COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwire - Jun 21, 2012) - Southern California Edison (SCE) is the latest utility to implement ARCOS(SM), the special Automated Crew Callout and Scheduling software, to assemble line crews for after-hours power restoration projects. The internet-based software suite, hosted by ARCOS, locates and assembles available and "ready to work" utility repair crews to repair damaged power lines and restore service for utility customers.
Initially launched as a pilot program in March 2011, the ARCOS system has been used to cover SCE's 50,000-square-mile service area, including Victorville, Wildomar, Foothill, Ontario, Monrovia, Saddleback, Huntington Beach, Compton, Torrance, Santa Monica, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Valencia, Tulare and San Joaquin. Since the implementation of the ARCOS software system, SCE has improved efficiency by 84%, reducing restoration crew location and assembly times from two hours to 20 minutes.
"After studying the ARCOS pilot program results, we determined that automated callout would get information to Southern California crews faster and improve overall productivity," said Southern California Edison Region Manager Frank Farwell. "With the system, we are cutting hours from the time it takes to assemble crews.
With the ARCOS software, SCE dispatchers can launch a crew callout by simply inputting the "line damage emergency information" data into the ARCOS Suite, which then identifies and assigns a crew to repair the damaged area. Once the line damage emergency information data is input into the system requesting service repair and a crewman is identified and assigned, an email alert is sent to repair crew supervisors and managers informing them of the needed repair and which crewmen were sent to repair the damage. When the crewmen have completed the assigned task, the crew members contact ARCOS and the system automatically updates and notifies supervisors and managers of the completed task.
Accessible through Internet Explorer, the ARCOS Suite juggles and tracks callout lists, schedules and union rules dictating the order of callout. ARCOS makes simultaneous calls to multiple employees and records the responses from each call. Along with securing crews quickly for outage response, the software gives dispatchers and supervisors more time to plan and manage power restoration. This reduces the length of outages and improves safety.
Mitch McLeod, chairman and founder of ARCOS, added, "When utilities need line crews to report for emergency work, managers activate our system and immediately get an accounting of which employees are available, the reason for the callout, location of the trouble and the number of crews needed."
The utility completed the ARCOS implementation in June 2012.
About ARCOS, Inc.
Nineteen of the top 25 U.S. utilities rely on the ARCOS Automated Crew Callout and Resource Management System. When the power goes out or other emergency situations occur, the award-winning, cloud-based ARCOS Callout and Scheduling Suite instantaneously finds, assembles and tracks repair crews, reducing outage interruptions and improving restoration time for electric, gas and power plant utilities. For more information, visit www.arcos-inc.com or call 614-396-5500.
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.
Contact Information:
Media Contacts:
SCE:
Darryl Ryan
(626) 302-2255
ARCOS:
Bill Perry
(614) 975-7538