An advanced metering infrastructure is a communication network consisting of measurement devices and systems. Companies in the energy industry, associations, and government organizations choose an advanced metering infrastructure with the aim of increasing efficiency and optimizing grid usage as a result of improved evaluation options on the consumer side.AMI technology allows utilities to effectively integrate process centric energy and business data across different systems – including electronic meter systems (also called “smart meters”). Automated meter reading (AMR), meter data management (MDM) systems, customer information systems (CIS), and outage management systems (OMS).

SAP AMI Integration for Utilities, helps utilities execute the following tasks:

• Read meters remotely
• Bi-directional communication and control of Smart Meters
• Offer billing services based on actual consumption data and meter reading
• Automate the aggregation and transfer of energy data
• More effectively manage customer service inquiries and disputes, with access to up-to-date profile data
• Connect real-time consumption data to electronic customer self-services
• More effectively identify faults and rapidly restore service on the basis of real-time readings of on-premise conditions and extended enterprise systems into the mobile field force
• Automatically interpret and implement curtailment and disconnection/reconnection orders as a result of enforced collection measures

You can use SAP Utilities as a customer information and billing system together with other SAP applications as part of an advanced metering infrastructure. The SAP system can communicate with other systems and exchange data.

The following sections will describe how AMI helps utilities do the following activities:

• Optimise revenues and demand
• Make customer service more cost-effective
• Enable Market Efficiency and Automation