PowerTrack
PowerTrack enables complete control of Asset Tracking, Testing & Management.
Tedious processes are simplified for Improved Efficiency, Cost Reduction, and Save Time.
- Meter multiplier verification to capture incorrect billing constants thus improving customer service and revenues.
- Advanced inventory tracking to the premise with our field application and deliver inventory alerts and critical asset reporting.
- Smart Grid asset management integrates and exchanges information to MDM, AMI, or other key applications that are vital to your Smart Grid delivery.
- .NET technology as its base application code allows flexibility to add or modify devices to the system without a new version of the application.
- Database Agnostic Software works with SQL, Server, Oracle, Access, and DB2, making it easy for IT personnel to work on current applications.
We have helped utilities improve overall customer service, reduce spending, streamline business processes, and reduce man-hours associated.
Inventory Management
PowerTrack delivers a comprehensive inventory control solution to manage critical assets such as meters, CT/VTs, tools, AMI devices, meter seals, and much more.
PowerTrack will allow for a complete audit trail with statuses and alerts so that your company knows exactly where and when these assets have been utilized. The system supports barcode and scanning technology to ensure accurate data capture and eliminates manual entry.
This module allows for the import and absorption of most vendor files containing all asset attributes such as warranty, configuration, firmware, test data, IDs, etc.
Through its powerful reporting and alerting features, you can now better predict inventory levels with high accuracy, thus managing the cost associated with the asset.
PowerSolve Inventory Management Application
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KEY BENEFITS INCLUDE:
Reduced Capital Expenditure
Knowing the history of testing data, maintenance, repairs, and warranty of an asset enable asset lifetimes to be maximized, taking into account the most up-to-date information on the performance of each asset.
PowerTrack manages asset data and maintains the history of each asset. It provides cost, warranty, and repair history to allow for correct asset repair or Retirement.
Optimize Stock Levels
Asset efficiency means a better knowledge of where assets are and their status, meaning less stock needs to be kept on hand. This is key to lean inventory management of an organization. In addition, tracking your inventory can help manage order lead times that may be costly or impact customer needs.
PowerTrack manages manufacture codes, type codes, and other codes to help categorize assets. Workflows and alerts can help define when specific assets may be low, giving your company lead times for re-stocking.
System of Record
PowerTrack provides the framework for a centralized inventory repository. Knowing there is a single repository for asset information and data can help minimize fragmented information exchange.
PowerTrack interfaces with your utility’s critical back-office systems such as CIS and MDM while providing real-time connectivity to field applications delivering up-to-date status changes, inventory levels, and asset exchanges. All systems are synchronized and up-to-date.
Testing & Retirement
Since PowerSolve is vendor neutral, we have built-in drivers to support most test equipment which allows for the testing to be completed through a single application eliminating the need to maintain multiple third-party test applications.
PowerTrack Testing
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Consolidated Testing
Your company may have many different types of assets, which also may have unique testing requirements. Using each vendor’s test equipment software creates fragmented test data storage and fragmented delivery of that data to critical systems such as CIS.
- PowerTrack interfaces to most test bench and field-testing equipment. We do this through developed drivers where the screens, processes, and testing can be completed from PowerTrack, thus eliminating the need to use the equipment manufacturer applications. In addition, ALL the data is stored and managed within a centralized database.
Support for Varying Tests
Each utility has different testing parameters and procedures. Whether your company tests all new meters or samples new meters, complies with PUC requirements or has in-house guidelines, a solution must allow for operational differences.
- PowerTrack allows for importing meter manufacturer files capturing relevant information, including Factory Test results. To ensure accuracy, the system enables you to determine its thresholds or percentages for new meter testing requirements. We assign a purchase group to any received shipment, allowing for traceability on any defective devices, making it easier to pinpoint problems within a batch. Finally, PowerTrack allows for more complex testing requirements you may have around Random Sample Testing.
Warranty and Retirement
Managing asset life-cycle from “Cradle to Grave” is critical. It’s more than just accounting for an asset like many systems do. It’s about knowing what to do with the assets when issues arise. Significant dollars can be wasted if the right processes are not in place for managing warranty or repair.
- PowerTrack helps your company manage the processes associated with repair and warranty through its workflow intelligence. AMI meters have become more expensive. Managing warranty information through PowerTrack date tracking mechanism allows your company to quickly ID when and if assets are under warranty and where to ship and assign the appropriate actions such as repair or retire.
Distribution Management
PowerTrack gives your company the tools necessary to capture the data needed for testing and inventory control while providing you with a mechanism for asset distribution.
Knowing where every meter and tool is located will give you the confidence you have the right assets at the right location.
