Minimize Challenges, Maximize ROI of Your Smart Grid Project
Apex CoVantage delivers comprehensive solutions that address the complex requirements of today’s Smart Grid initiatives. Apex offers a technology-agnostic approach, combined with our powerful process-driven workforce management system, intelligent GIS integration, and highly customized customer engagement programs to ensure the total success of your utility’s multifaceted Smart Grid initiative.
A successful, cost-effective Smart Grid implementation has a multitude of moving parts. Until now, a typical implementation meant lining up multiple vendors, choosing the right technology, integrating multiple systems within the utility, coordinating installation and inventories, and juggling conflicting initiatives, priorities and budgetary concerns. Many utilities perform due diligence in technology or systems integration, but are blindsided by the enormous costs and down time due to resistance from consumers who are not adequately educated on the benefits and implementation of Smart Grid.
The missing piece to the Smart Grid puzzle…Apex CoVantage, a full service integrator with real world experience to manage all aspects of planning, implementation and adoption.
End-to-End Smart Grid Solutions
Apex delivers a turnkey suite of Smart Grid solutions to utilities, cooperatives and municipalities. Our offerings include:
Consulting. Apex is uniquely qualified to provide pre-project consulting and advisory services, including strategic and business case analysis, RFP development, third-party vendor selection, contract negotiation strategies and guidance with funding proposals.
Smart Grid Design. We determine the best technology for your needs, not ours. Using your success metrics for considerations like peak demand reduction, outage detection, theft alarms and energy conservation, we will design an integrated Smart Grid system customized to fit your unique needs and goals.
Procurement. We negotiate and purchase all hardware and software on your behalf.
Implementation. We manage the entire project, including staged technology deployment, pilot installations, system acceptance testing, project commissioning and final acceptance and turnover. Apex works with you to provide as little or as much assistance as needed.
Installation. Our project management and workforce management expertise ensures smooth installation. ProField® Apex’s proprietary workforce management tool, assists with site surveys, field data collection, QA, meter identification and deployment, MDM and field to office communication.
Systems Integration. Our experienced IT team installs new software, updates and performs legacy system data hygiene, completes the systems integration of MDMS/Head End, and implements automated processes including billing, CIS, GIS, OMS, EMS, SCADA, customer care and asset management.
Verification and Maintenance. We ensure that all Smart Grid components are fully functional, and maintain backend systems and field assets. We can incorporate your GIS data, engineering design workflow and perform engineering data purification.
Why Choose Apex?
Apex works as your partner. We take full ownership in helping you achieve longterm goals, not short-term gains. Because Apex can manage all facets of planning and implementation, you not only eliminate vendor integration issues, but remove the need for internal personnel to manage communication between multiple vendors and your organization. Working with Apex, you enjoy economies of scale and improved productivity that come from one-partner collaboration.
We’re technology agnostic. Using a broad range of qualification criteria, we choose the best-in-class components to design, build and commission the most cost-effective Smart Grid solution for you. We review the technologies available for your project and make recommendations based on your goals and your needs, not on pre-defined constraints. Our open architecture systems work in concert with your legacy systems, so you maximize existing infrastructure.
Suite of scalable technology solutions. Our integrated, end-to-end solutions facilitate increased project efficiency and productivity for the lifecycle of your initiative. Apex has produced some of the industry’s best project accelerator platforms, including our proprietary field asset management system, ProField®.
Deep industry expertise. Led by David O’Brien, a visionary of Smart Grid, Apex brings more than two decades of experience in utility fieldwork initiatives for many of the best known utilities throughout the industry.
Increase ROI with Apex Value-Added Services
Over the last 20 years, Apex has redefined project management by introducing new workflows and processes that vastly improve the flow of communication, information and data exchange. By incorporating best-in-class technologies and services into our Smart Grid engagements, Apex clients benefit from the highest level of operational efficiencies and 360-degree service.
GIS Optimization
As a leading provider of GIS solutions for utilities, Apex improves operational efficiencies by enhancing your GIS data to fully support the Smart Grid. By combining precise GIS data with rich, meter-level MDM data, Apex clients manage their networks at a granular level never before possible.
ROI benefits:
- Significant cost savings realized by sharply reducing truck rolls needed to investigate outages, connect or disconnect meters and other field issues
- Faster and more predictable restoration
- Higher customer satisfaction through proactive, reliable customer communications in an outage
Leverage Operational Data
Apex can incorporate field notes from your internal teams into our ProField® database to provide proactive field intelligence that alerts your crews of potential issues. This includes meter reading route data, installation issues and specific customer situations of which crews must be aware.
ROI benefits:
- Streamlines installation process and reduces costs
- Increases preparedness of field teams
- Improves customer interactions
Customer Engagement Programs
When planning a Smart Grid initiative, customer buy-in is critical to program success. As a Smart Grid integrator, Apex offers comprehensive community outreach, as well as educational planning and programs that increase customer awareness and acceptance, and strengthen relations between the community and utility. Apex provides consumer information vehicles, educational workshops, and can develop your local presence at home improvement stores and community events. We hire members of the community to engage, educate and encourage residential customers on Smart Grid, reducing measurable energy and water consumption, understanding time-of-use rates, and how their smart meters operate.
ROI benefits:
- Removes burden on utility staff and frees up utility resources
- Proactive community relations program manages customer expectations
- Greater and faster Smart Grid adoption within the community
Contact us today to learn more about our Smart Grid Solutions
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