Smart meter rollouts require efficient project management and handy tools for planning and scheduling tasks and monitoring their progress. With at times hundreds of thousands of meters about to be installed, procedures and processes need to be clear to avoid errors, superfluous site revisits and wasted investments. Here’s where our Field Operations Manager (FOM) software comes into play: FOM supports the efficient management of the rollout, by digitalizing and formalizing the installation process. It provides advanced tools both for installation planning as well as job flows for actual work in the field.

Almost four years ago, Austrian utility Netz Burgenland Strom has commissioned us to supply and deploy smart electricity meters – as one of the country’s first distribution system operators to commit to a full-scale G3 PLC smart metering solution rollout.

The French smart meter is called Linky. It is being rolled out by the country’s largest grid operator Enedis, who manages 95% of continental France’s operation, maintenance and development of the public electricity distribution network. And we have been a trusted partner for this project since it first began in 2007.

Determining the right kind of a smart metering solution is a crucial strategic decision for a utility in the initial stage of a smart meter project planning. The number of available devices, software and communication technologies as well as potential partners is huge, as is the spectrum between the two extremes – namely the component and the turn-key solution. Utility customers can buy all the components for their smart metering solution separately and manage the rollout and the software integration themselves, or they can opt for a turn-key solution and, for instance, rely on a subcontractor to manage the project in its entirety.