To: simplicity who wrote (521729 ) 11/10/2012 3:23:44 PM From: Thehammer 1 Recommendation Respond to of 793759 When operating companies don't even have adequate information to manually operate and control system failures, they won't improve things by 'automating' them. Some things are improving with telemetry, where policies to meter everything, might make it feasible to actually have a better intuition on network flows in utility systems, but many such implementations simply install expensive meters with communications, but no well understood method to organize, track and monitor the data, let alone make intelligent decisions on load shedding. When an electrical network is hard down, it can only be reliably brought up slowly, while coordinating loads and responses between safety devices. Generators and local PVs, tend to complicate the problems because some installations end up back feeding the system when not properly installed per the codes. I'm more reassured knowing they are tracking the solution manually, because it shows they actually understand how their system works from the bottom up. The low tech solution using single line diagrams, maps, and highlighters shouldn't be ridiculed. The people who think everything in life should be a cellphone application should be ridiculed. Hi Simplicity, I wasn't sure exactly what "infrastructure indicatives", you were trying to address with your narrative but you absolutely said a mouthful that probably can be universally applied. One aspect part seemed to be addressing utilities and in the last segment, you seemed to be talking about project Orca: Over the years, I have seen much of what you are espousing and would pass along a few of my observations / pitfalls: 1) Building solutions that do not take into account the end-to-end process and failing to understand exactly what the new solution offers. 2) Not building solutions with the end client in mind. 3) Failure to build adequate metrics and audit checks as handoffs are accomplished which makes it a simpler task to identify points of failure. 4) Failure to stress test the system and process 5) "Repaving the cow path" which results in not taking advantage of what automation offers. 6) Not getting the people who use the system involved in its development. 7) Failing to understand the costs versus overall benefits 8) Building a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. 9) Training and communication