The New York City-based global consulting firm, Actionable Strategies, has been selected by a recently privatized Turkish utility to conduct a feasibility study of leading-edge technologies, including smart grids, workforce management and customer information systems.

The client company serves seven million ratepayers in the capital City of Ankara—the second largest municipality in Turkey after Istanbul—as well as six other regions. 

Turkey's largely free-market economy is increasingly driven by its industry and service sectors. An aggressive privatization program has reduced state involvement in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication, and an emerging cadre of middle-class entrepreneurs is adding dynamism to the economy and expanding production beyond the traditional textiles and clothing sectors.

This ongoing economic growth is driving demand for electricity. Keeping pace with projected electricity requirements is a national challenge for Turkish energy producers. In order to prevent constraints on growth, the Republic of Turkey is encouraging distribution companies to devise strategies to operate more effectively. Actionable Strategies will evaluate the implementation of advanced technologies to improve control, drive automation and reduce grid-related losses.

The project will assess the feasibility of smart grid and other technologies to modernize distribution operations and ensure readiness to meet anticipated needs in the capital region. "It is essential that supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and IT systems are integrated across the utility," explained Frank Safertal, ICT Practice Director at Actionable Strategies. "We will be covering both core operational systems as well as customer-facing technology." Operational systems include finance, planning, geographic information system (GIS) and distribution management while systems that serve customers include call center, trouble call management, billing and a customer information system.

In addition to the technology strategy, Actionable Strategies will develop financial and operating models. Project financing sources will be identified and five years of financial projections will be based on an analysis of demand forecasts. Regulatory and tax impacts will be assessed and environmental impact will be reported as part of the project.

“This is an ideal project as it combines our strengths in strategy, process, technology and finance," explained Actionable Strategies’ CEO Jeffrey Wu. "We are very pleased to apply our capabilities in this important initiative."

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