Utilities across North America are bracing themselves for an active hurricane season. According to Colorado State University, 16 named storms are expected to make their way through the Atlantic Ocean this year and five of those will be major hurricanes. Numerous utilities have turned to Macrosoft's Resources on-Demand to manage restoration efforts during a storm or other emergency power outage.
Specifically designed for electric utilities, Resources on-Demand is the only commercially available storm center automation solution available to the marketplace. The Resources on-Demand tool manages resource requests, tracks personnel movements, and supports lodging/logistics during a power restoration event. It is used extensively by both large and small utilities throughout North America and the result has been quicker restoration, cost savings and a streamlined approach to outage management.
The 4.0 version leaps beyond earlier versions by using the enhanced Resources and Logistics Engine providing the ability to set up teams, sites, work locations, vendors, order placement, order tracking, team transportation, meals and lodging down to individual team members. The advance logistics module enables utilities executives to know which teams are assigned to which operation centers, where they are working/sleeping/eating, and what equipment they are using in a particular restoration event. Advanced dashboards provide high-level views on teams, lodging and logistics and enhanced reporting allow summaries to be printed and used in Control Centers.
Customers have indicated that they have been able to shave significant costs associated with a storm through the ability to better track crews and equipment, deploy resources on an expedited basis, and streamline the overall process. In addition, clients say the Macrosoft system has allowed them to provide their ratepayers, media and regulatory agencies more accurate information both during and after a major event.
