FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) Application for a Certificate of Public ...

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FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC or the Company)
Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project
Response to British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC or the Commission)
Information Request (IR) No. 1
Submission Date:
October 5, 2012
Page 6
Util-Assist has supported over 50 utilities through the complete life-cycle of AMI integration
including strategic planning, procurement, implementation and corporate change management.
These utilities are identified in the table below.
1. AMI and MDM Procurement Projects
Util-Assist has helped over 50 utilities with the procurement of AMI networks and
MDMs. They have assisted utilities in transforming business and technical
requirements into comprehensive procurement materials and with vendor selection.
Services performed include:
• Researching utility requirements across multiple utility departments;
• Providing market updates and education before procurement material is
developed;
• Facilitating the procurement processes for AMI including:
1. Procurement material and scoring package development;
2. Response evaluation with weighted scoring criteria; and
3. Implementing a prudent, fair selection process.
2. AMI Implementation Projects and Project Management
Util-Assist has successfully managed projects to implement and integrate AMI,
WAN, WFM, MDM and CIS systems.
Util-Assist has supported over 45 utilities, representing over 2 million smart meters,
through the full project life-cycle, from requirements definition through to project
execution. This includes:
• Preparation and analysis of budgets and project plans;
• Identifying gaps and pitfalls to be avoided; and
• Assisting with escalation and problem solving.
3. Business Process Development Projects
Following a full gap analysis, Util-Assist has applied best practices to develop new
processes for over 35 utilities such as PowerStream, Oakville Hydro, and Fortis
Ontario. Services they have provided include:
• Documenting business processes to ensure daily procedures and value of asset
being deployed are achieved; and
• Reviewing current business processes with utility staff to understand and analyze
change management required.
4. AMI and MDM System Testing Projects
• Util-Assist has performed standardized testing on 11 leading AMI systems.
Testing results have been provided to more than 50 utilities; and
• Util-Assist has facilitated AMI and MDM Systems Acceptance testing and User
Acceptance testing for over 40 utilities.