Title
Asset Management Software (B)
Staff recommends the purchase of asset management software from Digital Inspections, a division of KEMA, Inc. for the Substation and Relay Division
Explanation
GRU's Substation & Relay Division is responsible for ensuring that the electric utility's critical substation and relay infrastructure are properly and regularly maintained. Staff uses an asset management software system to schedule maintenance of substation/relay equipment to assure optimum condition and compliance with the applicable North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) operating standards. Currently these maintenance activities are scheduled and tracked by a software system purchased in the late 1990s that is no longer current or fully supported. The existing system uses a time-based maintenance program and lacks the functionality required to employ a more efficient health and risk-based maintenance approach.
A new asset management system will have the analytics required to make maintenance decisions based on health, condition, and criticality of the equipment. With robust performance management and reporting tools, the system will help ensure compliance with NERC operating standards. Non-compliance can result in significant fines and penalties.
A health-based approach allows decisions to be based on the current condition of the equipment, permits optimum adjustment to the maintenance cycle, extends equipment life, and provides insight in the development of replacement programs. Risk-based algorithms help prioritize maintenance based on the criticality of the equipment. These approaches improve reliability, extend equipment life and reduce maintenance costs.
Utilities Purchasing issued a Request for Proposals to eight companies that provide asset management systems. Three proposals were received and evaluated based on proposer's qualifications, approach/management/schedule, software solution, five-year overall cost, product usabil...
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