Network Management

Benefits of Automation

By automating critical safety systems and converting existing paper-based records into digital format, disaster recovery and outage plans are safer and easier to implement. Emergency staff have better access to information. Effective network management can also result in cost savings through resource consolidation.

Integrated Control Room

SAIC were the first company in the world to implement a consolidated control room for a utilities company, with an electronic wall diagram showing real-time state of the network. This system is available 24x7x365 and has built in disaster recovery.

SAIC were responsible for establishing the specification of the required systems; assessing over 20 companies during a solutions trial; performing data capture for 300,000+ items per plant; configuration and systems management; and controlling the implementation of the chosen product.

By implementing this state-of-the-art system, our client was able to:

• Make resource cost savings by closing two control rooms and reducing the number of control engineers
• Automate a critical safety system, reducing time and the likelihood of human error
• Mix and match centralised/ distributed control
• Immediately provide plant data information to control engineers
• Automate the creation of outage plans

Geographic Systems

All utilities companies need oversight of extensive networks for gas and electricity distribution. The geographic recording of these assets is a major task that has significant safety and regulatory responsibility; and SAIC has significant experience in this activity.

For more than ten years, SAIC has been involved in the implementation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Power Stations and other utilities assets. We have the expertise to convert existing paper-based records into digital format, using a standard Ordnance Survey mapping backdrop. Where appropriate, this tool can be web-enabled so that a read-only version can be made available to users in-and outside the organisation.

A recent implementation of GIS required us to set up two data capture bureaux. Approx 75,000 maps were scanned, and details entered of:

• 15,000 ground mounted poles
• 46,000 km of cables
• 16,000 of overhead lines within an area of 23,000 square km

SAIC is ever mindful of the need to integrate business systems with each other in order to maximise their benefit, and have experience of integrating GIS with asset management software in particular.

Our most recent innovation has been the download of GIS data onto ruggedised laptops to allow emergency staff direct access to map-based information from within their vehicles.