Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

Eversource Energy needs a partner to support them in realizing the benefits of deploying AMI to their customers in Massachusetts by establishing and driving the Program Management Office (PMO). In addition to delivering the prescribed PMO processes outlined, Eversource values a partner that understands the solution and use cases that enable AMI to drive energy efficiency and clean energy goals.

In the summer of 2022, West Monroe and Delta Dental collaborated on primary research to gain deeper insight into the current provider experience. Our study documented a pervasive belief among dental providers that payers are broadly failing to deliver promised value to practices and patients. Payers advertise a desire to help providers deliver quality oral healthcare, promising perks like “access to the biggest member base,” “easy administration,” “quick claims processing”, and “fastest direct payments.” They also emphasize shared values and collaborative ways of working, often citing “trust” as pillar of partnership. But, providers don’t feel that sense of trust or mutuality today. Their experiences with payers are laden with frustration, tedious interactions, low transparency, and inconsistencies driven by highly manual insurance processes. When asked how they would define a true partnership, providers didn’t describe a set of perks, but rather pointed to the importance of shared goals — specifically focusing on how to enable and sustain the best patient care. They currently see payers’ goals as largely divergent from their own, manifested in costly and time-consuming processes that detract from healthy practice operations.

Executive Summary

Patient Acquisition

The value of access to more patients is offset by the abundant friction created when plan members are unclear or underinformed about their own coverage.

The successful implementation of AMI is more than a technology upgrade, it is a transformational investment that is necessary for orchestrating a connected, intelligent, next-generation grid. West Monroe is pleased to offer our experience and support in response to Eversource’s request for PMO services. The West Monroe team has an extensive track record of successful smart grid and AMI Programs throughout the U.S. Our proposed team brings more than just AMI PMO experience. We have functional acumen in: SAP IS-U/CR&B and S/4 HANA Functional knowledge of MDM solutions CIS Billing, Prepay, and Integration into the AMI solutions Our end-to-end knowledge of technologies and products that make-up the AMI architecture, understanding of the evolution of AMI architecture, and optimization positions us to support the AMI Program to maximize benefits realization for you and your customers.

Focus on Successful Transformation & End-State

For more information, contact at

Got questions?

dtilson@westmonroe.com

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

KEY FINDING 1

KEY FINDING 2

KEY FINDING 3

Key Findings

Failed Expectations & Disrupted Flow

Dental providers seek to achieve a state of flow, which can be defined as: steady progress toward their personal and professional goals; expectations being met with minimal surprises or disruptions; people performing in their chosen roles, recognized by patients and teammates for a job well done. While insurance payers promise to help practices grow and thrive, they frequently are seen as disruptors to that sought-after state of flow, in areas that are vital to effective care delivery:

Quality of Care

Because plan offerings are variable and complex, dentists are routinely frustrated by having to reframe their clinical POV in deference to what is covered/affordable.

Patient Experience

Insurance-related tasks regularly siphon time, effort, and goodwill away from providers’ core motivation to design and deliver the best possible experience for customers.

Business Health

Unwieldy administrative burdens and dissatisfaction with reimbursements have providers continually questioning the ROI from insurance partnerships.

Key Findings

Sea of Sameness

Overall, providers don’t tend to see much meaningful difference between major insurance payers. While people in a given role may have their own subjective favorites or non-favorites based on specific tasks, providers generally experience the same challenges and disappointments across multiple payers. Participants in our ethnographic study were presented with value proposition language taken directly from Delta Dental’s provider marketing site but not attributed to any specific carrier. They were then asked to rate how well each of seven major insurance brands lived up to that promise. The minimal variance between ratings goes to show how little difference providers perceive between these payers.

