Describes how we created a system to help an American utility: -To track assets “cradle to grave” geospatially -All installs, retirements, and adjustments reported from GIS until an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system can be agreed upon and implemented. -Consolidate Systems & Workflow -Reduce Duplicate Data Entry -Increase Data Quality & Integrity between remaining systems

1. Get Your GAME-FACE On
Extending your GIS to the Team
Heather Siemens & Skye Perry
ESRI 2008 Electric and Gas Users Group

2. Team Strategy
The Team:
Garland Power & Light (Garland, TX)
 Since 1923, the City of Garland has been providing electric service to its
citizens through Garland Power & Light (GP&L), its locally owned and
controlled not-for-profit municipal utility. With nearly 68,000 customers,
GP&L is the third largest municipal utility in Texas and the 39th largest in
the nation.
 GP&L has three gas-fired generating plants, which combine to produce
640 megawatts of generation capacity. In addition, Garland partners in the
Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA) which operates the 462 megawatt
coal-fired Gibbons Creek Power Plant. Garland's electric distribution system
has 1,000+ miles of overhead lines and 1,000+ miles of underground lines.
Its transmission system consists of 23 substations and 133 miles of
transmission lines. Garland's peak load for 2007 was 483 megawatts, with
annual operating revenues nearly $238 million dollars.
 Currently, the AIPS Division (Asset & Information Project Services) of GP&L
manages $300 million in T&D, substation, and generating assets.

3. Team Strategy
The Team:
SSP Innovations, LLC (Parker, CO)
 Small GIS consulting company focusing on implementing,
extending, and integrating ESRI and TM&M software for
Utilities
 Proven track record of successful software projects
 Specific experience with GIS software to manage life-cycle of
transformers
 SSP Staff involved with original GIS implementation at GP&L
and managed several other GP&L software initiatives over
last 4 years
 Staff for this project – Project Manager / Tech Lead, two
developers

4. Team Strategy
Garland Players:
GP&L Transformer Shop (GAME)
GP&L Field Crews (FACE)
GP&L AIPS Division (GAME)
• GIS personnel
 City of Garland Warehouse (GAME)
 City of Garland Finance Department

5. The Defensive Position
 Multiple manual processes and source documents
(transformer cards, salvage tickets, etc.)
 Significant data discrepancies between source
documents, GIS, and transformer shop
spreadsheets
 Same key data duplicated in different departments
with their own systems, no checks and balances:
Warehouse
(paper, asset mgt)
GIS
(ESRI, TM&M)
Workforce Mgt
(paper)
 Old data has not withstood several years of audit
scrutiny ~ mandated to improve
XFR Shop
(paper, Access DB)

6. The Challenge –
Develop an Offensive Strategy!
GOAL:
 To track assets “cradle to grave” geospatially
• All installs, retirements, and adjustments reported from GIS until
an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system can be agreed
upon and implemented.
 Consolidate Systems & Workflow
 Reduce Duplicate Data Entry
 Increase Data Quality & Integrity between
remaining systems

7. The Challenge –
Develop an Offensive Strategy!
TIMING:
 All assets are reported to City of Garland Finance
department quarterly and yearly for various
reasons:
 CAFR
 Transmission Cost-of-Service (TCOS) filings
 Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) filings
 etc…

8. The Solution….
Get Your GAME/FACE On!
 GAME (Geodatabase Asset Management Extension)
• Back office web application
• Transformers are readied for the field crews
• Receive a new XFR from manufacturer
• Return XFR to stock
• Send XFR out for repairs
• Salvage an old XFR
 Non-Map Tasks
 Uses GIS DB

9. The Solution….
Get Your GAME/FACE On!
 FACE (Field Asset Capture Extension)
• Mobile application available on MDTs in GP&L trucks
• Used by field crews
• XFR is issued out of the yard
• Install an XFR in the field
• Remove an XFR from the field
• Capture Infrared test result on XFR in field
 Replacing Paper
Transactions
 Syncs w/GIS DB

