Tips for Service Organizations that Install and Maintain Transmission Lines

Key Takeaways:

Here’s a quick overview of tips for organizations that install and maintain transmission lines:

• Utility infrastructure spending has increased dramatically in the United States, and maintenance is needed to extend the useful life of core hardware by decades.
• Field service automation is not meant to replace human decision-making, but rather to support technicians.
• A best-of-breed solution allows teams to gradually implement technology without burdening already time-constrained crews.
• Improved communication tools enable real-time updates among technicians, dispatchers, and customers, enhancing retention and job allocation.
• Apps that capture photos, geolocate, and digitally sign enhance field visibility and balance preventive maintenance with emergency response.

Across the United States, annual spending by all major U.S. electric utility providers is on the rise, increasing from $9.1 billion in 2000 to $40.0 billion in 2019. This spending includes investment in new infrastructure and operations and maintenance.

Service providers are under pressure to meet pressing nationwide needs with minimal resources and staff and tight timelines. Maintenance is mission critical, with this work adding 50 years of life to core hardware. So, how can service providers deliver more insight in a limited time?

Here at Praxedo, we understand that the work for these technicians takes work. Accessing transmission line structures requires extensive mental and physical strength. Specialists in this field expose themselves to danger every day. Not to mention, there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.

One strategy is to invest in field service management tools. These field service tools help capture data, facilitate work while online and offline, make life on the job easier, and automate processes. We have a few tips below to help shed more light on the topic.

Big picture story

When you hear the word field service automation, the first image that comes to mind may be a robot. Over the years, there’s been some theoretical discussion about using drones and other robotic innovative solutions. For instance, a robot may be able to assist with damage detection for proactive, preventive maintenance and address reliability issues.

Despite these advancements in field service technology, however, the power of human decision-making is irreplaceable. Machines can help us but cannot do the level of strategic thinking necessary to make in-the-moment judgment calls. Ultimately, there needs to be a human understanding of how operations and operation maintenance decisions come together.

Meanwhile, here’s an even bigger picture story.

The United States is navigating a time of infrastructure revitalization. According to one report, aging equipment needs to be replaced, grid reliability enhanced during extreme weather events enhanced, congestion reduced, and connections to renewable resources improved. There is more work to be done than there are hours in the day.

It is your work that makes it possible for service providers to meet the needs of the market. Your use of field service automation tools like field service management software is crucial in this process.

Why do service organizations need best-of-breed software?

It can be challenging to introduce new workflows to a service team, as everyone is under pressure to operate with a high degree of precision and accuracy. Especially in today’s time and resource-strapped world, it may be difficult to carve out time for training and implementing new technologies.

The key is not to make sweeping changes but to focus on a few extremely tactical areas that can help with routine, existing tasks. With a best-of-breed approach, roll-outs are steady and incremental rather than sudden and overwhelming. Remember that as humans, it’s important that we take our time to carefully vet new field service tools that integrate with existing third-party systems.

When it comes to field service automation, there are some low-hanging ways to be more process-efficient without disrupting existing workflows. Here are some opportunities that our team at Praxedo sees to automate designing transmission lines operations and maintenance.

Invest in better communication tools

Service organizations in this industry need open and consistent communication across their various teams. At a minimum, the right utilities field service software platform will facilitate dialogue between technicians, dispatchers, and end customers.

Best field service management software enables real-time updates to be sent at every step of the way, to notify customers on work progress or completion. Receiving automated emails or texts allows these customers to anticipate the arrival of a service technician and keep track of the work being done as it is happening. As a result, the customer retention rate improves.

These real-time feedback loops are crucial for maximizing job allocation based on skill sets, call volumes, and geographic locations. With field service software, organizations can streamline work orders, reduce travel time, and allocate jobs to field teams based on a precise matching of skills.

Moreover, a solution like Praxedo can help ensure that data remains centralized in one place. Logging data at a centralized location for everyone to access field service work order management and enables better syncing with the company’s existing information systems. This means that organizations that maintain electrical transmission poles can keep what already works and steer clear from getting locked into a system that might not be the most efficient solution for the business.

How can field teams improve visibility and data analysis?

In today’s fast-paced world, time is limited. That means service organizations may not be committing the right level of attention to communication, debriefing, and analysis of data. As mobile teams move quickly between jobs, it can be hard for people to take the time to communicate with one another.

One way to augment the automation of business processes is to equip field technicians with a field technician mobile app with intuitive features such as photo capture, editing, and digital signature capabilities. Tools like these enable a real-time communication feedback loop around key details that are relevant to completing a job, faster.

With the ability to collect customer data in real-time and incorporate geolocation information, field service dispatchers can adjust technicians’ schedules and routes to deal with emergencies. This perspective can help operations teams create a better balance between proactive maintenance and emergency response.

With best-of-breed field service software, companies can better optimize their people power. Efficiency means eliminating redundant tasks and analyzing the data collected in the field, to help technicians do their jobs better.

Final thoughts

One step at a time.

The thought of introducing new field service technologies may feel overwhelming. But remember that you don’t need to do it all at once, and you can keep what already works. With a strong foundation in place, and integrable best-of-breed solutions that are hyper-focused, there’s plenty of opportunity to build and grow.

Maybe it will make sense to introduce robotics to your transmission line maintenance strategy eventually. But you can’t get this far into the future without the right foundation.

For more ideas around best-of-breed field service management solutions, check out some of our practical guides. You may also value taking a tour of our product, so be sure to reach out to us for a demo.

FAQs:

1. Why do transmission line service organizations need field service software?

It can be used to capture data, work on, and off-grid, automate processes, and match jobs to the right techs, relieving pressure on time, and resource-constrained crews.

2. Can automation replace human technicians in transmission line maintenance?

No, robotics and drones can help with things such as damage detection, but strategic decisions in the moment still need to be made by humans.

3. Why is a best-of-breed approach recommended for utility service teams?

It enables gradual, incremental deployments that can be integrated with existing systems, rather than abrupt, overwhelming changes that can disrupt precise, high-pressure work.

4. How does field service software improve communication?

It provides real-time updates to customers at every stage and centralizes data to ensure that technicians, dispatchers, and existing systems are in sync.

5. How do mobile apps improve field visibility?

Real-time features such as photo capture, geolocation, and digital signatures enable dispatchers to make more timely adjustments to routes and respond to emergencies more quickly.

6. How should service organizations start adopting new field service technology?

Start with a few tactical, low-disruption spaces that enhance current tasks, then gradually build a solid base rather than making a complete overhaul.