UDC conducted an ArcFM Feeder Manager 2.0 readiness assessment and subsequent implementation with a major Wisconsin based Utility to validate their desire to move forward with Feeder Manager 2.0 in order to increase system performance and data quality while editing the geometric network. The Utility’s current method of editing was not leveraging ArcFM Feeder Manager. In conjunction with the effort, UDC conducted a code impact review and gap analysis on the current data model focused on documenting the Utility’s production process and identifying gaps to support the implementation. By implementing Feeder Manager 2.0, Feeder ID information is automated to ensure consistency. Feeder Manager 2.0 allows utilities to easily manage, identify, and analyze circuits within their network.
Based on our review, UDC recommended the implementation of Geodatabase Manager (GDBM) as a necessary addition to the Utility’s Feeder Manager 2.0 implementation to handle the required sync process of managing Feeder ID’s. Doing so also provided the opportunity to move ArcFM Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) into the GDBM process.
Feeder Manager 2.0 with GDBM implementation & enhancements
Upon successful completion of the implementation assessment, UDC worked with our client to perform the Feeder Manager 2.0 with GDBM implementation. The process included the following steps to configure enhancements to their GIS system:
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Install and Configure GDBM for Electric
Geodatabase Manager (GDBM) automates the process of reconciling and posting Sessions in your database. It is a service that reconciles Sessions in an on-going basis, maintaining data health and following Esri best practices for a versioned database. For this customer GDBM is configured to also run a UDC designed set of QA/QC checks for each session behind the scenes. This guarantees a check of the geodatabase rules, which UDC configured, while not slowing down the Editor User experience. If the version fails either the QA/QC check or the reconcile and post process, GDBM will stop the version from posting and send it back to the Session Owner to make the corrections.
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Install and Configure Geodatabase rules and custom QA/QC Validation rules
ArcFM QA/QC is a framework to enable businesses to define rules to be enforced. Connectivity, relationships and phasing rules were determined by our client’s Mapping and Operations departments. Out of the box QA/QC is a pass/fail operation. However, the business rules needed by the customer included “exceptions” for some assets, for some rules. In addition, many rules were best practices and should be warnings in ArcMAP but not stop work from posting if the Editor must post for other business reasons. UDC thus delivered an enhanced QA/QC that allows the business to define what are warnings (ArcMAP messages), what are Errors (will stop posting) and a framework to, at a specific asset, set an exception for a specific error/rule so that the data may be posted without a code change. These settings were then configured within the properties of the Geometric Network, Relationship Classes along with the addition of the custom-built error and warning logic settings needed by the Utility. Within GDBM, there is a custom QA/QC subtask that was configured to recognize specific QA/QC Errors (vs. Warnings) and stop the posting process by automatically sending the Session back to the Owner. The Session Owner can then manually run QA/QC or reconcile to find issues within the Session, fix the issues, and then submit the Session to post again. UDC’s custom QAQC handler also allows for exceptions, by the Editor, to “mark” an exception to specific features on a specific asset. This functionality is controlled through the standard permissions available in the Editing environment making sure only identified Leads can set exceptions on assets.
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Configure and Implement Feeder Manager 2.0
Feeder Manager 2.0 is required for electric tracing in ArcFM. Feeder Manager 2.0 tracks feeder information in memory, instead of within the database like Feeder Manager 1.0, resulting in better editing performance.
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Configure and Implement Session Manager Single Process Framework
The Feeder Manager 2.0 readiness assessment revealed that the Utility was running 3 separate databases: land, gas and electric. A single process framework was configured for all three databases which allows all users to log into one system and navigate to a different database without having to log out and back into ArcMap. By converting to a Single Process Framework, not only are processes streamlined, IT now only manages one framework.
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Provide onsite end user training on the new processes
To assist our client to manage and implement process changes within their organization, UDC developed and provided customized onsite training with reference documentation. Training courses incorporated presentations, demonstrations, exercises, quizzes and a course material book to follow along. Each session was interactive with discussion and questions encouraged from participants. Upon successful completion of the course, attendees were able to understand and perform the following tasks:
- Successfully Login into ArcFM and choose Stored Display
- Navigate within Session Manager
- Describe the GDBM posting process and altered Session flow
- Identify when a Session was stopped by the GDBM
- Understand how to use Session Manager to view a status change and/or retrieve a Session back that was failed
- Understand and describe the types of rules configured
- Manually run QA/QC on edited features within version
- Interpret QA/QC Warning and Error Messages
- Correct Invalid Features
- Use Feeder Manager 2.0 Tools to analyze Feeders and their status
- Understand how energized phases and connectivity affect results
- Use ArcFM Electric Trace tools
Along with onsite end user training, UDC also provided onsite Go-Live support to ensure our client’s questions would be answered in real-time during the first week of implementation in their production environment.
Since Feeder ID was manually maintained at the Utility previously, the Feeder Manager 2.0 implementation has shown to greatly improve quality and speed of editing. Besides the benefits of implementing the current ArcFM extension platform, our client realized several benefits from the addition of GDBM and enhancements identified during our readiness assessment. Previously, our client was spending up to 4 hours per day (20 hours per week) identifying and reconciling errors to load data to their Outage Management System (OMS). As a result of implementing Feeder Manager 2.0 with GDBM and QA/QC, there is a new posting process which alters the Session flow. It is a service that will automatically run a QA/QC on edited features within your Session and is based on configured ArcFM rules. GDBM will also reconcile Sessions on an on-going basis allowing a large number of Sessions to maintain good database health, which in turn helps performance.