Providers ultimately measure the value of payer relationships in three core ways:

Key Findings

The Available Opportunity

As a category leader, Delta Dental is uniquely equipped to refocus and redesign how it delivers value to providers. This requires readiness to think and act differently. To start, Delta must shift an inside-out, payer-centric perspective to an outside-in, provider-centric view of these relationships. This means foregrounding providers’ goals, ideal outcomes, and quest for flow — all of which can help to refresh everything from strategic planning and prioritization to service design and experience testing in key channels. Additionally, Delta Dental can satisfy providers’ desire to work toward shared goals by addressing shared pain points — i.e., issues or process barriers that currently create unwelcome cost/administrative burden on both sides of the provider-payer relationship. By committing effort and funds to resolving waste/leakage in shared spaces (e.g., manual processes, APIs, contact center), Delta can create more truly mutual value and improve ROI on its core provider tools/resources.

By taking these steps, Delta Dental can more reliably fulfill its promise to providers and push apart from key competitors.

Our combined team of West Monroe and Delta Dental personnel applied a unique blend of industry authority, research expertise, and design acumen to illuminate meaningful insights about the dental provider experience.

Research Team

Hugh Ma

Engagement Lead

Tate Leyba

Visual Design

Kristin Irving

Relationship Lead

Andy Daub

Provider Experience Portfolio Lead

Pablo Alejo

Experience QA

Mike Manfredo

Research Lead

James Diers

Research SMS

Riya Shah

Service Researcher 1

Lindsey Roy

Service Researcher 2

Jennie Thomson

Business Researcher 2

Vidisha Holsambre

Business Researcher 1

Dan Waddell

Provider Experience Portfolio Team

Danial Khan

Business Researcher Intern

Madison McBride

Service Researcher Intern

West Monroe has the deep functional and technical AMI expertise needed—as well as a long-standing, trusted partnership with Eversource and specific knowledge of your AMI business case—to strategically plan and implement a program of this magnitude. Over the last decade, we have deployed dozens of AMI programs with some of the largest investor-owned and municipal utilities across the country. Our customized and tailored approach is based on a value-adding perspective that ensures we focus on the most effective approach to serving, supporting, and ultimately guiding Eversource on its AMI journey. And our nimble, multidisciplinary teams have the industry knowledge and hands-on experience to deliver results that make an impact. Let's dive a little deeper into how we will do that.

Introduction

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Color guide

We can help.

Our lean and agile approach will serve as our anchor to get you there

Click on each phase and milestone to see details of the workstream.

There are key factors that will make this transformation successful

A history of our partnership

Enterprise Telecom Strategy (2019), Field Area Network (2020), SCADA 220 MHz Spectrum Radio Build Out Analysis (2022)

Map end-to-end Network through path-of-packet diagrams, prioritized a 3-tiered, 10-year roadmap addressing seven risk categories. We understand your service territory challenges

Our team

JEREMY KLINGEL

Engagement Lead

AMI PROGRAM LEADERSHIP METHODOLOGY

Initialization & Mobilization (Governance)

Risk & Issue Management

Scope Management

Budget Management

Vendor Management

Integrated Proj. Plan (IPP) & Schedule

Quality Management

Communications Management

Resource Management

Project Control

02/03

Client Testimonials

We'll use automated and digital tools to keep us on track

DIGITAL FRAMEWORK

We have tailored our Digital Framework for effective management and implementation of end-to-end AMI Programs. It uses clear tools and templates designed with simple and intuitive visual indicators to drive a consistent focus on execution and proactive management of the critical path, while adapting to change and uncertainty over the course of the program.

INITIALIZATION & MOBILIZATION

We use this phase to align the team to program objectives, build a clear understanding of roles/responsibilities, outline methods to capture lessons learned for continuous improvement, and begin work to support each workstream. Establish the appropriate people, process and technology elements to support the AMI Program AMI Program RACI, AMI Program Charter, Stakeholder Impact Analysis, Stakeholder Register of Internal/External Resources, Work Breakdown Structure Components with Draft Integrated Project Plan (IPP)

The Goal:

Key Deliverables:

RISK & ISSUE MANAGEMENT

During this phase, we will develop a standardized model for evaluation, escalation, decision-making, and remediation to reduce overall risk and issue impact for the program through. We will centralize these dynamic dashboards on Eversource's SharePoint platform. Enable expedited identification and resolution of key project risks, issues, and decisions PMO Management Plans for Identified & Emerging Key Risks/Issues, Inventory & Baseline Prioritized Risk/Issue Backlog, Risk Category Matrices and Probability/Impacted Indexes, Risk/Issue Management Tool with tracking and workflow capabilities, Risk/Issue Management Report & Executive Summary, and PMO Risk Management Plan & Procedure