10. Game Plan
Warehouse
notifies
Transformer
Shop that
material is
available
COG
Warehouse
Transformer
Shop
Vendor
Transformer
arrives at
Warehouse
XFMR meets
Specs/Inspection
Park
Transformer in
holding lot
Receive Transformer
through Finance System
Yes (Cayenta)
No
Transformer
Repaired/OK?
Yes
No
Transformer
verified per
Manufacturer
Specs
Repair on
site or at
Manufacturer
If Transformer
cannot be
repaired then it
is removed (if on
site) and an
issue credit is
done
Enter data
into GAME
Continued on
Next Slide
New Workflow

11. Game Plan
New Workflow
Transformer is
delivered to the
Warehouse and
returned to stock
Inspect
Transformer
and pull oil
samples
Crews
pickup at
inventory
location
Transformer
delivered or
picked up by
Salvage
Vendor
COG
Warehouse
Transformer
Shop
Transformer issued
and data entered in
FACE:
- City Number
- Work Order/Service
Request Number
Install or
change out in
field
Repair and
return
Transformer
Transformer
OK?
Yes
No
Update FACE with
Transformer data:
- Address
- City Number
- Service Request
Number
Return
Status?
Visual inspection of
Transformer, run test
and decide to:
- Salvage status=
Retire in system
- Repair status
- Return to stock
status
Update GAME with
new status and enter
Service Request
Repair
Salvage
Change
status in
GAME to
"Sent for
Repair"
Update GAME
and enter
information for
Repair Status.
This will later
download and
update GIS
Return
Transformer
to Shop
Is this a
change
out?
Yes
No
Job Packet with
Service Request is
returned to WFM and
the job is complete
Continued from
previous slide
Field Crews
Vendor

12. Connect with the Ball!
 FACE Users connect to the GP&L wireless network at least
twice a day when trucks are in the yard:
1. First thing in the morning
2. At the end of the day
 This ensures that any data captured in the field is transmitted
back to the central GIS database in a timely manner AND
ensures that the most recent transformer data is on each
MDT
 Updated transformer data is available every
morning and is automatically synced to each
machine via the wireless network
 This data is current as of the previous
business day

13. The Handoff
Once the transformer assets are captured
in GAME, reports are compiled and
made available to Finance.
Finance adds dollar values from the City’s
Finance system (entered into Cayenta
from the Warehouse) and computes
depreciation.

14. Penalties (Issues Encountered)
 False start: Transformer doesn’t meet specs/pass inspection so it has to be
either repaired or sent back to the manufacturer via GAME (‘status’
changed to ‘sent for repair’)
 Offside: The Warehouse has entered the data into the Finance system but
GP&L doesn’t have the matching data on the electric side of the process.
 Pass Interference: A transformer in GAME can’t be passed to the
geodatabase because it’s not related to a transformer bank in GIS.
 Holding: When field crews ‘hold’ the job packet too long and/or don’t enter
the data into FACE thus it’s not processed in GIS which creates a
discrepancy between GAME and GIS.
 Face mask: Grasping the hard hat of a lineman while attempting to block or
tackle him for not entering the transformer data into FACE correctly or in a
timely manner.

15. Technical Solution
The DATA
 Chose to build all data into the GIS DB
• SQL Server
• Redesigned XFR Data Model
Geodatabase
TransformerNameplate
Manufacturer/Can Data
TransformerEvent
Lifecycle Event Data:
Received
Issued
Installed
Removed
Return To Stock
Placed in Reserve
Sent for Repair
Returned from Repair
Salvaged
Loaned
PCB Test
Infrared Test
TransformerUnit
Installed and Removed
TransformerEvent records will have
corresponding GIS TransformerUnit
Records:
Installed : SubtypeCode=1 (Active)
Removed: SubtypeCode=2 (Retired)
Non-Versioned (read-only in GIS) Versioned (editable in GIS)
TransformerBank
GIS Feature (on Map)

16. Technical Solution
The DATA
 Merge Data from Various Source Systems
• Report on mismatches
• Automated & Manual Data Cleanup
Warehouse
(paper, asset mgt)
GIS
(ESRI, TM&M)
Workforce Mgt
(paper)
XFR Shop
(paper, Access DB)
GIS SDE GDB

