Features

Case Study: Power IT

DQI Bureau

05 Apr 2006 00:00 IST

New Update

Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL),

wholly owned by the Government of Karnataka, is responsible for the transmission

and distribution of power in the state. It serves 109 lakh consumers of

different categories spread across the state, covering an area of 1.92 lakh

square kilometres. KPTCL has become a transmission company while four

independent companies-Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, Mangalore

Electricity Supply Company, Hubli Electricity Supply Company and Gulbarga

Electricity Supply Company take care of power distribution. The mission of KPTCL

is to ensure reliable quality power to its customers at competitive prices.

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The company has realized that the best of services can be

ensured only by putting in place a range of best practices in the realm of

transmission and distribution, technical facilities, and customer service among

others; and the role of IT in doing that.

Unique Challenges

KPTCL has planned and invested in a successful program to provide training

in computer and IT fundamentals to all A, B and C employees. The company hopes

to achieve its target of 100% computer literacy by June 2006.

Says BL Meena, managing director, KPTCL, “Almost every aspect of any

company can be found on the net. One of the biggest advantages is the

availability of information. Online interactions have reached a whole new level.

Technological growth has enabled faster and more effective means of

interaction between the company and its clients or customers, which in

turn makes operations smoother for both parties.”

Leading

IT Initiatives

Geographic

Information System: GIS is used for data gathering, production

of complete topographic products and their customized presentation,

analysis and interpretation. KPTCL needs to regularly inspect and collect

accurate special data of their assets such as lines, stations, land and

buildings. Also, this data has to be wrapped in an enterprise system,

which would support planners and managers in all the phases of utilities

management. It is also useful for inspection and assessment of overhead

lines, routine inspection, facility inventory (poles, structures, and

towers), maintenance planning, and forecasting among others.

e-Tendering:

The main purpose behind the introduction of electronic

tendering/procurement was to improve transparency in the tendering

process, and to bring the benefits of Internet connectivity.

The project was also intended to cut down on the public sector's

biggest tender processing costs such as advertising, preparing for

printing and disseminating tender documents, processing bids, both in

terms of money and time.

The obvious benefits of

IT being the possibility of transferring documents through attachments,

provision to download registration and tender forms with buyers'

control, and exercising ability to quote/receive best prices up to the

last moment, eliminating problems generally associated with the

traditional procurement process. The system also offers better competition

with a paperless working environment.

Intranet:

The intranet portal called 'E-prasarana' aims to streamline

information management within the corporation. All documents that are

required by KPTCL officers are available on this portal. Online services

such as inter-unit accounts clearance reconciliation and employee

applications for transfers are available. The e-mail services of KPTCL

have already been scaled up to provide individual accounts to all

officers.

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Karnataka has seen a lot of modernization and technological

advances. The civic agencies have had to go one step ahead to make operations

smoother for both themselves and their customers. KPTCL has some of the best

IT-based initiatives that the power utility agencies have adopted so far.

The Future Roadmap

Top on the agenda of future technologies is an enterprise wide Management

Information System (MIS) to inter-connect all working units, and to identify and

monitor the operational parameters that will help make managerial decisions

effectively. This will usher in complete collaboration across its network and

integrating with information pertaining to the network demand and supply along

with integration with SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) for

continuous monitoring and control.

Another initiative that the company would be undertaking

shortly is a mega project called “Integrated Extended SCADA”. Says Meena,

“Tenders for this project are being prepared, and this would be another first

for the country covering all the power generating stations across Karnataka.”

The IT adoption at KPTCL makes it one of the progressive power utilities company

in the country.

Shrikanth G

shrikanthg@cybermedia.co.in

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