Software applications and Internet innovations are making the utility industry's wealth of information for expanding companies more accessible than ever.
Just take a look at LOIS -- a great example of how software applications are impacting the utility industry and assisting businesses in site searches.
LOIS, short for the LocationOne Information System used by UtiliCorp United, is a software program that provides information about hundreds of locations in UtiliCorp's eight-state service territory.
The program's vast database includes aerial maps, floor plans of existing structures, community photographs and state videos.
It's notable to remember that the utility industry's technical innovations of today have roots in yesterday.
| LOIS (LocationOne Information System) used by UtiliCorp United, is a software program that provides information about hundreds of locations in UtiliCorp's eight-state service territory. Utilities are on the cutting edge of providing site location data to expanding companies. |
Facilities called resource centers once were -- and many still are -- the repository of mountains of information, from general economic overviews to financial reports and demographic information.
While utilities including Cinergy, Entergy, Oklahoma Gas & Electric and Georgia Power still count on their resource centers when presenting business data to prospects, new industry innovations are surfacing as well.
Many resource center facilities have given way to laptop- or Internet-based information directories.
The powers of the Internet and software applications will only prove beneficial to those that choose to embrace new and improved computer wizardry.
Already, scores of utility companies have put their wares out for the world to see via the Internet.
The World in a Briefcase
Programs like LOIS make it possible for utility companies and the communities in their service territories to bring a multitude of information to the site seeker's office.
"When you walk into a customer's office and someone says 'Well, we do have an interest in expanding our facility, we do have an interest in the Midwest, and we're needing 100,000 square feet -- what do you have available?,' we pop open the laptop, run a query, find the building, and show them pictures of it," said Lisa Franklin, UtiliCorp's director for economic development marketing.
Cost Calculator adds Up to Value for Expanding Companies
Few innovations are as valuable to busy executive site selectors than to be able to quickly calculate and compare utility costs. Several utilities currently offer this capability, and others are sure to follow. Baltimore Gas & Electric's Web site (http://www.bge.com), which is currently under construction, contains a calculator designed to help prospects anticipate their energy costs. Prospects can input data such as electric consumption, demand and hours of operation into the calculator to find out how the costs would compute with BG&E's rates. "You can do selective state comparisons and figure out what your discount rates and savings would be," said John Sundergill, director of economic development for BG&E.
Nevada Power Co. has a similar program, although it is not yet on its Web site. "We've computerized our tariff so that, if someone calls in, we can pretty accurately figure out what their energy costs will be," said Frank McRae, director of economic development for Nevada Power. |
"We also have a mapping system where we can show them exactly where it's located within that community, and how close it is to rail, if they need rail."
Franklin explained that there are two sides to the program: the maintenance side, where changes are made and data is input, and the presentation side, which is shown to prospects.
"Let's say a community has to change their employment rate on their profile five minutes before a meeting. They can, and it will be ready on the presentation side," she said.
"And not only will they (the community) have the ability to get it, but UtiliCorp United employees who also market their service area will have that information as well."
ProCuring Information for Expanding Companies
American Electric Power, with a service territory stretching from
Michigan to Tennessee and east to Virginia, has an economic development software program called ProCure.
The Windows-based program has been up and running for about five years and allows data to be entered, stored and manipulated. ProCure can be run on a laptop or personal computer.
"We've got two versions of ProCure," said Amy Dafforn, project manager for the utility. "We have a stand-alone version and e.ProCure, our Web-based version.
"We offer the program free of charge to the communities in our service territory," she said. "It is a shell of a program that the communities use to collect the sites and buildings that are available in their area.
"It has demographics, a community profiler and a property profiler for sites and buildings. It contains the basic information -- what any prospect would be interested in during their first go-around when looking at properties."
One benefit offered by the ProCure program is multimedia capabilities. Using the program, executives of expanding companies can take a virtual tour of a site, without leaving their office.
"It's a pretty light system," said Dafforn. "It can be on any laptop and there's multimedia built-in, so you can take a video of the building and then take that along with you and show it to the prospect," said Dafforn. "Or, if a prospect is interested, you can say, 'Hey, before you take a flight out here, take a tour of our building out on our Web page.'"
UtiliCorp and American Electric Power are both in the process of revamping their programs and Web sites and enhancing their multimedia capabilities even further.
What Hi-Tech Innovations Mean for Your Business
For companies seeking a new or expanded location, these software innovations and Web-based information systems add up to ease and convenience.
"We have already received a decent amount of prospects looking for sites through our Web page," said Dafforn. "Prospects are starting to do a little more searching on their own, instead of going through site selection consultants, or having somebody internally doing it.
"And with AEP's system, we cover seven states, so they are getting a nice variety of what's out there.
"They can look on their leisure time, and see what's out there, what's available. I think the prospect is appreciating that more. They don't have to deal with a real estate broker, or a consultant. And if they're just semi-interested, they don't have to go all the way."
Utility company officials are also hoping to put the community information into hard copy form.
"Everything they've put into this system, we're hoping to print out in nice reports so communities can also package the information in a proposal if the client wants a hard copy," said Franklin.
Computer innovations will continue to be a powerful tool as utilities determine how to better assist the communities -- and ultimately the businesses -- in their service territories.
By the same token, it signifies the availability of more current and easily accessible information for site seekers.
And while utility companies are forging ahead into the technological future, they want to make sure their tools are still simple enough and practical for companies to use.
"We like to be on the cutting edge, but not the bleeding edge," said Franklin.
Rachael Hedgcoth is a senior writer for Expansion Management Magazine.
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