The Goal:

Key Deliverables:

SCOPE MANAGEMENT

In coordination with the IT PMO and project workstreams, we will establish a program level change control process, define a Change Control Board to review changes based on their impact and criticality, and develop scope change management toolset centralized on Eversource's SharePoint platform. Implement a common scope management process across each of the major workstreams to monitor, report, and track modifications to deliverables, costs, or timing Scope Change Attributes, Scope Change Control Process, Technology Assessment Process, Inventory & Baseline Scope Changes, Actions & Owners, Scope Change Control Report

The Goal:

Key Deliverables:

BUDGET MANAGEMENT

During this phase, we will provide financial details to program leadership to improve executive level visibility, enable spend prioritization, and maximize project outcomes. Facilitate data-driven leadership decision-making and support continued planful project execution AMI Program Budget, Budget Change Control Process, Budget Reports including analysis of variance drivers, and Monthly/Quarterly/Annual Budget Report Templates

The Goal:

Key Deliverables:

VENDOR MANAGEMENT

We will promote the right culture and behaviors to collaboratively align all vendors as one team with shared accountabilities and objectives. We will also develop metrics to evaluate vendor performance and hold a recurring performance review meeting to evaluate and address any vendor concerns.. Drive vendor accountability, manage financials and invoice approvals, and develop lessons learned to drive overall efficiency Vendor Management Plan & Guideline, Vendor Performance Dashboard, Integrated Project Plan (IPP) with vendor project dependencies across work tracks, Vendor Contract Commitment & SLA Reporting

The Goal:

Key Deliverables:

INTEGRATED PROJECT PLAN (IPP) & SCHEDULE

We will collaborate with Eversource and its vendor partners to develop common work breakdown structures and an integrated master schedule for the program that is transparent and actively monitored to quickly identify and mitigate potential risks and issues. Leverage workstream dashboards to categorize project activities, track key milestones, quantify project progress, and analyze key KPIs to improve project planning Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) with logical task/summary level naming conventions and data attribution, regular IPP Reporting of Delayed or Overdue Tasks, Integrated Project Plan (IPP) with critical path trace macros, and Ancillary & Automated Scheduled Visuals driven by the IPP

The Goal:

Key Deliverables:

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Quality Assurance is core to our delivery and will be integrated throughout the program to drive long-term success, ensure program quality, and achieve desired outcomes. We will establish formal and informal quality controls to mitigate unnecessary risks and avoid controllable redundant work. Establish an iterative quality and control process within each major workstream throughout the entire program PMO Quality Activites Matrix & RACI, Corrective Action Plans, and Quality Metrics

The Goal:

Key Deliverables:

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Throughout the program, we will implement cross-organizational communications that build the foundation for long-term success. We start by outlining all stakeholders (e.g., resources supporting the program, people impacted by program changes, etc.) and grouping them based on role and type of communication required. Then, we review any existing communications plans to enhance, develop, and standardize a Program Communication Plan. Established quality, consistent, and transparent updates via multiple communication channels to confirm that all workstreams within the program, as well as interdependent programs, are working in conjunction Internal Communication Plan, communication talking points & content, AMI Program newsletters, AMI Program monthly, quarterly, & annual report, regulatory report input, and steering committee & leadership presentations & updates

The Goal:

Key Deliverables:

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

We will define and own the resource management plan and processes for the AMI Program, including resource planning, estimating, budgeting, and quality control. We will also create integrated tools for resource capacity planning and loading to align activities, dates, milestones, releases, and interdependencies. Enabling transparency, proper planning, and risk mitigation of potential resource constraints across the Program and Eversource as a whole Resource Management Plan, Resource Management Report, and Project Resource Onboarding/Offboarding Tracker Template

The Goal:

Key Deliverables:

