Grid’s workforce management can be used by utilities to optimize the management of field personnel and resources across projects. During the course of large scale undertakings like meter upgradation projects, utilities have to deal with vast amounts of information, where traditional methods of data collection are often prone to inaccuracies. Add to that the complexity of managing hundreds or even thousands of personnels, along with communication channel requirements between field staff and management. Instances of poor communication between stakeholders also results in miscommunication and project delays, with the latter impacting the overall service quality. With Grid, field personnels and management can address the above pain points, gaining an end-to-end view of entire field operations from a remote location.
Understanding Workforce Management
Workforce management includes a varying range of steps and processes targeted at optimizing the deployment of field personnel and maximizing operational efficiency. Grid’s Workforce Management System (WMS) facilitates the entire lifecycle of smart metering projects for utilities, from consumer indexing, meter installations and operations & maintenance. The solution is powered with a frontline mobile application and advanced dashboarding capabilities, enabling real-time monitoring and comprehensive reporting of large-scale projects.
How Does Grid’s WMS Work for Utilities?
As a no-code operational data management platform, Grid alleviates data collection via mobile/-web-based applications and supports integrations to send and receive data. Our end-to-end workforce management system is custom designed to handle the complexity of smart metering projects, capturing each phase of the project lifecycle- from surveying and implementation to execution.
Baseline data collection and consumer indexing
The journey begins with a thorough consumer baselining process, which becomes essential to understand the specific needs of households or businesses. With Grid’s frontline app, teams can conduct efficient surveys to gather critical information with pre-configured forms, like location coordinates or existing utility usage patterns. In this way, reliance on outdated pen and paper methods is eliminated, with every piece of data being captured even in areas of low connectivity.
Streamlined meter installation
Once the consumer profiles are captured and established, the installation phase can commence. Insights gained from consumer surveys guide the strategic deployment of installation teams, who are equipped with real-time information via Grid’s Frontline App. This process ensures that smart meters are installed efficiently during the meter upgradation project, while adhering to safety standards and minimizing any disruptions.
Real-time inventory management
For successful rollout of smart meters, effective inventory management becomes critical. Grid’s Workforce management system enables utilities to track the availability of meters and installation tools in near real-time. With QR codes enabled for inventory logging, utilities can enhance their visibility and ensure that supplies are always available, preventing any delay in installations.
Operations and maintenance monitoring
After the installation phase, smart meters require continuous operations and maintenance. With Grid, teams can monitor meter performance, facilitating timely detection and resolution of issues. The WFM solution also provides deep insights into maintenance team efficiency through metrics like time to resolution, ensuring that every customer support is prioritized.
Comprehensive reporting and dashboarding
Grid’s WMS can seamlessly integrate with existing Meter Data Management (MDM) systems and provide comprehensive reporting for smart meter upgradation projects. Key analytics include:
- Energy audit reports: Detailed-level analyses at transformer and feeder levels to assess energy distribution and losses
- Load analysis reports: Insights into consumption patterns across consumer groups, enabling utilities to optimize their resource allocation
- Outage reports: greater transparency into causes for frequent power interruptions and need for recovery actions, improving the overall service reliability
- Service level agreement (SLA) reports: Continuous monitoring to ensure adherence to agreed service protocols for higher efficiency and uptime
Real-Life Application for Grid’s Workforce Management System
Use Case: Smart Meter Upgradation Project
To understand the full potential of Grid’s Workforce Management System, we will now have a detailed use case focusing on utilities engaged in meter upgradation projects. This scenario will highlight how Grid streamlines end-to-end operations from data collection to maintenance, ensuring a seamless transition to smart metering solutions.
Step 1: Baseline data collection
Every Distribution company (DISCOM) maintains a unique repository that serves as the foundation for all their customer surveys. Grid streamlines this entire process by providing a comprehensive worksheet that segregates the baseline data in a hierarchical manner. This includes essential data such as:
Consumer details: Name, unique ID, DTR number, registered mobile number, connection type, existing meter number, etc.
Geographical data: Information organized by substations and feeders, allowing for a target approach to indexing and surveys
This meticulous approach ensures that every relevant aspect of consumer data is readily available, allowing field teams to conduct thorough surveys with greater accuracy.
Step 2: Consumer Indexing
Grid’ frontline app allows field teams to conduct consumer surveys to validate existing data, including key activities like:
Feasibility checks: Determining if the recorded location is suitable for meter installation (checks for discrepancies like single-phase vs three phase configurations)
Data auto-population: Grid’s app auto-fills critical data fields based on the consumer’s unique ID, reducing manual entry errors and fast-tracking the process
This systematic approach ensures that customer profiles are accurate and ready for subsequent phases.
The indexing process also includes Field Data Capture for teams to apprehend other critical information like:
Consumer status: Present status of the consumer account
Meter details: Data about the old meter including manufacturer name and current meter rating
Location coordinates: Automatic capturing of the longitude and latitude details for precise mapping of meter locations via Grid’s map interface
Step 3: Meter installation tracking
With Grid, utilities can continuously monitor meter installation phase via comprehensive dashboarding features. Key metrics include:
Consumer survey details: The total number of consumers allocated for the project, number surveyed and pending surveys
Installation progress: A breakdown of total meters allocated, installed and pending installations
Both visual representations provide stakeholders with immediate feedback into project status and highlight areas that call for immediate intervention and approval
Step 4: Inventory management
Users can create worksheets for inventory management with details including item type, warehouse name, supplier name, invoice number and date.
Item type and suppliers: This sheet will also have data for each meters including meter number, item category, model name, old serial number, received date, etc, along with a column for non-serialized items (variable assets) for Operations & maintenance such as cables, switches, box, etc.
Real-time inventory tracking: QR codes can be scanned to log items in and out of warehouses, ensuring transparency into stock level at all times
This feature minimizes delays associated with inventory shortages and help optimize resource allocation throughout the project.
Step 5: Operations & maintenance (O&M)
Once the smart meters are installed, they enter a phase of ongoing operations and maintenance managed via Grid’s Workforce Management System. Some key functionalities include:
Ticket creation: Field technicians can create tickets that capture details like consumer ID, existing meter serial number, fault type, and assigned personnel for the task
Real-time updates: Technicians can select tickets from a dropdown menu, with necessary fields auto-populating after entering the ticket ID. They can also upload images of the meter as proof of work done, mention the actions that were taken during resolution, and document the completion status
With this streamlined ticketing approach, utilities can enhance response times for maintenance issues while providing valuable metrics on team performance.
Conclusion
Grid’s Workforce Management System represents a transformative shift for utilities undertaking smart metering projects. Companies can now optimize their resources in a more efficient manner by seamlessly integrating every phase of the project lifecycle. Stakeholders gain greater visibility into project status, resulting in swift-decision making and reducing unnecessary delays. As a result, service delivery is improved along with enhanced customer satisfaction and trust.
With Grid, utilities are better equipped to face the workforce management complexities head on, and ensure a successful rollout and implementation of their smart meeting projects.
