Smart hammer (AM10)

Business Need

SSEN’s digital supply chain for asset management insight solutions requires assimilation of domain expertise from the line inspection teams with operational decision support via application of data analytics. Pole assets are numerous and understanding their condition accurately is essential for network resilience in rural areas, particularly in the face of increasing extreme weather events, and also from a health and safety perspective, with degraded poles being unsafe to climb. AM-13 builds on the AM-11 project to specialise the SmartHammer analysis findings to new asset data from the SHEPD and SPD license areas.

Key partners

The solution

AM-13 utilised Strathclyde know-how in the operational data analytics field as well as in model explainability to reassure stakeholders that automated condition assessment was reached logically. This was achieved through codifying domain expertise and the findings from multiple types of pole tests using advanced machine learning models.

Next steps

Support upscaling to a wider fleet of assets including understanding the impact of geography on pole condition and local challenges faced by line inspectors in fitting the tests into inspection workflow.

Business benefits

Policy impact

Trusting the use of intelligent systems, even in decision support, is essential prior to their adoption as business as usual. AM-13 allowed pole asset health to be assessed through Smart Hammer quicker, more accurately and more repeatably than existing methods.

Industry quotes

Strathclyde's analysis of our existing asset test data provided a means of identifying best use of effort in collecting data and securing the confidence of field staff that it is providing the highest quality decisions.

 

Fraser MacIntyre, Innovation Project Manager, SSEN Distribution

There are many factors involved in the degradation of wooden pole assets. The analytic work undertaken in AM-13 allows us to realise the value in data obtained from additional testing and factor it into to asset management decisions.

 

Kevin Dennis, Innovation Project Manager, SSEN Distribution