Abstract: Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) create value for the telecommunications industry, but should change their business model and adopt a niche and targeted approach to alleviating incredibly high competition in the markets they operate. The Utility industry is a…
The AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure), also called Smart Metering, has indisputable benefits and advantages for Utilities, as: Reduce the non-revenue and unaccounted resources (electricity, water and gas).Reduce the operational costs (e.g. cost/read, connections, disconnections).Increase access to the resources.Increase customer satisfaction…
In many Utilities, we continue to observe that the metering function is part of the Customer Service Department. The main reason many Utilities decided, and continue to decide, to adopt this organization, is mainly because the meters are seen as…
From the Systems Engineering perspective, the Energy&Utility industry has been always characterized by two domains: the Information Technology Domain (IT), that includes the business support systems as Billing, Customer Relationship Management, etc., and the Process Control Domain (SCADA), that includes…
The successful application of Information Technologies (IT) in an organization depends on the business processes used for managing such technologies. It is widely recognized that the use of the Enterprise Architecture (EA) practice for organizing these technologies into a framework is a key factor for achieving a better IT-Business alignment.
An enterprise architecture is a description of the following components or elements of a company or organization (or of a part of it):
Business Architecture describes:
> the organization (or a part of it),
> its objectives,
> its business processes,
> its actors,
> its business rules, and
> its organizational structure
Information System Architecture describes:
> the software applications and
> the data repositories (e.g., databases, files, data warehouses, etc.) that the organization uses to support its business processes
Technology Architecture describes:
> the software,
> the hardware, and
> telecommunications platforms on which the information system layer is developed, installed, and operated.
Our Business Process review approach is always guided by the knowledge of international standards and best practices. IEC61968 family and Multispeak are the main standards for utilities. In addition, for asset management, the IEC55000 family is the main reference. We produce a gap analysis between the current processes and standard ones and we define, together with the customer which of the gaps have to be filled.
The Business Process review service consists on define the set of business processes, and their activities, that the IT Management of an organization is required to execute, in order to fulfill its business objectives, and deliver the IT services that the organization demands.
The main product of the Business Processes Review is the set of models that represent the processes. These models describe different organizational elements, such as business objectives and goals, business processes and their activities, the actors that execute these activities, the business rules that the processes must comply with, and other elements that characterize the organization as a business system
> As-Is Business Processes Assessment: We make an assessment of the current business processes of the Utility and we produce the missing documentation describing the processes through enterprise architecture models.
> International Standards Gap Analysis: Starting from the current business processes model we perform a gap analysis with the processes described by international standards as Multispeac and IEC/CIM. We produce a report that is the base for discussion to decide which gaps are to be filled.
> Pain Points Collection and Root Cause Analysis: We collect, through interviews with the business representatives of various departments, to understand the main pain points of the company. For each identified point, we perform a root cause analysis and produce a report.
> To-Be Business Processes Design: Based on the outputs of the previous points, we design the new business processes through enterprise architecture models.
> Workshops: We present to business representatives and to all stakeholders involved our analysis and business processes designed to be developed.
> As-Is Business Processes Design Documentation: The enterprise architecture model that describes the current business processes of the company.
> Root Cause Analysis Document: A document describing the identified pain points of the company and the root cause analysis performed for each point.
> International Standards Gap Analysis Report: A report describing the identified gaps between the current business processes and international standards.
> To-Be Business Processes Design Documentation: An enterprise architecture model describing the new business processes to be developed.