Improving utility operational excellence through non-operational data management

Electric Utilities have huge potential to utilize non-operational data already available in their grid management systems to improve their Operational Excellence. Further, as they deploy Smart Grid technologies the availability of non-operational data will increase tremendously. In this paper we introduce a system architecture for implementing an enterprise-level Decision Support System that utilizes non-operational data. We also propose a process for utilities, working cross-functionally, to design and acquire such a Decision Support System. We also list some of the benefits from the non-operational data management and the associated challenges that a utility may face in implementing the system.