Project Management D

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Project Management D.Q 1 - Word Picture Tools X File Home Insert Design Layout References Mailings Review View Format Tell me what you want to do. Share do Cut Times New Ro * 12 - A A Aa AaBbCcDC AaBbCcD< AaBbCc AaBbCcC AaBbC, AaBbCCD AaB Find * AaBbCCC Copy Bac Replace Paste Format Painter B I U - abe X2 X' A - Z - A - 1 Normal 1 No Spac... Heading 1 Heading 2 Heading 3 Heading 4 Title Subtitle 41 Select Clipboard Font Paragraph Styles Editing . . . . 6 . . . . . .7 . Project Management in Practice The Smart-Grid Revolution Starts in Boulder, Colorado Boulder's utility company, Xcel Energy, decided that they will automatically reduce their usage, by up to it was time to create a roadmap for a 3-year, $100 30 percent in some cases. Of course, the smart grid million "smart-grid" electrical system that would would also allow Xcel to reroute power around bot- span the entire city. There were no standards, bench- tlenecked lines, detect power outages, identify ser- marks, or tested procedures for converting a city vice risks, cut its use of road crews, read customer from a conventional electric-grid system to a fully meters remotely, reduce outages, and identify false integrated smart one, though it was known that if alarms more quickly. customers can monitor the true cost of their energy. o Xcel brought in a mass of partners on the project, tours of project sites, and even a touring trailer such as Accenture consulting for engineering, energy allowing citizens to get a hands-on demonstration of industry consultants, leading technologists, business the smart-grid technology. With the completion of the leaders, IT experts, and of course, Boulder city man- project, Xcel is now measuring its many benefits and agers, leaders, and user-citizens. The public and pri- expects it will take a year to collect and analyze all vate partners were divided into eight teams, all led by the data across all the seasons. The project partners a senior project manager working with a Project Man- have also created an industry consortium to establish agement Office. With all these different stakeholders, industry standards for future, larger smart-grid proj- with different objectives and interests, it was crucial ects. They now see Boulder as a living laboratory from to have steady, reliable communication to keep every- which they can continue to learn and thereby success- one up to date and the project on track. Security and fully deploy smart grids across the entire country. privacy were high-priority items on the project, and communication with the community was facili- Source: S. F. Gale, "A Closer Look." PM Network, Vol. 24.