Evaluate the organization's current capabilities alongside its future regulatory commitments and needs to evaluate the overall need of a DERMS.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. What are the utility’s current DER management capabilities (i.e. scheduling, demand response, visualization, monitoring, control, etc.) and what systems are currently responsible?
2.  What future use cases are required to meet both short-and long-term goals and/or regulatory requirements?
3. What gaps exist that hinder the organization’s ability to achieve its DERMS end-state goals?
4. How will projected capacity increases in the area of operations impact DERMS requirements and scalability?

Key Activities:

• Current state assessment
• Needs assessment
• Gap analysis
•  Next steps recommendation

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Core business stakeholders
• Product owner(s)
• Technical stakeholders (security, architecture, software engineering, etc.)
• Future end-user representatives
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• DERMS use cases and business objectives

Evaluate the organization's current capabilities alongside its future regulatory commitments and needs to evaluate the overall need of a DERMS.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. What are the utility’s current DER management capabilities (i.e. scheduling, demand response, visualization, monitoring, control, etc.) and what systems are currently responsible?
2.  What future use cases are required to meet both short-and long-term goals and/or regulatory requirements?
3. What gaps exist that hinder the organization’s ability to achieve its DERMS end-state goals?
4. How will projected capacity increases in the area of operations impact DERMS requirements and scalability?

Key Activities:

• Current state assessment
• Needs assessment
• Gap analysis
•  Next steps recommendation

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Core business stakeholders
• Product owner(s)
• Technical stakeholders (security, architecture, software engineering, etc.)
• Future end-user representatives
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• DERMS use cases and business objectives

Identify and prioritize DERMS use cases based on business needs, technical feasibility, regional regulatory requirements, and impact to ensure a focused and phased implementation approach.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. What are the core business needs and use cases for your utility’s DERMS solution?
2. How would the business quantify the value of each business need and use case?
3. What DERMS use cases (if any) are already in place through existing systems?

Key Activities:

• Definition of use cases
• Alignment on business needs / value
• Mapping of use cases to business needs
• Prioritization of use cases

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Core business stakeholders
• Product owner(s)
• Technical stakeholders (security, architecture, software engineering, etc.)
• Future end-user representatives
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• Defined use cases
• Use case-business need alignment
• Direction to begin road mapping and detailed requirements gathering

Description:

• Identify and prioritize DERMS use cases based on business needs, technical feasibility, regional regulatory requirements, and impact to ensure a focused and phased implementation approach.

Key Considerations/Key Questions:

1. What are the core business needs and use cases for your utility’s DERMS solution?
2. How would the business quantify the value of each business need and use case?
3. What DERMS use cases (if any) are already in place through existing systems?

Key Activities:

• Definition of use cases
• Alignment on business needs / value
• Mapping of use cases to business needs
• Prioritization of use cases

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Core business stakeholders
• Product owner(s)
• Technical stakeholders (security, architecture, software engineering, etc.)
• Future end-user representatives
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• Defined use cases
• Use case-business need alignment
• Direction to begin road mapping and detailed requirements gathering

Develop a detailed plan that aligns DERMS adoption with organizational goals, outlining key milestones, timelines, and resource needs for implementation.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. How can the utility set itself up for future success when adopting a DERMS solution?
2. What resources are needed to support this implementation effort (i.e., time, people, etc.)?
3. Which problem(s) are you trying to solve?
4. Are your use cases properly defined?

Key Activities:

• Develop high-level roadmap
• Develop high-level implementation plan with phases
• Develop project timeline
• Determine high-level cost estimates

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Core business stakeholders
• Product owner(s)
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• High-level roadmap
• High-level implementation plan
• High-level cost estimate for implementation
• Project timeline

Develop a detailed plan that aligns DERMS adoption with organizational goals, outlining key milestones, timelines, and resource needs for implementation.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. How can the utility set itself up for future success when adopting a DERMS solution?
2. What resources are needed to support this implementation effort (i.e., time, people, etc.)?
3. Which problem(s) are you trying to solve?
4. Are your use cases properly defined?

Key Activities:

• Develop high-level roadmap
• Develop high-level implementation plan with phases
• Develop project timeline
• Determine high-level cost estimates

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Core business stakeholders
• Product owner(s)
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• High-level roadmap
• High-level implementation plan
• High-level cost estimate for implementation
• Project timeline

Assess the organization's current state and desired future state in terms of DERMS capabilities and measure capability maturity of the DERMS throughout its implementation lifecycle and beyond.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. How is a capability expected to operate at a given maturity level?
2. What are the baseline operational functionalities for each capability?
3. How will each capability mature over time and how does their functionality evolve?
4. What does the maturity progression look like for a given timeframe?

Key Activities:

• Identification of capabilities that fall within scope
• Definition of capability maturity for each level
• Graphing baseline and future functionality for each capability to a timeline

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Core business stakeholders
• Technical stakeholders (security, architecture, software engineering, etc.)
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• Capability maturity model
• Capability maturity dashboard/timeline

Assess the organization's current state and desired future state in terms of DERMS capabilities and measure capability maturity of the DERMS throughout its implementation lifecycle and beyond.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. How is a capability expected to operate at a given maturity level?
2. What are the baseline operational functionalities for each capability?
3. How will each capability mature over time and how does their functionality evolve?
4. What does the maturity progression look like for a given timeframe?

