The power industry is undergoing a historic transformation, driven by the addition of renewable energy sources as well as unprecedented growth in demand. As power grids expand and modernize, a greater need for enterprisewide data sharing is emerging.
Utilities have little choice but to migrate from the analog to the digital era in order to predict energy demand, support distributed energy resources, engage in comprehensive system planning and respond to new cybersecurity and data integrity risks.
This digital transformation is driving a number of changes, including greater interconnection of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) systems. As new and advanced grid systems are implemented, electric utilities are implementing OT service management processes and procedures to efficiently and effectively operate and support the integrated systems. Service management principles assist OT operational teams in delivering systems where users can leverage the data and systems to support the digital transformation enabling the grid of the future.
Wireless Communications
Advances in LTE and 5G security and throughput are giving organizations confidence to walk away from fiber or copper connectivity and embrace wireless data communications for data and control devices. For instance, ultralow latency and secure 5G connectivity enable real-time monitoring and control of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs).
Electric utilities and other OT organizations that recognize the value of wireless data communication must also address the service management aspects of monitoring and managing the intelligent electronic devices — synchrophasors, RTUs, power quality monitoring (PQM) sensors, meters, etc. — and the wireless system infrastructure.
Service management processes and technology enhance staff capabilities to maintain industrial monitoring and automation reliability, including the wireless data infrastructure. This defines the approach to responding to service incidents, recurring problems, changes and business OT service alignment.
Key areas that must be addressed include remote monitoring, security monitoring, updating firmware, updating software, restoring communications when devices go offline and responding to other anomalies. Procedures must be documented and automated to quickly resolve devices that lose connections, according to the business's priorities.
Edge Computing
Edge computing reduces the need for centralized processing by enabling local data analysis for remote OT devices. Aggregating, summarizing or analyzing data closer to the operational data source avoids the impact of network latency, reduces network load and improves operational responsiveness. These benefits allow utilities to respond quickly to changing conditions in real time.
Service management principles enhance the staff’s ability to respond to incidents and anomalies, as well as to monitor, update and secure edge computing devices.
Digital Twins
Digital twins provide virtual representations of physical assets, enabling predictive maintenance and optimization. Organizations can reduce downtime and improve service strategies by simulating scenarios, leading to more resilient and efficient operations.
Digital twins require high-quality data from multiple sources. Offline devices mean that data cannot be received and processed from them, which means the digital twin may not accurately reflect the physical counterpart. Service management monitors the integrated system infrastructure, providing situational awareness of the system's status and institutes predefined processes and procedures to resolve incidents and ensure the availability of critical data.
End-to-End Service Management
Given the broad adoption and enterprisewide use of OT data, an end-to-end service management function includes monitoring to provide situational awareness of system health and data quality, the health of the underlying infrastructure, and any service-impacting incidents.
Service management involves aligning people, processes and technology to manage and address gaps in organizational data and system management. This may mean consolidating support personnel and training resources, as well as improving tools for managing the environment.
The future of OT service management hinges on adaptability and continuous learning. Organizations must embrace evolving systems and technologies while updating their service management approaches to support new and interconnected solutions.
Proactive measures are crucial. These may include investing in training, adopting modern service management frameworks, and fostering collaboration between IT and OT teams. Through collaborative partnerships, organizations can use innovation to address challenges, stay ahead of the curve and thrive in this dynamic environment, even with limited resources.
IT and OT system convergence has become a strategic priority for utilities.
