Utilities and Energy

SBS consultants have provided a myriad of business and technical services to a number of different utility companies, including the following sampling of initiatives:

ESCO
SBS was selected by a nationally recognized Energy Service Company (ESCO) to design, develop, and maintain an online utility management and bill processing system, which would allow them capture, verify, pay, and maintain its customer’s utility bills across all facilities within the organization. SBS developed the business case, system requirements, and project approach, designed a multi-phased project approach, developed and successfully implemented a web based solution on a .Net/SQL Server platform.

EDI Gateway
SBS developed a full service EDI gateway solution, capable of integration with existing in-house systems, whose primary goal was to allow successful EDI communication to occur with trading partners in multiple states, utilizing multiple versions of the ANSI standards, while interfacing with the customer billing system. SBS conducted all the EDI Mapping, converted all transactions to/from a common file format, and handled all the error handling and exception processing for all EDI transactions in compliance with the ANSI standards. The final product was an end-to-end EDI solution that operated independently on a scheduled basis and required minimal routine maintenance.

Curriculum Development
SBS developed a multimedia Systems Operator and Dispatcher Training program for an electric utility company which provided them with selection screening tools to allow employees outside the traditional Substation and Power Delivery groups to apply for and successfully become System Dispatchers, and to provide a more formal training program for new System Dispatchers. SBS capitalized upon the institutional knowledge of the existing Subject Matter Experts and leveraged various existing training materials, and delivered both a “stand and deliver” classroom curriculum, as well as a self-paced, multi-media training platform.

Business Process Redesign and Training
SBS performed JAD facilitation and Business Process Reengineering (BPR) services to redesign the Enterprise-wide Core Process Model, and authored a Process Development Guidebook for an electric utility company. In addition, SBS developed a tiered training schedule and conducted the enterprise-wide Process Overview training for over 600 personnel.

Knowledge Transfer
With baby boomers preparing to leave the workforce in droves in the coming years, this utility needed to prepare Knowledge Transfer Plans for 18 core business roles. SBS provided the methodology for developing task analysis and skills assessment using the Job Task Analysis process. Through a series of facilitated focus group sessions, SBS defined and established a methodology to capture data from the sessions that assisted in developing Knowledge Transfer Plans, provided guidance to the existing Knowledge Transfer team, facilitated sessions (Initial and possible follow-up) with Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) for all 18 positions, compiled all findings from sessions and provided overall recommendations for assembling a proto-type Knowledge Transfer Plan that included tracking and validating results.

Smart Grid Initiatives
SBS has supported electric utilities in a number of Smart Grid initiatives. Such engagements include the facilitation of the requirements, RFP development and vendor selection for both a new two-way communications “smart” meter, and a new Meter Data Management solution.