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East Central Energy

Utility

East Central Energy is a member-owned electric cooperative that provides electric service to more than 58,000 homes, farms, and businesses in east central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

Gaining Fleet Visibility to Make Faster and Smarter Decisions

The Challenge

East Central Energy was looking to implement a GPS tracking solution to increase efficiency with their resources. During outages, they had no way to locate their technicians, which slowed their response times in emergencies. Overall, they needed a better way to dispatch technicians to job sites. With 58,000 customers and the 8,000 miles of power line to maintain, Phil B., System Control Manager at East Central Energy, knew a GPS tracking system would show the utilization of their resources and ensure they optimize their time better.

The Solution

East Central Energy was able to utilize the GPS Insight system to accomplish:

  • Massive ROI
  • Enhanced Safety Protocols
  • Increased Outage Response Times

The Results

Dispatchers now have a full view of all vehicles and technicians effectively shrinking their 5,000 square mile service area. This location intelligence brings an average monthly decrease of miles driven by 14,000 miles translating into $40,000 in annual savings!

According to ECE System Control Manager, Phil B., “There are five shops housing equipment and vehicles. The GPS Insight system plans our days more efficiently because we know if technicians are close to a job site or at one of the shops. There is now a proactive approach in preparation and execution rather than reactive.”

East Central Energy can now respond to emergency scenarios with urgency to better serve their customers during their time of need. Distress calls are processed more effectively and addressed with precision rather than guesswork. They also have taken their safety practices to the next level by proactively monitoring and coaching technicians on unsafe driving behavior.

NISC and GPS Insight worked together to integrate both software applications. This integration takes place with an open application programming interface (API) system from GPS Insight. It allows MapWise to connect with GPS Insight. East Central Energy makes faster and better decisions with this new integration. They can quickly dispatch a technician who is the closest to a job rather than someone far away at one of the stops.

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