Supported through location type codes and other related codes, you can assign assets to trucks and people while also having the ability to manage shipping and stocking with full support of bar code printing for devices, boxes and pallets.
Assignment of Assets
Knowing your customers have the right equipment at their premises and that the equipment is safe and accurate.
- PowerTrack assures that the right equipment is installed and configured correctly. Our system provides detailed asset awareness through location codes, type codes, and dynamic status information. PowerTrack allows you to assign assets to places, trucks, or people with intelligent workflows to provide traceability.
Location Details
Knowing where the asset is located precisely avoids unnecessary costs in searching for it and enables repairs to be completed more quickly.
- PowerTrack knowing what location assets have been shipped to, identifying device-specific warranty ship to locations, and knowing if a device is stocked, in the field, in service, or retired is critical to managing and controlling asset whereabouts. Inventory levels are dynamically synchronized with the Field Application allowing for real-time inventory information.
Automated Logistics
Having a mechanism that minimizes manual entry can help reduce error and streamline distribution processes such as packing, shipping, and receiving.
- PowerTrack allows for scanning, barcoding, and wireless communications, making the workforce more efficient. It allows for the printing of barcodes for devices, boxes, and pallets supporting most barcode printing machines.
- We provide hardware & media for a total turnkey solution.
Field Application
PowerTrack delivers a powerful Field Application that resides on most mobile handheld devices
PowerTrack Field Application
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The Field App allows for
- Near real-time inventory updates and information exchange
- A mechanism for visibility and accountability of any asset right to its final installation or removal
- A value-add to routine installs and removals, primarily if your company engages in replacement-type projects for AMI or T&D upgrades
- Capture GIS location information, pictures, final reads, and verify asset correctness while on-site.
Real-Time Tracking
Many times, assets can be pulled from inventory without accountability, or assets can be removed and un-accounted for many days or weeks.
- PowerTrack allows for scanning, barcoding, and wireless communications, making the workforce more efficient. It allows for the printing of barcodes for devices, boxes, and pallets supporting most barcode printing machines. Inventory levels are dynamically synchronized with the Field Application allowing for real-time inventory information.
Asset Verification
Meters or CT/VT can be installed in the field with specific attributes such as Meter Constant, yet the Billing System may contain incorrect information, thus creating billing errors.
- PowerTrack Field Application allows for capturing critical configuration information about an asset (CT/VT ratio or form factor of a meter). This information can be easily verified using our Field Application which supports the attributes necessary to verify. An example, verify you have the correct connect ratio, number of turns, or CT/VTs associated with the account. The handheld application will automatically calculate your billing constant based on the input from the site. This value is verified back at the PowerTrack system. Once synchronized with billing, any discrepancies will be reported.
GIS Location Support
As more expensive assets such as AMI-enabled meters or CT/VT’s are deployed, it is critical to know where the asset has actually been installed and see that it is the right equipment for the service.
- PowerTrack’s Field Application will support GIS capture during the installation of a device. Once the LAT/LON has been captured, our Field Application will associate and verify premise information. Once a handheld is synchronized with PowerTrack, a Service Location option displays the attribute whereabouts and ANY associated hardware or firmware such as meter seal, CT/VT’s, AMI device, and more.
System Integration
One of the most significant factors to success with any system is easily exchanging the information within the application across critical business platforms such as CIS, MDM, or WOM.
PowerTrack System Integration
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There should also be seamless interfaces to input systems or hardware associated with data collection, such as test boards, mobile testing devices, and other data inputs critical to managing your utility assets.
PowerTrack is architected to support the latest data exchange technologies (SOAP, REST, WCF) and can also manage legacy exchanges such as defined file format transfers. In addition, PowerTrack is a .NET programming language that can support varying database types, including SQL, Oracle, Access, and DB2
Hardware Interfaces
It can become overwhelming when dealing with the consolidation of data inputs from such systems as mobile field testing equipment or on-site meter testing equipment.
- PowerTrack has been designed to import data from third-party hardware and drive third-party hardware through device drivers. We have worked closely with most of the industry’s leading companies to deliver device drivers. These include WECO, Powermetrix, AVO, RFL, Elster, Snap, Knopp, etc.
Application Interfaces
Although it is intended that PowerTrack be the system of record for asset and inventory information, it is understood that our system will need to integrate into critical back-office applications such as CIS or Billing, MDM, AMI, and WOM systems.
- PowerTrack has been architected as a .NET application. This provides flexibility to add new or future device types to your system without upgrading. PowerTrack is database neutral and supports SQL, Oracle, Access, and DB2, allowing your company to work with what you know best. PowerTrack supports integration to such systems as CIS through web services or XML data exchanges. All this allows our solution to easily exchange critical information to your back office applications without the need for dedicated developer resources.