Software-related services

Tender description

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Limited (NIE Networks) is the electricity distribution network operator and transmission network owner in Northern Ireland. NIE Networks is responsible for the network of engineering assets that allows the transmission and distribution of electricity to customers' premises from electricity generators. NIE Networks does not buy or sell electricity, or send any bills to electricity customers. NIE Networks is a subsidiary of the ESB Group. The transmission and distribution networks comprise a number of interconnected networks of overhead lines and underground cables which are used for the transfer of electricity to c.850 000 customers via a number of substations. There are 2 200 km of transmission lines, 45 000 km of distribution lines and 300 major substations, including 40 serving large wind farm sites. In 1997, NIE Networks introduced Maximo Plant v3.1 as their enterprise asset management solution, which during the years has undergone a number of upgrades to bring it to its current version of 6.2.8, which is no longer in mainstream support. Alongside the core Maximo Plant solution, NIE Networks have deployed a Syclo Mobile Work Manager (SMWM) as their mobile field solution, allowing engineers to capture and view information directly on mobile device, thus resulting in a improved information capture and reduced clerical costs. A separate Maximo instance, Maximo Lines, has been implemented to manage our Overhead Line infrastructure. This instance, which has been developed in Maximo v 7.5, has recently gone live, but will remain separate (in the short term) from Maximo Plant. NIE Networks are undertaking this project for a number of reasons, to assist the vendor in their proposal, NIE Networks have outlined some of the key objectivities of this project: — The current NIE Networks Maximo Plant version is now out of technical support. This applies to the application itself, and the underlying Windows Server architecture. — To take benefits in technology gains, since the previous implementation of Maximo Plant and Syclo (e.g. improved user interfaces, improved mobile technology); — Where possible, to decrease any customisation within the NIE Networks solution and (and without loss of functionality) replace this with standard product configuration, and — To prepare the NIE Networks Maximo Plant solution for a future programme of work and change, i.e. a single Maximo instance covering both plant and overhead lines. Time-scales for vendor selection and project delivery are very aggressive, with the objective of completing full implementation by November 2017. There are number of key drivers to complete this project within the outlined time-scales, to assist the vendor in understanding these NIE Networks have outlined the key ones below: — As outlined above, the current solution is now out of vendor support, as such this now leaves NIE Network with a on-going risk of such a key solution not being provided with vendor support, the longer this continues the greater the risk to NIE Networks. — As outlined above, the Maximo solution forms a key component of our future IT Strategy, as such Maximo Plant is core to a number of future project, a delay in the delivery of this project will have a direct impact on the commencement of these other projects. — New regulatory reporting requirements have been introduced, as a result of this Maximo Plant must now deliver more detailed information to the business, this level of information cannot be provided until the upgrade of the current Maximo Plant solution is completed.