Front End Consulting

Business Planning

At the outset of a client project, IGSolutions can create, design and write formal business plans related to the Smart Grid network and any additional enabled services for each client utility. IGSolutions will often recommend this kind of systematic planning as a pathway to future account management and to gain in depth knowledge and understanding of the client utility and its special needs. By way of example, the business planning process typically includes: Interviewing multiple and varied levels of management within the utility’s infrastructure; determining the requirements for Smart Grid services or cross-over to telecommunication services; identifying potential savings or benefits that may be gained through project implementation; establishing preliminary designs, costs and timeframes for deliverables; and exploring prudent alternatives for the project’s capitalization and funding.

Project Management

IGSolutions has developed state-of-the-art project planning templates and offers its clients the requisite skills to manage complex Smart Grid projects to ensure swift, efficient and effective execution of front-end plans. Project management services are offered either separately or as a part of the company’s Smart Grid network construction offerings, especially since these are typically complex and challenging projects involving multiple dependencies among equipment ordering and staging, network construction and commissioning, field crew coordination, facility equipment installation, software configurations and overall resource management applications.

Network Design

IGSolutions offers detailed analyses of the client utility’s electric power grid that is to be overlaid with a Smart Grid network while using a combination of the company’s proprietary tools and the skills of IGSolutions’ professional designers to develop a full Smart Grid network. Each design includes the placement of Smart Grid network equipment; the key requirements for fiber interconnects; the placement and typing of electronic interface equipment; detailed bills of materials lists, labor requirements and costing analyses; and the locations and connections of facility equipment that support the client utility’s Smart Grid and consumer broadband services.

Supplier/Vendor Management

IGSolutions manages complex programs and roll outs that often require utilizing various and multiple suppliers that are expected to deliver superior results and complete solutions for our clients. Whether these suppliers are engaged directly by our utility clients or are IGSolutions' hardware, software or services partners, IGSolutions is dedicated to ensuring that all of our managed projects are well-coordinated and effective; this includes working closely with both inside resources at our client sites and outside vendors and suppliers linked to the project's success. Because these coordinated efforts are often quite large, complex and might involve many different technologies and solutions, depending each utility's primary requirements, IGSolutions takes special care to ensure that all inside and outside participants have frequent, substantive and synchronized communications until the project is completed to our clients' satisfaction.

Staff Augmentation

We have an impressive reservoir of technical and managerial talent to deploy at those times when our clients' internal resources are stretched too far to satisfy critical and timely priorities.

The design, engineering and implementation of smart grid systems and technologies often place large burdens on utilities that are resource-challenged in their own internal talent pools. In these cases, IGSolutions stands ready to assist our clients by providing specialized expertise and experienced smart grid professionals who are essentially "on loan" to assist and supplement internal engineering, operations and customer service groups as needed. Our team of professionals can be expected to provide consultative services in several key areas linked to implementing a smart grid - These might include specialized projects; active participation in smart grid planning and roll-out efforts; providing support for designated legacy systems while internal staff implement new projects; and/or to simply supplement existing staff to help manage excessive workloads.