17. Technical Solution
The Process Transformer Received
Nameplate Data Entered into GAME
Status = In Stock
Transformer Issued
Issue Transaction entered into FACE
Status = Issued
Transformer Installed
Ticket Information entered into FACE
Status = Installed
Transformer Removed
Ticket Information entered into FACE
Status = Transformer Shop
Transformer PCB Test
Test information entered into GAME
(no status change)
Transformer Sent for Repair
= Entered into GAME (Web)
= Entered into GAME-FACE (MDT)
Repair transaction entered into GAME
Status = Sent for Repair
Transformer Returned from Repair
Return transaction entered into GAME
Status = Repaired
Wait 90 Days
Transformer Salvaged
Salvage info entered into GAME
Status = Salvaged
Return to Stock
Return to Stock entered into GAME
Status = In Stock
Transformer Infrared Test
Test information entered into FACE
(no status change)
Upload Infrared Doc
Add ISI Detailed Infrared Doc with
Pictures to the test record in GAME
(no status change)
XFR Shop
Field Crew
Field Crew
Field Crew
Placed in Reserve
Place in Reserve entered into GAME
Status = Reserve
XFR Shop XFR Shop XFR Shop
Transformer Loaned
Loan info entered into GAME
Status = Loaned
Transformer In Stock (In yard)
GP&L New
XFR Process
Testing
XFR Shop
*** If transformer is sold, all asset records
will be deleted from the GPL database.
XFR Shop

18. The Architecture
GAME-FACE
Wireless Connection
In GP&L Yard
GAME & ArcIMS
HTTP
GPLAdmin Wireless
Web Service
Replication
Queue
Field Modules on the MDT capture transformer ticket
data, infrared inspection data, etc and validate against
a local cache of pole, pad, and xfr data
Access Point
Field-collected data is transferred
via serialized XML to a web service
hosted on the GIS webserver.
Updates to the asset cache are
transferred back to the field MDT.
Windows Authentication is used to
secure the web service and the data
transfer.
GPL
Webserver
The web service will replicate the
field data back into the GIS
database server where it is made
available to the back office
organization.
GPL GIS
DB Server
Intranet
The GAME web application will be accessible to
all computers on the GP&L intranet alongside
the current ArcIMS site. The various screens will
be configured with security levels ranging from
query access to full edit access. Windows
authentication will be used to determine the
security level of each user.
ArcMap
SDE Connection
ArcMap will continue to be used
to access the Geodatabase
directly by the GIS group.

19. GAME / FACE Demo
Transformer Lifecycle:
 Receive New XFR in GAME
 Issue XFR in FACE
 Change out (remove/install) XFR in FACE
 Sync back to GIS (auto-placed on map)

20. Get Your GAME-FACE On
Questions and Comments Welcome
Heather Siemens – GP&L
hsiemens@garlandpower-light.org
Skye Perry – SSP Innovations, LLC
skye.perry@sspinnovations.com

21. Demo Screenshots
Receive New XFR into Stock
Lifecycle tracking
begins:

22. Demo Screenshots
Field Crew Uses FACE to Issue XFR out to a Service Request
Transformer Data is auto-populated
for the crew based on city number.
Lifecycle event transmitted
wirelessly to the back office,
available in GAME and GIS:

23. Demo Screenshots
Field Crew Removes Existing Transformer from Pole D5C-213
All key information from GIS is available in FACE:
Field Crew populates city number and majority of
information is populated for them in FACE:

24. Demo Screenshots
Field Crew Installs New Transformer in FACE
Crew inputs all installation data and verifies that pole
matches the GIS data:

25. Demo Screenshots
FACE Transformer is Automatically Created and Related in GIS
If valid pole information is entered for a XFR replacement,
the sync process does ALL of the work in GIS.
The GIS clerk simply reviews the edits:
Installation lifecycle event is captured and
viewable within GAME:

26. Demo Screenshots
GAME detail page can be accessed for XFR directly within GIS: