Digital Transformation
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Fundamentally changing the way a business operates by the strategic and intentional use of digital tools
Digital Transformation (DX) aims to elevate business operations and support a cultural change that broadly impacts an organization’s efficiency and value delivery. DX is not limited to the installation of digital tools and software; it is an extensive use of a digital infrastructure designed to create capabilities that improve and empower the workforce. In its ideal embodiment, DX removes inefficiencies, improves communication, creates intuitive human-device interaction, revamps processes, leverages data analytics, and optimization routines to realize sustainable benefits and improvements.
While the DX possibilities are attractive, the planning and execution of a DX strategy are a complicated web of technology, IT and OT infrastructures, and business processes. One of the foundational but challenging digital actions is to collect quality data from its origination point to the end user. Prioritizing the collection, management, and use of data can reduce or eliminate work and enable people to focus on higher priority issues and maximize value to our customers without sacrificing safety, reliability, or cost.
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Introduction
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DX In The Power Industry
DX requires a holistic view and executive support because of enterprise-wide changes and the number of stakeholders usually involved. Utilities need to identify their DX objectives and goals—as well as their current state—in order to develop a strategy. The people & process pieces are extremely important for enabling this transformation. The goal is to transform the business, and within that, the processes that make up the business. The office and plant workers are the ones who will make the changes, so a thoughtful change management plan is also required. A DX strategy will also include the value-generating technologies and the security required for this transformation. Lastly, the plans for project management and the implementation of these technologies include guidance on how to move from pilot to full-scale, as well as capitalize on agile project management to support DX implementation.
DX Strategic Focus Areas
EPRI is framing DX in six key strategic focus areas: DX Strategy, People & Process, Technology, Data & Infrastructure, Cyber Security, and DX Implementation. EPRI has performed DX related research in these focus areas across the institute for many years including but not limited to work on drones, sensors, digital twins, wireless communications, analytics/AI, and augmented/virtual reality. Research on hardening assets, and segmenting and securing our cyber assets and other cyber security related research has and will continue to be a predominate feature of a digital landscape. How these technologies are integrated together to collect data from a wide variety of sources on an IT/OT infrastructure to transform decision making processes and ultimately an organization are the targeted outcomes from the DXRI. Developing knowledge around the lifecycle costs and maintenance of a large data infrastructure will also be considered.
To successfully implement a vison of a digital utility, organizations may need new tools or methodologies, such as agile project management, robust change management techniques, user feedback/continuous improvement communication pathways, or the ability to develop software. Hover on the focus areas below to learn more.
Looking to the Future
The Digital Transformation Research Initiative (DXRI) is a new supplemental program aiming to unlock the full potential of DX by driving successful implementation across the power industry. The DXRI is unique due to its overarching perspective (plant, fleet and or enterprise wide as opposed to asset specific) and the focus on “the how” of implementing DX, as a complement to our focused technical work performed programmatically throughout EPRI related to specific assets.
Across EPRI, we are performing and will perform research which will support our members in DX. In order to support the power industry during their journey, EPRI has developed a DX R&D Roadmap. This roadmap is intended to help coordinate and integrate current and future DX R&D throughout EPRI. This roadmap focuses on the research that connects (integrates and/or unifies) the different digital research areas to provide a common power generation agnostic enterprise DX framework. The DX R&D Roadmap summarizes the DX research done throughout EPRI into six DX focus areas: DX Strategy, People & Process, Data, Technology, Security, and DX Implementation.
DX Strategy
Technology
Security
People and Process
Data AND Infrastructure
DX
Implementation
Project Contacts
Note: All EPRI members may access the EPRI-Wide Digital Transformation Research Roadmap; however, access to the identified research will be restricted to members of the sectors/programs performing the research. DXRI members will have access to all DXRI research results.
Robert Austin
Sr. Program Manager
raustin@epri.com
Susan Maley
Technical Executive
smaley@epri.com
Cassie Shaban
Sr. Technical Leader
cshaban@epri.com
Colton Smith
Sr. Technical Leader
cosmith@epri.com
EPRI Wide DX Research Roadmap
People & Process
How will DX and technology impact our utility’s resources, and how do we prioritize work related to impacts of DX? What skillset do utility employees need to thrive in a DX’d organization? How do we enable the individual to improve their workload management, automate their workflow and increase their performance? How do we make sure to consider the human in the endeavor to transform our organization? The DXRI will address these key research questions and more. The DXRI will work to integrate this research with other strategic focus areas.
Data
As stated above, how do utilities collect the right quality data and transmit it across the IT infrastructure to the end user? How do we optimally consolidate and integrate datasets in an operational environment from disparate data sources across a variety of technologies? What network architecture is best to support a DX’d utility? The DXRI will look at these key research questions concerning one of the most valuable assets in a DX’d utility: data. EPRI has been performing and will continue to perform research on these key questions across the institute. The DXRI will work to integrate this research with other strategic focus areas.
DX Implementation
How does a utility implement DX? What methods and processes can be leveraged to increase DX success? How does a utility measure DX implementation success? How does the utility manage the change across the organization? EPRI has been performing and will continue to perform research on these key questions across the institute. The DXRI will work to integrate this research with other strategic focus areas.
Cyber Security
How do we transform digitally in a secure manner? What are the defensible architectures available to a utility? EPRI has been performing and will continue to perform research on these key questions across the institute. The DXRI will work to integrate this research with other strategic
focus areas.
Technology
What technology is available and what are the use cases? What new technology is on the horizon that could be implemented in the electric power industry soon? EPRI has been performing and will continue to perform research on these key questions across the institute. The DXRI will work to integrate this research with other strategic focus areas.
DX Strategy
How does a utility determine their current DX maturity level? How does a utility determine their future aspirational DX maturity level, and—more importantly—how does the utility determine the roadmap to get to the future state? How does the utility go about understanding their business challenges prior to determining a technical solution? The DXRI will be looking at these key research questions and more. The DXRI will work to integrate this research with other strategic
focus areas.
GET involved
DX Focus Areas
Research Topics
2023
2024
2025
2026
Overview:
View the EPRI Wide DX Roadmap
EPRI Sector/Program Specific Research
Research Initiative
DXRI
Learn more
Links:
https://www.epri.com/research/products/3002027598
https://dx-wiki.epri.com/DX