Planning of network measures possible with openKONSEQUENZ solution
New module “Planned network measures” published via Eclipse project “Eclipse openK User Modules”
The openKONSEQUENZ consortium aims to provide software for network operators in the energy and water industry that implements their requirements functionally, efficiently and securely.
The “Planned network measures” software is a user module of the openKONSEQUENZ platform. It is intended to support network operators in planning and coordinating necessary maintenance and repair work in the supply networks.
In order for planned maintenance and repair work to be carried out in the supply network, it is necessary to apply for a planned network measure. The affected equipment, the time and duration of the grid measure and the parties involved are recorded with the application. When processing the application for the measure, the course of the network measure is planned, its feasibility checked and released for approval. After a further review of the network measure, it is then approved for implementation.
The “Planned network measures” module is licensed under the Eclipse Public License 2.0 and can therefore be used freely by anyone. The module is published via the Eclipse project “Eclipse openK User Modules” and includes source code, documentation and a link to a demo platform.
The application managers responsible for the openKONSEQUENZ module “Planned grid measures” are Mr. Rainer Fuhrmann (EWR Netz GmbH) on the technical side: “The new module informs everyone involved about the current status of the grid measure at all times, from planning to completion of the work. We have thus created transparency that helps everyone involved in their work.” and on the technical side Mr. Frank Dietrich (PTA GmbH): “During development, we placed great emphasis on quality and security. Now we have an application that is stable, secure and easy to maintain.”
An agile project, high quality requirements and an efficient project team
The aim of openKONSEQUENZ is to develop software that is independent of manufacturers and suppliers. The project team was set up accordingly. As the organizer, openKONSEQUENZ commissioned e-netz Südhessen GmbH & Co. KG to handle the purchasing. The client and driver of the module was EWR Netz GmbH in close cooperation with Netz Leipzig GmbH. The IT service provider PTA GmbH was responsible for software development and Simon Process Engineering GmbH for quality assurance.
After the project initialization, the agile Scrum project was characterized by three-week sprints in which the software was expanded piece by piece. The technical requirements were defined by the product owner in the form of user stories and stored in the product backlog, both at the beginning and during the project. As part of the regular sprint planning meetings, all project members agreed on the content of the next sprint and thus gradually worked through the product backlog. The PTA’s Scrum Master was responsible for the smooth running of the meetings, but also during development times.
At the end of each sprint, the product owner carried out the technical acceptance based on the user stories. However, as openKONSEQUENZ has very high quality requirements for its software, non-functional acceptance in the form of audits was also necessary. The following aspects were examined:
- The project had to be carried out in accordance with the official Scrum standard.
- The architecture and quality specifications of openKONSEQUENZ had to be adhered to throughout. This concerned the areas of architecture, source code, IT security and continuous integration.
- The technical documentation had to comply with the arc42 standard.
Simon Process Engineering GmbH carried out the regular audits and confirmed compliance with all specifications: “The quality of the solution developed by PTA was once again consistently good in this project.”
In October 2018, openKONSEQUENZ officially accepted the “Planned network measures” module. This marked the end of nine months of project work, which was characterized by excellent cooperation between all project participants. Dr. Michel Alessandrini (project manager at PTA GmbH) also emphasized the benefits of involving an end user at an early stage: “The direct involvement of an end user in the project meant that important day-to-day business experience could be incorporated directly into the software development, thus achieving additional added value.”
Planned network measures soon to go live
EWR Netz was the first grid operator to introduce the “planned grid measures”. Other network operating companies have also already decided to use the new module in 2019.
Further information can be found directly at openKONSEQUENZ and at Eclipse.
