By Jay Cappy, Verizon Business PS Utility Practice Lead – IT Advisory Services

This is fifth and final installment of the blog series that discusses “Is Your Infrastructure Ready for Smart Metering?”  You can view parts one, two, three and four here.

As I told my leadership, I could write a book on what I have gathered in my journeys evaluating and being a part of implementing smart grid technology and doing technical assessments.  I feel and you would agree that although this information in insightful, it goes an inch deep and a mile wide.  So what I would like to wrap up with are a couple of thoughts that will start moving your strategy and direction for implementing smart meters for your utility.  As Peter King of SI states in his articles, “these are thoughts that may only interest me”.

• Thought #1– Make sure you have completely and utterly exhausted your strategy and approach to implementing smart meters.  And no – I do not mean send an RFP out to see what a system integrator or AMI provider can build for you.  You have the cart before the horse if you are making technology decisions before you have crafted your strategy and built your business requirements (both functional and non-functional). 

• Thought #2– Get on the road and talk to some of the pioneers that are currently implementing smart meter technology.  It is so worth the money.  Get them to open up to their issues and concerns so that your organization does not fall into the same trap.  And a prayer is needed here “May God bless the pioneers” for all of their hard work and dedication (you know who you are).

• Thought #3– Work closely with your IT group to make the hard decisions on technology.  So what I mean by that – if you are a Linux shop and some of the components are Windows based, then why are you even considering them?   Stay close to your areas of expertise.  Less is more with technology. 

• Thought #4– Do what you do best and farm out the rest.  Is your organization world-class at infrastructure and networks?  Are you spending a lot of money on research and development in those areas?  If you are, then I would like to talk to the PUCs that are funding that to find out why.  As a consumer of energy, I want my energy as affordable as possible.  Work with providers that are really good at providing out-sourced solutions to focus on the next generation of systems for bulk power, transmission and distribution of electricity. 

• Thought #5– To get ready for this new technology, make sure your foundation is in order.  What I mean by that is do some due diligence on your IT organization to look at the changes that you will need to make with the people and processes.  You will need to spend some time on this as well as the technology to run a tight ship.

I hope this helps.  If you would like to do a deeper dive...

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