Communicating effectively with customers during outages may be just as important as restoring the power. That’s the conclusion drawn by several operations managers at the nation’s best-in-class utilities. The most difficult aspect of that process, they reveal, is the need to integrate a wide variety of technologies and processes – from call center interactive voice response units to outage management systems, AM/FM/GIS, computer-aided dispatch and workforce management, just to name a few.

In this 200-page report, Chartwell researchers delved into the technologies, processes and strategies at 24 U.S. energy providers that have been highly successful in the field services arena. The results are presented in in-depth case studies, a detailed overview and analysis, and 30 vendor profiles in Chartwell’s newest report, The Chartwell Field Services Report.

Among the case studies in The Chartwell Field Services Report are:
• AEP: Communicating to customers during outages is AEP’s top customer service priority
• Alliant Energy: Alliant automates field services, integrates multiple systems
• Cascade Natural Gas: Enterprise asset management requires process redesign
• Florida Power Corp. installs new dispatch center to improve customer service and outage response
• Knoxville Utilities Board: A single solution combines water, gas, sewer and electric field services
• NYSEG: Decentralized command and control helps NYSEG handle emergencies
• Oklahoma Gas & Electric: No stranger to wild weather, OG&E provides customers with ongoing outage information
• Orlando Utilities Commission integrates work management technology with customer information and financial systems
• Public Service Electric & Gas: Connectivity problems in OMS launch solved by field data management project
• Southern Company takes proactive approach to installing outage management system
• Southwest Gas Corp.: Wireless mapping puts Southwest Gas on IT map
• Yankee Gas’ service levels rise with mobile workforce system

The variety of field service technologies discussed in the Report include outage management, trouble call handling, computer-aided dispatch, workforce management, mobile data, customer communications, mapping/GIS, asset and data management, and systems integration. Vendors of these technologies are profiled in detail as well.

The Chartwell Field Services Report, released in September 2002, is available electronically for $895.
For more information, call (404) 237-9099.
Press contact: Jennifer Quay Allen
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