PROJECT CONTROL

We have developed a lean approach and proven toolkit of reporting templates and automation methods that focuses on the critical path items delaying the project and methods of quantifying project progress—available in a simple, consolidated dashboard. Create data-enabled insights that drive value across processes, accurately report progress, and simplify understanding of program roadblocks Weekly and monthly Program Status Reports

The Goal:

Key Deliverables:

We understand and collaborate across the AMI ecosystem while remaining technology and vendor agnostic

We understand what vendors can deliver (or possibly not), the challenges of managing multiple system integrators, the sequencing and considerations to avoid rework, and maintaining the discipline and outward looking lens to meet customer and regulatory commitments. Through project experience and a conscious effort, we have developed a deep engagement with the vendor community that allows us to serve as a Solution Design Authority by maintaining current knowledge of the major industry participants and their leading-edge capabilities.

We have successfully implemented large AMI Programs and come equipped with key accelerators

We bring our field-proven methodologies, processes, frameworks, and templates for AMI Programs, and related solution integration. These frameworks and templates have been proven to accelerate project schedules while enabling accuracy and comprehensive results. Our success relies on our customer orientated business model, program management savvy, and broad technical skills developed over hundreds of utility engagements.

We are the right partner to help Eversource minimize risk and maximize benefit

West Monroe provides a trusted partner who will not only work side-by-side with you to plan and deliver a practical AMI solution but stretch the art of the possible via accelerators to ensure you squeeze maximum value from implementing this complex yet foundational infrastructure. We have extensive experience in architecting, managing, and technically guiding AMI Programs with key PMO fundamentals and processes to allow for successful AMI solution implementation, including the transition to operations and advanced use case implementation for distribution automation and digital customer experience programs.

West Monroe will ramp-up efficiently and transition to execution in the first 120 days by adapting processes and tools to maximize insight and ease of use to all AMI Solution stakeholders

Our 90-day ramp-up plan

Mobilization & Alignment

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Kickoffs and Stakeholder Engagement

Initialization of Deliverables (RACI, Charter, WBS, etc.)

Align on goals & objectives, activities, resources, and team communication plan for engagement Immerse with Eversource and vendors teams to develop health culture of collaboration and shared accountability

• •

PMO Focus Areas

Click each phase to learn more

Establish and customize PMI-compliant processes, tools, and deliverables to meet Eversource’s needs Align on workstream-level meeting series requirements (i.e., agenda/topics, frequency, audience, etc.)

PMO Focus Areas

• •

Assess & Develop Processes

Find opportunities to build automation into processes and feed digital PMO toolkit Work closely with Eversource to validate assumptions, align resources, and allocation of time and effort to develop detailed IPP and other workstream deliverables

PMO Focus Areas

• •

Adapted Toolkit

Ask difficult questions and challenge status quo Trust but verify – particularly vendors Know the “pulse” of the project by establishing trust Encourage challenging and lively meetings

PMO Focus Areas

• • • •

Manage Execution

Celebrate success and recognize value

PMO Focus Areas

•

Benefit Realization

Risk/Issue Management Plan and Change Control Process

AMI Program Budget and Control Process

Resource & Vendor Management Plan

Risk/Issue/Change Control Trackers, Workflow, Dashboards

Integrated Project Plan (P6, MS, or other)

Performance Dashboard & Budget Templates

Daily, Weekly, Monthly Activities In-Flight

Budget Reporting & Analysis

Vendor & Workstream Lead Schedule Executable Detail

Review Business Case for Monitoring, Control, and Analysis Purposes

Quality Activity Matrix, Metrics, and Corrective Action Plans

View the demo on the right to see how West Monroe’s AMI Dashboard brings information together into a unified view to simplify decision making and help Eversource realize the full benefits of their AMI program

Keith Scerbo, General Manager

My experience in working with West Monroe Partners since 2016 has been . I have had the opportunity to work on several projects with them over the last seven years including some significant work around Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Being able to rely in a consultant to deliver no matter what the initiative is always reassuring. I continue to work with them and recommend them because they , always and have the ability to when projects change direction.

