Industry:

Utilities

Situation:

EPUD (Emerald People's Utility District) was searching for greater efficiencies in its electric operations after revealing an undue reliance on a two-way radio system which was overburdened by its heavy usage. In addition, field crews were spending unproductive time away from their primary duties, involving maintenance and trouble shooting, filling out a myriad of paper report forms. EPUD was in need of a more productive and cost effective solution.

Solution:

EPUD was outfitted with wireless CDPD AirCard modems.

Environment:

CDPD AirCards installed into Panasonic Toughbook computers running Windows XP.

Benefits:

Wireless networking has provided measurable advantages to EPUD in terms of improved customer service, enhanced cost containment and overall efficiency.

Wireless networking has provided measurable advantages to EPUD in terms of improved customer service, enhanced cost containment and overall efficiency.

Located in Eugene, Oregon, U.S., Emerald People's Utility District (EPUD) historically has used advanced technologies in electronic mapping, energy services and power generation. In its search for greater efficiencies in its electric operations, as is true for most utilities, a survey of its dispatching activities revealed an undue reliance on a two-way radio system, which was overburdened by its heavy usage. In addition, field crews were spending unproductive time away from their primary duties, involving maintenance and trouble shooting, fill out a myriad of paper report forms.

Although the installation of cellular phones in service trucks proved to be an obvious answer to the problems with the two-way radio system, attempts to use mobile data terminals in the trucks were unproductive for dispatching wireless service orders. While vendors claimed the two-way radio system would support a wireless data network, the results were disappointing. To overcome the problems encountered in this attempt to use wireless technology, a new approach was undertaken to build a network using AT&T Wireless Data Services, which is known as Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD). The intention was to install the technology and test its reliability and coverage within EPUD's service territory.

Testing the Wireless Network

Using a Panasonic Toughbook computer, a wireless CDPD AirCard modem from Sierra Wireless and the help of AT&T's wireless data services, EPUD adopted a plan to test the CDPD wireless network for reception and transmission. Because CDPD is composed of well-defined, standardized Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocols, the in-house staff set up a wireless network connection to the existing internal local area network (LAN) and AS400 mainframe.

Once the wireless IP connections were configured, the CDPD network was tested in the office environment by sending wireless e-mail, customer information data, and engineering and operations data to the Toughbook computer. The positive test results led to a system test in the field that involved a drive-through of the service territory to plot out the coverage of the wireless CDPD network. As before, the test was successful and steps were initiated to determine the full capabilities of the new wireless wide area network (WWAN).

Changing Work Habits

At the outset, dispatching procedures for service orders were proposed to eliminate paper service orders, to reduce data-entry work for the dispatchers and to provide real-time information to servicemen in the field. Although the goal of reducing paper and data-entry work was realized, and servicemen were gaining access to real-time data over the WWAN, there was no full appreciation of the significant changes that were created for the users of the system.

Switching from paper to electronic forms would require personnel to rely on electronic technology to view, store and transmit service order information. If the users resisted this procedure change, there was a risk the new system would not provide the desired functionality. Fortunately, the users saw the proposed changes as a challenge and were determined to make the project a success. Even though the successful implementation of the changes was due in part to AT&T's CDPD technology, the true success of the undertaking was based on the team effort to accept change.

Using the System

Using standard client/server software, electronic service orders now are being transmitted via wireless e-mail to the Panasonic computers mounted in the service trucks. With the new WWAN, field personnel no longer have to wait for an open line on two-way radios or cellular phones. In this respect, servicemen do not have to check in with the office for daily assignments. Each serviceman begins his day from home when he gets into his service truck and logs on to his computer to receive service orders. Under these circumstances, the serviceman can respond to customer service calls as they come in over the WWAN via the dispatch center, rather than having to pick up the orders on the following day. The service orders are processed quickly, and wireless timesheets are updated in a timely manner.

To eliminate paperwork and duplicate data entry by the dispatcher, a routine was written to collect the service order data as the dispatcher enters them into the mainframe database. These data are then e-mailed via wireless to the serviceman for real-time processing. After completing the service work, the serviceman responds to the e-mail by opening a wireless terminal emulation session (TN5250) to the AS400 and entering the completed service order data. Because there are no dial-up airtime or ISP charges, the laptop remains connected to the WWAN all day, monitoring the network, ready to send and receive electronic service orders and e-mail as needed.

Enhancing Security

Although CDPD data are transmitted via the wireless modem along dedicated radio-frequency channels, adding barriers of encryption, authorization and firewalls can enhance network security. A Mobile Data Base Station (MDBS) that manages data transmissions on cellular channels receives and delivers data to a special-purpose Mobile Data Intermediate System (MDIS), which, in turn, routes data packets to the network backbone. The data are then handed to routers in the network for delivery to the destination host system. The CDPD network is usually connected to the fixed-end system through a frame-relay network or the Internet. The AT&T Wireless CDPD network provides a high level of security to its subscribers using 128-bit airlink encryption, client and host credential authorization, and consistent market dependability.

Training Personnel

For wireless dispatching to be successful, it is important to start early with frequent training for those who will be using the system. Feedback from the users is important, especially regarding those who are not comfortable with computers. Although a field computer connected to the WWAN should be as easy to use as an office computer connected to the LAN, the bandwidth and signal strength both affect the performance of the WWAN. The user should be trained not only to recognize those common connection issues that arise from time to time with the CDPD but also how to deal with them. The user should know how the WWAN works and how data are sent from the computer in the field back to the office network or to another computer connected to the Internet.

Properly installed, a wireless CDPD network makes the transaction of mobile data an efficient vehicle, which reduces the time required to transfer information from handwritten forms to an electronic database, where data are entered once on the mobile data terminal instead of entering the data on a paper form and reentering it on the network by office data-entry personnel. This procedure reduces the number of steps required for data entry and keeps the process simple for the benefit of users who may not have a highly sophisticated set of computer skills. Making this transition may be difficult for some, so it may be necessary to provide one-on-one training. The most important message to get across to the end user is that the wireless network is designed to provide better and more accurate information for all users of the network in a more efficient way, which will increase overall productivity.

Realizing Positive Results

The WWAN, with customer information now available in real-time to the field staff, provides fast response between servicemen and customers. The results have amply justified the investment in the system. Return on investment for the wireless project has been quickly realized because of the savings in gasoline and man-hours previously expended traveling back and forth to the office to pick up service orders. Enough time is saved throughout the day to assign additional service orders to servicemen, resulting in increased production and customer satisfaction. Field personnel now are able to process work orders in real-time, reducing back-office data-entry work. Savings realized for each serviceman is US$126 per day.

Wireless networking has provided measurable advantages to EPUD in terms of improved customer service, enhanced cost containment and overall efficiency. The use of the system is not limited to servicemen. Engineers, the general manager and field collector all have access to the WWAN for dispatching service orders, time sheets, recloser readings, substation readings, e-mail, engineering and mapping information. Future potential users include line crews, energy service personnel, meter readers, mechanics, department managers and on-call supervisors.