Key Activities:

• Identification of capabilities that fall within scope
• Definition of capability maturity for each level
• Graphing baseline and future functionality for each capability to a timeline

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Core business stakeholders
• Technical stakeholders (security, architecture, software engineering, etc.)
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• Capability maturity model
• Capability maturity dashboard/timeline

Develop DERMS technical requirements & request for proposal (RFP), establish a structured evaluation framework, and oversee the vendor response process to ensure a thorough and objective selection of the most suitable DERMS vendor based on the organization’s needs.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. Alignment of utility need with vendor capability
2. Peer utility experience
3. Customer base and cost implications
4. Scalability and customization philosophy
5. What does the partnership landscape look like?
6. Integration strategy and experience
7. How does this roadmap align with future needs?

Key Activities:

• Analysis of the vendor landscape
• Development of the RFP evaluation framework and methodology
• Development of technical specification
• Demo script development
• Client reference questionnaire development

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Core business stakeholders
• Product owner(s)
• Technical stakeholders (security, architecture, software engineering, etc.)
• Future end-user representatives
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• Fully informed vendor selection
• Reusable vendor evaluation framework
• Structured and objective vendor assessment
• Clearly defined system requirements
• Targeted vendor demonstrations
• Comprehensive understanding of available market solutions

Develop DERMS technical requirements & request for proposal (RFP), establish a structured evaluation framework, and oversee the vendor response process to ensure a thorough and objective selection of the most suitable DERMS vendor based on the organization’s needs.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. Alignment of utility need with vendor capability
2. Peer utility experience
3. Customer base and cost implications
4. Scalability and customization philosophy
5. What does the partnership landscape look like?
6. Integration strategy and experience
7. How does this roadmap align with future needs?

Key Activities:

• Analysis of the vendor landscape
• Development of the RFP evaluation framework and methodology
• Development of technical specification
• Demo script development
• Client reference questionnaire development

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Core business stakeholders
• Product owner(s)
• Technical stakeholders (security, architecture, software engineering, etc.)
• Future end-user representatives
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• Fully informed vendor selection
• Reusable vendor evaluation framework
• Structured and objective vendor assessment
• Clearly defined system requirements
• Targeted vendor demonstrations
• Comprehensive understanding of available market solutions

Oversee the end-to-end process of the DERMS system implementation, including PMO standup/governance, vendor contracting, business process design, test coordination and defect management, change management, and cutover coordination.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. What governance structure and decision-making processes are needed to ensure project alignment with business objectives?
2. What reporting and tracking mechanisms will be in place to ensure project milestones are met?
3. How will the vendor contract ensure flexibility for future scalability and interoperability?
4. What risk mitigation strategies should be included in vendor agreements?
5. How will the DERMS system integrate with existing utility systems (i.e., ADMS, GIS, EMS, CIS)?
6. What business processes need to be redesigned or optimized to support DERMS capabilities?
7. How will DERMS data be managed, shared, and governed across internal and external stakeholders?
8. What is the phased deployment strategy to minimize operational disruptions?
9. What is the plan to ensure operator and stakeholder buy-in for the DERMS system ahead of go-live?

Key Activities:

• Stakeholder impact assessments
• Job aid/training material creation
• Go-Live plan development
• Go-Live activity coordination (mock Go-Lives, Go-Live playbook development, Go/No-Go meeting facilitation, etc.)
• Testing coordination
• Business process mapping (current-state and future-state workflows)
• Contract development and negotiation
• Project governance framework development
• Reporting and risk management processes

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Product owner
• Technical stakeholders (security, architecture, software engineering, etc.)
• Core business stakeholders
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• Comprehensive Go-Live plan that addresses how the system implementation will be executed
• Well-defined and enforceable agreements for all vendors involved
• Established decision-making and accountability structure
• Proactive issue identification and transparent reporting structure
• Optimized and well-documented operational workflows

Oversee the end-to-end process of the DERMS system implementation, including PMO standup/governance, vendor contracting, business process design, test coordination and defect management, change management, and cutover coordination.

Key Considerations & Questions:

1. What governance structure and decision-making processes are needed to ensure project alignment with business objectives?
2. What reporting and tracking mechanisms will be in place to ensure project milestones are met?
3. How will the vendor contract ensure flexibility for future scalability and interoperability?
4. What risk mitigation strategies should be included in vendor agreements?
5. How will the DERMS system integrate with existing utility systems (i.e., ADMS, GIS, EMS, CIS)?
6. What business processes need to be redesigned or optimized to support DERMS capabilities?
7. How will DERMS data be managed, shared, and governed across internal and external stakeholders?
8. What is the phased deployment strategy to minimize operational disruptions?
9. What is the plan to ensure operator and stakeholder buy-in for the DERMS system ahead of go-live?

Key Activities:

• Stakeholder impact assessments
• Job aid/training material creation
• Go-Live plan development
• Go-Live activity coordination (mock Go-Lives, Go-Live playbook development, Go/No-Go meeting facilitation, etc.)
• Testing coordination
• Business process mapping (current-state and future-state workflows)
• Contract development and negotiation
• Project governance framework development
• Reporting and risk management processes

Involved Teams/Groups:

• Product owner
• Technical stakeholders (security, architecture, software engineering, etc.)
• Core business stakeholders
• DERMS SMEs (Logic20/20)

Expected Outcomes:

• Comprehensive Go-Live plan that addresses how the system implementation will be executed
• Well-defined and enforceable agreements for all vendors involved
• Established decision-making and accountability structure
• Proactive issue identification and transparent reporting structure
• Optimized and well-documented operational workflows