Managing planned outages can be a challenging task. In this article, we will discuss how, with the help of IPS®OMS, you can streamline your outage planning and management processes, making your job easier, more efficient, and less stressful.
IPS®OMS is user-centric and makes your life easier, not harder. The system is designed to use your existing processes and terminology, creating an efficient solution to manage and communicate all aspects of a planned outage.
What are the challenges of a Planned Outage?
A planned outage has four significant challenges: coordination, communication, compliance, and cost. Within the coordination challenge lies the internal coordination of operations, maintenance, and engineering and external coordination with, for example, governmental agencies. All of these stakeholders have their priorities and schedules. Another vital factor to consider during coordination is minimizing customer time impact.
It is essential to manage communication between all the entities involved. Customers want communication; improper communication with outside agencies can lead to delays, and operations, maintenance, and engineering departments must be in the loop. Consider a scenario where the planning team overlooks the communication of vital details such as the precise time and location of the power outage or the extent of the work to be carried out. As a result, the field crew may be ill-equipped to perform their assigned duties with maximum efficiency. Leading to delays, missed deadlines, and even safety hazards.
There are several ways compliance issues can lead to problems. If permits or regulatory approvals are required for the planned outage area, delays or legal consequences may arise. Within the compliance realm, you must also consider the planned outage schedule. Not adhering to the planned outage window can lead to compliance issues and penalties.
Tying these issues together is the last of the four significant challenges. Cost impacts every planned outage issue that can occur. Failure to communicate, coordinate, and comply can result in loss of time, increased staffing, safety issues, fines, and legal consequences, to name a few. All of these issues contribute to cost!
How does IPS®OMS handle the Challenges of Planned Outages?
As previously discussed, coordinating planned outages can be challenging and requires collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. The IPS®OMS system facilitates utility coordination by providing a platform for scheduling outages, visualizing plans, and recording operational log activities. The platform also offers the infrastructure for change tracking, alerting, notification, and reporting and can seamlessly integrate with all internal and external systems. IPS®OMS streamlines the coordination process, reducing the impact on power system utilities.
IPS®OMS enables utilities to communicate with their internal teams and external stakeholders effectively; this ensures everyone is on the same page to complete the planned outages safely and quickly. The platform provides various communication channels, such as email, SMS alerts, and social media updates, to facilitate effective communication. Additionally, the system can automatically engage certain communications when specific events occur, thus enhancing time management and reducing errors.
Moreover, IPS®OMS is designed to assist in complying with the power industry’s regulatory standards and guidelines for outage management. It fulfills the requirements of regulatory bodies such as NERC, FERC, and others. The system provides a comprehensive solution to manage and track outages, work permits, and other associated activities in adherence to regulatory requirements. Furthermore, the platform is flexible and customizable, allowing utilities to adapt to changes in regulations or reporting requirements quickly. IPS®OMS provides a robust reporting system that generates reports in the required formats for regulatory compliance. Providing a centralized platform to manage outage-related activities and data, IPS®OMS is designed to help utilities maintain compliance with regulatory requirements while being adaptable to regulatory changes.
IPS®OMS and Cost Reduction
Our last challenge cost is embedded in coordination, communication, and compliance. While not separate from the other areas, the importance of a utility is so vital that it deserves its own section. There are costs related to operations, maintenance, and engineering; external costs can affect a utility through customer dissatisfaction, fines from agencies, and other losses related to bad planning. Streamlining outage planning and management processes makes your job easier, more efficient, less stressful, and cost-efficient. Here are some ways that IPS®OMS can help:
- Streamlining outage planning and management processes, IPS®OMS helps utilities save time and reduce the number of manual tasks required to manage outages. This results in increased efficiency and reduced labor costs.
- By providing real-time visibility into outage schedules and work activities, IPS®OMS helps utilities optimize maintenance and reduce downtime. This translates to reduced costs associated with equipment failure and repairs.
- IPS®OMS provides a comprehensive solution for compliance management, reducing the risk of non-compliance penalties and associated costs. The system ensures that all necessary permits and approvals are obtained before the outage, reducing the risk of delays and legal consequences.
Overall, IPS®OMS is a cost-effective solution that helps power system utilities reduce costs by improving efficiency, optimizing maintenance, and minimizing downtime.
In conclusion, managing planned outages can be a complex and challenging task. Still, with the help of IPS®OMS, utilities can streamline their outage planning and management processes, making their job more accessible, more efficient, and cost-effective. By providing a centralized platform for collaboration and communication, assisting in complying with regulatory requirements, and reducing operational costs, IPS®OMS enables utilities to manage planned outages safely and quickly, with minimal impact on the power system and customers. With its user-centric design and customizable features, IPS®OMS is the ideal solution for utilities looking to improve their outage management processes and achieve greater operational efficiency.
Book a demo and learn more about managing planned outages from the IPS experts.