The Future of Mobile Computing for Utility Field

The Future of Mobile Computing for Utility Field Workforces Steven A. Radice, Director, Utility Consulting

MDSI Vancouver, Canada Reading, UK Chicago, USA Denver Dallas § § Detroit Philadelphia Employees: Founded: 2003 Rev: Public Co: Copenhagen, DK Paris, FR 325 1993 $47 M NASDAQ: MDSI TSX: MMD Pretoria, SA Sydney, AU

Business Mobile Workforce Management (WFM) § An enterprise-wide business function § Manages the creation, dispatch, and completion of work (scheduled or not) assigned to field personnel § Workforce operates hardware that typically communicates over wireless networks (either public or private) Growth Construction Enterprise Apps. CIS OMS Work Orders Inspection & Maintenance Advantex Wireless AM Repair Service

Mobile Data/Mobile Workforce Management Inspection and Maintenance Customer Service Functions • Dispatching/job monitoring • Work load assignment/leveling • Appointment commitments • Status and completion reporting • Field resource management • Real-time information flow Distribution Management System Distribution Planning System CIS/CRM Call Center Benefits • Improved customer service • Increased labor productivity • Reduced drive time • Eliminated paperwork • Reduced voice radio • Reduced overtime • Reduced data entry Geographic Work Information Management Design System Outage Management

Key Benefits and Measures § Complete more jobs 10 - 20% more § Drive shorter distances 10 - 15% less § Meet more appointments 20 - 30% more § Employ fewer dispatchers 50 - 80% reduction § Fewer dispatch centers 50 - 90% reduction § Fewer data entry clerks 50 - 80% reduction § Reduce overtime 40 - 60% decrease

Key Benefits and Measures § Lower customer churn 35 - 50% better § Shorten time to provision service 20 - 40% reduction § Increase service availability 20 - 40% increase § Increase up selling 10 - 25% increase § Improve customer data quality 95% fewer errors § Increase employee satisfaction 25 - 50% increase

Mobile Workforce Management Solution Today §Established and accepted §Over 300 utilities worldwide §In-place wireless communications networks including private, public, RF, CDPD, satellite § 2 -way interfaces to multiple source systems §Achieving return on investment §Mobile terminals from 4 -6 vendors

What’s Next? A Client Excerpt: Mission of Project 1. Confirm & prioritize the business requirements Define business requirements for the selected processes to inform subsequent sourcing activities 2. Process flow optimization Gain experience to optimize and verify the ‘To Be’ processes. 3. Evaluate application capability Understand the capabilities of the applications available to understand how closely they meet with Our requirements and to finalize specification. 4. Identify business benefits of mobile workforce management – tangible & intangible - Explore new ways of working in the field, and assess the impact on both field, office and support staff 5. Identify “softer” benefits to individual users Explore ways in which the solution can improve a user’s personal job and performance 6. Develop Implementation approach Inform approach for rollout sequence, training, communications 7. Simulate business interest and involvement Present the opportunities to the business

Core Business Work Types Planned Outage Planned Work Large crews Significant Field based Complex data Designed & Planned g rin e et M Un Planned Work • Small crews • Simple Data • Real Time update ting, n, Tes vey pectio s Leak sur Ins y, Ga Surve e , tag air d Ou p Re nne ce a an Unpl ten g, in Ma itchin w S Tree – Trimming • • Capital Construction Customer Services, Gas Leak, Tree Trimming, Outdoor Lighting Short Cycle Long Cycle • Multiple Jobs per day • Reactive planning • Multiple days per job • Highly planned

D. Enterprise Mobile Workforce Management - 2004

A Utility Mobile Workforce Management Scenario §Merger of Blue Gas Company and Sky Electric Company formed Blue Sky Gas and Electric §Joe Turner; Senior Field Technician §Has had in-depth cross training in: -Field operations -End-use of technology tools -CRM techniques §Considerable investment in Joe §Focus on customer service/efficiency

A Utility Mobile Workforce Management Scenario §Joe leaves from home; loaded MDT at 7 am with work received via Internet or dial-up/cable modem/DSL line §Variety of service and AM work; some filler, some appointments §Assigned to a bounded territory with backup areas §Work is already logically routed but he can change it as needed §Clicks icon to see his first order, its GIS map and asset attributes, and needed materials for order

A Utility Mobile Workforce Management Scenario §First call in new subdivision is a firm appointment; clicks land-based map on the MDT to see location and best route §Meets owner at 8 am to turn-on power §Safety check of house and appliances before turnon; turns power on; does inventory of all loadbearing devices §Washer but no dryer §Owner says she bought from Blue Sky but doesn’t know ship date

A Utility Mobile Workforce Management Scenario §Returns to truck and uses his MDT to access (via wireless) Blue Sky Intranet site §Pages through appliance offerings, clicks hot links for order status §Downloads info to CE device; brings it into house for owner review §Completes install appointment on PDA/MDT §Also completes turn-on order details

A Utility Mobile Workforce Management Scenario §Leaves house; has just received an AM order due today that another tech could not get to because of emergency §Joe arrives; clicks for GIS representation of asset location and attributes §Clicks for the inspection and safety procedure for that equipment §Conducts inspection; enters results and a minor deficiency; creates work order follow-up §Photographs with digital camera; attaches to order

A Utility Mobile Workforce Management Scenario §Next order nearby: install short length of pipe in ditch previously dug §Consults GIS drawing of site design §Does work; reflects as-built to update GIS; also notes redline correction of location §Use of parts is reflected in order completion for materials replenishment §His order status is communicated real-time §His timesheet is automatically completed as he goes §Next order just came in, from OMS §And so on …

Joe Turner’s EWFM Scheduling Results A-J; Actual # Type Source Location Comments 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Service Meter Replace Service Appointment WMS Task Outage (local) Service Lunch Service Meter Insp. Substation Maint Return CIS AM CRM CIS/ABS WMS OMS CIS KFC CIS AM AM A A B C D J I H G F E Closest to barn Order Aggregation Next closest 1 -hour window Task/Complex Re-routed from here Re-read Unavailable status Turn-off Filler job Barn or home

EWFM Scope Network Outage/Fault Detected Outage Management Plan Future Repairs to Network Dispatch Outage / Repair Work to Field Enterprise Applications Work Management Create and Schedule Future Work Update Enterprise Applications Inventory Management EWFM CRM Billing System GIS Call Taking Update Asset Database with Information from the Field Track Consumable Parts on the Vehicle Scheduling checks for parts Schedule Maintenance of Assets Update Systems with Information from the Field Mobile GIS Asset Management Maintenance

EWFM Progression § 3 Generations § Discovery: 1988 -1992 § Expansion: 1993 - 2002 § Evolution to Enterprise-level Integrated Field Resource Management: 2003 - ? § Movement from a single purpose “siloized” system to an enterprise wide foundation solution

Thank You! Steven A. Radice, Director, Utility Consulting