Managing network assets safely, efficiently and reliably is the core function of Essential Energy. In May 2024, we successfully migrated to a new Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution, replacing legacy systems with a cloud-based digital platform. The EAM solution strengthens our ability to track, monitor and analyse network asset data, to support strategic and operational decisions, including how often assets are inspected and when they should be replaced.

The solution provides the right systems, processes, data sources and ways of working to manage our assets over their entire lifecycle. It also provides higher quality and more granular data, along with improved integration with other systems. This significantly uplifts our capability so that we continue to meet our licence conditions, operate safely, and efficiently analyse the condition of the network.

Our industry-leading approach to developing and using a digital twin of network assets, coupled with increased real-time data, continues to improve asset management capabilities.

The twin is an engineering-grade virtual replica of our physical electricity network. It uses artificial intelligence driven analytics to carry out large-scale analyses, to determine how the network will perform in real life. It provides insights that were not previously possible. In addition, the level of risk for individual assets is calculated using digital twin analytics, enabling future optimisation of network expenditure.

The visualisation experience of the digital twin platform was enhanced this year, improving accessibility of the most relevant network information through a three-dimensional view.

Digital task management is streamlining frontline team workflows across our network. Our new digital depot tool, ‘The Queue’, provides depot leaders and field teams with a consolidated view of their team’s premises-specific tasks and enables electronic task scheduling and distribution, removing more than 25,000 paper work instructions from circulation each year. It has improved visibility of task ownership, including critical National Energy Customer Framework (NECF) tasks. It has also streamlined processes, reduced the number of return visits to sites, freed up field crew capacity, and improved resource management.

Our in-house built and maintained Field Portal app provides field-based employees with easy access to network and safety information and tools anywhere and anytime, via iPads and iPhones. During 2023–24, enhancements included Streetview, display of battery and solar attributes for premises, and additional information layers for bushfires and fire ant locations. The app continues to be improved, with many enhancements coming from feedback from operational teams.

Our new Electrical Distribution Network Access Register (EDNAR) will also deliver process enhancements when the current system is retired in late 2024. This critical business system supports authorised access to the network for planned works and notifies nearby customers. EDNAR will streamline these processes while continuing to meet NECF requirements.

With an overhead powerline network covering more than 183,000 kilometres, vegetation management is a significant cost and involves numerous third-party contractors to conduct inspections and maintenance.

In October 2023 we upgraded our vegetation digital platform, to streamline operations and improve communication, coordination and compliance. The platform uses automated task allocations and workflows and can share information in the field through a mobile application, with system integrations streamlining invoicing and administrative tasks.