23 SEPTEMBER 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Best Practices for Utility Fleet Managers Adapted from Information by The Utility Expo What will the next level of utility fleet management look like? The criteria used by the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) to identify the top fleets in the Americas is a good place to start. Criteria for both public fleets and commercial fleets serve as a guide to achieving excellence. This year marks the first time commercial fleets are eligible for the award, and utility pros can learn even more about fleet management at The Utility Expo, September 26-28, in Louisville, Kentucky. While current technology provides fleet managers with more data than ever before, new skills and tools are needed to make the data actionable. “There’s a large amount of data from different sources, so you have to be able to collect that data and make it manageable,” stated Joseph Moser, senior manager of fleet services for ComEd, a subsidiary of Exelon Corp.“Having a dedicated telematics specialist on your team has been proven to be effective.” When CPS Energy created a Fleet Informatics Team, Bert Hargesheimer, vice president of operational support services, initially received pushback from some technicians. “Now they understand why we are doing this,” he said. “Our analytics team fixed some recurrent problems and made the workflow for technicians easier.” Technology changes quickly and fleet managers need to stay up-to-date on applications that improve productivity and performance. NAFA calls for fleets to review and update their technology plan at least annually. “You need to be out there, you need to be attending trade shows and conferences so you can hear from manufacturers, software designers, and others who are trying to move the needle when it comes to things like fleet electrification, data collection, and fleet management,” stated Moser. Reducing U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 50% by 2030, below 2005 levels, is going to take an enormous effort. No one understands this more than the utility industry. Utility fleet managers play an important role in demonstrating how to achieve sustainability goals. Tracking tailpipe emissions is likely to become the norm. Not to mention, electrification of utility fleets is already underway. While navigating their own fleet electrification journey, ComEd is also helping customers do the same with its EV Toolkit, which helps interested customers on their path to electric vehicles (EVs). Getting to the next level won’t happen without the right people and training in place. In addition to training technicians on new equipment technology, electric vehicles, and software, CPS Energy has an operational excellence team focused on Six Sigma training and facilitating Six Sigma projects. “As we’re working through improvements, we’re training employees to have a methodology and approach to working through a problem,” said Hargesheimer. “The final part of the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) methodology is controlled, so if you fix something, you have the controls to continue benefitting from the changes.” It will take multiple initiatives to achieve the next level of fleet management, but accountability, technology, developing talent, and a commitment to sustainability can serve as a good foundation. DIR
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