PSEG Communicate
Problem
Emergency storm response has a massive communication problem. As storms become more harmful and dangerous many employees have to work 14+ hour shifts causing internal communication to diminish with the massive overload of information being passed through the company. Power outages across Long Island have left customers in the dark literally and figuratively about when they will get power back.
“Communication during storm response is a big game of telephone.”
Value Proposition
PSEG Communicate is a mobile coordination platform that enables utility companies to effectively respond to real-time disaster emergencies that supports multiple crews, back office coordinators and customers across counties, unlike phone calls, spreadsheets, and emails.
UX Research
For my research process, I used six different methods of data collection. For my interviews, I spoke with customers and workers at PSEG to uncover the problems they have. I did a task analysis of AutoCAD to gain a better understanding of the program engineers uses to create substations. I observed a storm conference call to see the role of communication during storm responses. I surveyed PSEG employees and customers .
To collect my survey data, I created two separate surveys, with one directed toward the customers and the other focused on utility company employees. My main research method was an analytical assessment on a 90-day tropical storm report that focuses on all the problems PSEG faced doing storm Isaias. This report helped me uncover all the failures workers were hesitant to speak about.
PSEG underwent an investigation after the poor quality of service after the storm Isaias hit. This 90-day report hit on the areas affected by the failure of the outage management system, iT system problems, lack of organization, planning, and success of resorption of power, failed communication with customers and workers. It ended with PSEG storm scored card 260 out of 1,000 earned.
Scope of all Data.
Poor Communication
PSEG workers felt that communicating through the phone altered from the original statement causing diorganization and issues in the reports. Workers have a short amount of time gather and share damage report because the longer the process the longer it will be for a customer to get power.
User Archetypes.
With the collected data I created three personas a engineer, a Sr. Emergency planner Coordinator and, a customer. These perosnas were real life target audience. Creating personas this helped in brainstorming soutions guilded by how well the needs of the indivual user were being met.
Empathy Maps.
Each persona develop empathy maps identify issues, problems or concerns that a engineer, a Sr.Emergency planner Coordinator and, a customer would have during emergency storm resposne.
Sketching User Experience
Lack of Communication: Matthew the engineer feels frustrated with the lack of communication between employees and the countless hours worked. He has repeaedly asked upper management to improve its system of communications.
Interaction Models.
I was able to see all the different tasks that will need to be completed. I gathered all the requirements that my product will need as well as identified gaps in the build of the mobile and tablet. While sitting with the Con Edison Project Manager she has worked with software developers reviewing work flows. This helps me learn how well my interaction models are to industry level and how clear my navigation is.
UX Sketching.
I’m able to see how my end-users will respond to the style choices I have made in finalizing a more consistent look for both the tablet and mobile UI design. while also benchmarking UI styles, colors and layouts in my design for the tablet and mobile ui.
PSEG Communicate.
Future Work
The future release will begin with developing the next series of the shareable information database. I will create different features for each section of storm response that allow storm crews to easily share information more effectively.