REPORT: Reimagining the Utility Analytics Roadmap, Executive Summary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A lot has changed over the past four years. There is more clarity about alternative organizational models, useful process methodologies, technology architecture and tool options, and the skill sets needed to develop and implement an analytics roadmap. Varying analytics strategies, numerous analytics use cases and data management approaches have been tested and tried. Best practices have emerged, and lessons have been learned. The analytics competency of the utility industry has increased substantially. Utilities are able to identify and avoid common mistakes, speed time-to-value and effectively navigate the path to analytics success by learning from utility peers and other industries.
Two of the authors of the UAI Roadmap Report published in 2016 have shared their views about how things have changed. “Analytics has become a strategic focus for organizations and has executive attention. One of our six strategic priorities is to ‘leverage technology and data’ – that has made a huge difference. Analytics has caught fire and is trending up,” noted Eddy Halter, Senior Director, Enterprise Analytics, Evergy and UAI Enterprise Analytics Community Sponsor. “The goal then was to collect lots of datasets to see what insights people would use. The speed at which we operate has increased dramatically and the way that we look at cost and value with respect to data has changed immensely,” said Hema Sundaram, Director of Data Strategy and Operations and Chief Data Officer, Portland General Electric (PGE).
Brian Hurst, VP, and Chief Analytics Officer at Exelon Utilities added his perspective: “While analytics has helped utilities reach new performance levels, we are just beginning to scratch the surface on the value of analytics. At Exelon Utilities, we are working to reimagine and reshape what it means to be an energy provider, transforming the grid and growing our connections with the communities we serve. Advanced analytics is central to our transformation journey as we look to drive insights from the vast amounts of data we have today and tomorrow with increasing distributed energy resources and the Internet of Things. Analytics is enhancing the strength and capabilities of our six utilities, delivering clean energy solutions that enhance our customers’ lives and help our communities thrive.”
Claude Godin, Senior Principal Consultant, DNV GL, summarized it like this: “The exponential growth in computing power, centralized and structured data stores, cheap storage and processing capabilities, sensor data analytics, a new generation comfortable using analytics tools, and more data are together accelerating analytics. If a clear objective is known, then data, technology and analytics can help solve it.” Mike Smith, Industry Principal, SAS, noted the following: “Virtually every utility strategic priority has a data underpinning. The things that utilities do every day require and generate data. When combined with the changing energy landscape, analytics needs and opportunities have multiplied exponentially,”
After examining the enterprise analytics strategy and roadmap development process, this report will look at the fundamental business capabilities necessary for a data-driven utility across the people, process, technology and data dimensions. It provides a broad overview of how to build an enterprise analytics roadmap and what is needed for the journey.
UAI members can access the full report here: https://connect.utilityanalytics.com/viewdocument/february-2021-reimagining-the-uti
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