excellent

top notch resources

pivot

fit in seamlessly

deliver

Tom Magee, AMI Implementation Team General Manager

The West Monroe team provided key Project Management support in several areas that allowed Con Edison to continually progress on schedule while successfully integrating a number of large emergent efforts seamlessly. To name a few value adds, West Monroe supported:

The West Monroe team members are intelligent, energetic, and importantly weaved into the Con Edison team. They are flexible and always available to switch gears as needed to address emergent needs. The West Monroe team has knowledge of a variety of issues we faced during deployment, such as:

Development and management of the Integrated Project Plan (IPP) and project risk matrices, which allowed Con Edison to fare very well in eight PwC audits throughout the first four years of the project Management of vendor Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and contract management reviews Operational go-live check lists to support successful IT cutovers Vendor remobilization planning to address the COVID suspension, as well as vendor ramp up/down plans for meter installation vendors Many emergent efforts, including the NYC MTA deployment and another effort to work with our Gas Operations team to manage special metering solutions for gas interruptible customers Various presentations to the Public Service Commission (PSC) Project closeout management to bring all large contracts to a successful close

• • • • • •

Inventory/material buffer stock management to avoid supply chain impacts Vendor performance quality issues and enforcing SLAs, which Con Edison developed to motivate and penalize vendor performance and ensure that established deployment metrics developed prior to the project were met Handling no-access and customer opt-out arrangements Network performance tracking and addressing performance issues in urban and rural areas

• • • •

There were many things Con Edison encountered on our project that West Monroe worked hand in hand with the Con Edison and O&R Business and IT teams to address, and we wouldn’t have had such a successful rollout without the West Monroe team. My overall experience with West Monroe is very positive. If I had to do it again, I would choose the same team to support me.

Dan Loveland Director of Project Management, Pepco Holdings Inc.

I have found West Monroe to be a in the planning and execution of the AMI deployment at Atlantic City Electric. In particular, as we navigated the planning phase and moved into execution, West Monroe provided while listening closely to the team’s thoughts and concerns. The combination of and has helped us get to a place where we are ahead of schedule even with the global supply challenges we had to overcome. We continue to work closely on assuring the project is fully complete ahead of our Board of Public Utility (BPU) commitment, addressing issues such as hard-to-access, change management and activation.

valuable partner

flexibility

experience

valuable input

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

Connecticut and Massachusetts AMI Business Case Analysis (2020-2021)

Evaluated costs for all metering, network, system, and service investments required to enable quantitative as well as qualitative operational and customer benefits for CT and MA. Developed scenarios to inform regulatory strategy for on-time filings/proceedings

IIJA AMI & Resiliency Planning (2021-2022) IIJA Hydrogen Assessment (2022)

Assessed multitude of State Commission issued directives for applicability of various Resiliency & incremental AMI enabled opportunities to quantify benefits and pursuit strategy

Enterprise Electric and Gas GIS Roadmap (2021) & Transmission (2022)

Map end-to-end Network through path-of-packet diagrams, prioritized a 3-tiered, 10-year roadmap addressing seven risk categories. We understand your service territory challenges

AMI and Omni Customer Information Systems (CIS) Support (2022-Current)

Deliver project implementation support by building out a cohesive AMI-CIS cross-project schedule and mapping requirements to reduce risks of parallel IT implementations. Acting as Liaison with Omni Team for Grid Modernization Team

Click each phase to learn more

RAQUEL ABITANTE

PMO Lead

JENNIFER POPKIN

PMO Lead Analyst

DANNY FREEMAN

Quality Assurance

Scope & Quality Management

Budget, Vendor & Resource Management

full time

part time

Our core AMI PMO team

JOHN CLANCY

PMO Analyst

Integrated Project Plan & Project Control

BLAKE CASAGRANDA

PMO Analyst

Risk & Issue Management & PMO Communications

OUR EXTENDED TEAM

ERIC CHUNG

Eversource & Regulatory SMS

ANDREW SAMS

Eversource AMI BCA SMS

TIM VALIN

Eversource & Telecom SMS

MAMOON LATIF

AMI/MDM/SAP (CIS) SMS

JEFF BUXTON

AMI PMO SMS

Dave Tilson