It is hard to believe that in 2023 most utilities still record nameplate data using paper and pencil in the field and then manually update this data into various systems of record in the back office. Is that the number zero or the letter O in the serial number?

It is also hard to believe that utilities may not be able to locate installed assets in their system that are part of a manufacturer recall or internally identified poor performing assets. How many of those recalled splices do we have in our system? Where are they located?

As utilities address the rapid growth and rebuilding of their transmission and distribution systems to meet the growing demand, the industry has a unique opportunity to improve data quality. The need for high quality asset data has always been important, but advanced technologies such as ADMS and AI will certainly require more accurate data. Construction is the best time to capture high fidelity asset data, but manually scribing asset serial numbers and ratings is not the solution.

A new IEEE Industry Connections program titled Supply Chain and Asset Traceability for Electric (SCATE) is attempting to solve these problems. The goal of SCATE is to develop industry standards for Unique IDs and Smart Tags for electric grid equipment and materials. Program participants include EPRI, utility companies, manufacturers, and technology companies.

The Unique IDs embed attribute data directly into the ID to enable encoding and decoding without the need for a separate database. Attributes such as manufacturer, serial number, ratings, and materials are included in the Unique ID. A simplified example for a single-phase 50 kVA pole mount transformer is provided below.

Manufacturers will generate Unique IDs and apply Smart Tags, such as QR codes or RFID tags, to their products. Asset Owners can then scan the Smart Tag and decode the Unique ID into its attributes to populate systems of record such as GIS and ERP.

One of the first tasks of the SCATE program was to define the potential use cases for Unique IDs and Smart Tags. Some of the high value use cases include:

• Emergency Response – Recording assets removed and installed during emergency response via barcode scanning would enable accurate data collection during unplanned work. 
• Mutual Aid – The ability to request and respond to mutual aid solicitations for equipment and materials would be streamlined with industry standard Unique IDs that precisely define required asset attributes.
• Intake Verification – Validating attributes during intake such as expiration date, country of origin, recall status, and ratings would enable supply chain to proactively verify approved materials and equipment.
• GIS and ERP System of Record – Digitally transferring attribute data such as serial number and manufacture date from a barcode scan into a GIS and ERP system would improve data quality and reduce manual data entry.
• Recall Management – Having asset traceability data in the system of record enables Asset Owners to efficiently respond to manufacturer recalls.
• Performance Tracking – Having traceability data in the system of record enables Asset Owners to track asset performance and lifecycle costs to make informed cost optimization decisions.
• Emerging Technologies – Any new technology including digital twins, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality will require high quality asset attribute data for optimal performance.

The natural gas utility industry implemented similar asset traceability standards that have proven very valuable in addressing manufacturer recalls, digital as-builting, automating project close-out, and getting high quality attribute data into GIS and ERP systems.

The output of the IEEE Industry Connections project will be a SCATE Specification for Unique IDs and Smart Tags. Testing of the specification is on-going with several utilities and manufacturers. The ultimate goal is to convert the specification into an IEEE standard that becomes an industry best practice . . . so that nobody has to guess whether it is the number 0 or the letter O.