Arkansas Western Gas Gets BISI

Arkansas Western Gas Co. of Fayetteville began a four- to five-year business processes retooling project in 2006. The cost will be between $9 million and $10 million.
The project, called BISI, (pronounced like “busy”) stands for Business Information Systems Initiative. It will basically move AWG out of the dark ages of paper filing systems and jettison it into the computer age.
The BISI investments are a separate item and are not included in the $12 million in capital investments the company plans to make by the end of 2006, or in the $13 million it has budgeted for 2007.
“That’s a lot of money to spend,” said Alan Stewart, president of AWG. “But we’re going to save money — operational money.”
The company has a five-step plan for BISI that started in earnest in March.
The first part of the BISI plan includes updating the company’s maps with data about pipelines and valve stations, and converting them to electronic geographic information system files with multiple levels of information. This project is under way.
Another pending part of BISI that will begin in 2007 is an automated meter reading program.
Stewart said a good meter reader on his or her feet can check about 600 meters per day accurately. But the automated system will take that to about 10,000 per day.
Basically, all of AWG’s 150,000 customers will have transmitters installed on their meters and as a truck drives by, the meter’s information is downloaded to a computer.
The company has budgeted about $4 million for the automated system alone, Stewart said.
Computerized and automated routing for field technicians will be coming down the pipeline, too. Now the process is slow and requires significant paperwork and for a customer service representative to think through his own route.
But future work orders will go into a database and configure a route automatically.
“In the future, he’ll get in his truck, turn on his computer and start working right from his house,” Stewart said.
Other facets for BISI include automated back office processes and an interactive Web service for customers.
Stewart points out that AWG is behind the times. Other utilities are already automated and gas companies in larger markets have already implemented parts or all of the BISI plan.
But, he said, the company gets to benefit from using tried and true systems.
“It will transform our company,” he said.