution networks are likely to experience seismic shifts in the way networks are managed and operated over the next decade, due to the increase of renewables and distributed energy generation. It is vitally important for networks to understand the impacts of these changes if they are to respond to them. To understand the changes, the networks need good data quality of the physical networks, at all voltage levels.
Why consider Solution Advisor?
At Solution Advisor we Focus on Data and bring our proven frameworks and processes to apply to utilities. Our approach to improve data quality is built on best practice "Asset management" and "Information management" frameworks to provide a pragmatic approach for utilities to accelerate improve data quality.
Data Audit
Trusted data is essential to manage the “Electrical Network of the Future”
Utilities rely on data to make critical decisions every day, yet most utilities suspect their data might be inaccurate in some way. Proactively auditing data enables business to prioritise and remediate data to improve the confidence level of decisions. data.
Solution Advisor's Data Audit service provides a simple yet detailed and insightful into understanding your data.
Why consider Solution Advisor?
At Solution Advisor we Focus on Data and bring our proven frameworks and processes to apply to utilities. Our approach to audit data is built on best practice auditing methods to help utilities identify data concerns.
Core Utility Data
Asset Data
Greater regulation transparency, higher customer expectations and technology disruption, brings unexpected challenges and the need for better asset data. The expectation to do more with less resources and lower costs, drives the need for consistent and accurate data to manage electrical infrastructure in an efficient and cost-effective way. Asset Data quality is fundamental to decision making within Utilities.
Why consider Solution Advisor?
At Solution Advisor we identify opportunities to improve Asset Data, establish staged strategies and implement solutions to continually improve Asset Data.
Asset Data - Trusted!
1. Asset Data Lifecycle
- The asset data lifecycle is anchored to the real-world asset lifecycle through the procurement, commissioning and retirement of physical assets.
- The asset data lifecycle is augmented by best practice data management to reflect data status in core systems.
- Asset data governance is implemented with a RASCI and processes check points within each business unit.
Outcome:-Asset Data is Governed and Owned.
2. Asset Data Strategy
- Reconcile Asset data across core systems beginning with counts then key attributes.
- Improve Asset Data with satellite image analytics and field checking processes to better align with the real-world.
- Implement Data Quality dashboards for Asset Data which will be scaled to Asset Information and Enterprise Information.
- Continuously measure and improve Data Quality with automation.
- Create digital twins for key assets to better manage the electrical network.
Outcome:- Asset Data Strategy defined.
3. Asset Data Real World Alignment
- Our Real-World Alignment Solution is a cloud-based service that categorises real world assets from current
satellite image data. Artificial Intelligence algorithms pattern match critical distribution assets and
derived meta data to enable alignment with utility asset data.
Outcome:-Trusted Asset Data.
Spatial Data Strategy and Implementation
Spatial data is fundamental to management of electrical networks with solutions also managing the electrical topology within utilities. Spatial data is typically mastered in GIS platforms which support Asset, OMS, DMS and Analytic functions.
Why consider Solution Advisor?
At Solution Advisor we develop Spatial data strategy that is realised in GIS platforms. Our staff understand GIS data and Electrical Data in the context of utility organisations to ensure fit for purpose GIS solutions are implemented for utilities.
Spatial Data Strategy - Realised in GIS platforms
1. GIS Strategy
- Our Strategy Framework considers key aspects of GIS and is underpinned by our accelerated delivery method.
- Our structured broad approach to GIS roadmap ensures the organisations GIS concerns are sequenced in roadmaps.
- The target state for GIS considers evolving technologies and augmenting analytics with spatial capabilities.
Outcome:- GIS strategy definition.
2. GIS Implementation
- We deliver GIS through either traditional SDLC projects or Agile sprints.
- Our Architectural approach delivers GIS solutions across Business, Data Application and Technology domains.
- GIS symbology/styles are key to user experience and our electrically trained staff will model and configure GIS to align with your business.
Outcome:- Fit for purpose GIS solution.
3. GIS Platforms
- We work with major GIS platforms to ensure utilities derive value from GIS investments.
Outcome:- Trusted Spatial Partner.
Real Time Data
Trusted Real Time Data is emerging as the future enabler of utilities. Device to device communication in real time is replacing traditional broker and aggregator patterns. Real time buses are being deployed to integrate typical scada domains with microgrid solutions to effectively manage and stablisise electrical networks.
Why consider Solution Advisor?At Solution Advisor we partner with real time bus solution providers to help utilities augment traditional architectures. Implementation of flexible, scalable real time interoperable architectures prepare utilities to manage emerging peer to peer smart devices, island microgrids and traditional grid operations.
Real Time Data Strategy - Architect and prepare for emerging technologies
Strategy
Architecture
Solutions
Improvement
Information The Solution Advisor - Information Framework (SAIF) brings all our capabilities together.