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Information Service, Inc.

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The Story

The following illustration is  based on a true story

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At 4:49 PM one Friday afternoon, an electrician’s phone rings.  He recognizes the incoming phone number as belonging to one of his major clients.  Being dutiful to his customers, he answers it.  The person at the other end of the line is his customer in a panic.  He hears a smoke alarm in the background.  “The 2^nd floor system’s backup controller is smoking and we can’t seem to shut it off.”  “We’re about ready to shut this facility down.”  His customer sounds very scared and frustrated.  “How did you wire this thing?” 

The electrician tells him to hold on while he looks up that circuit.  After a quick inquiry, the answer is clear.  The unit is dual powered.  “Go turn off the circuits at breaker 21 in the J2947 box and breaker 15 in the J2488 box.” He tells his client. 

After a brief pause, the smoke alarm stops and the customer came back on the line and thanked his electrician.  “I checked the entry on those color-coded panel schedules and you were right.  But how did you know?”  He asks.  “It’s my tracking system.  I document every circuit as I install them.” Answered the electrician.

“If you want, I can come out next week and post this information on each major piece of equipment on 3x5 cards for you so that next time you won’t have to call.”  The electrician offers.  “Yes, we should have done that years ago.” came the answer.

It’s now 4:58 PM .  Another crisis solved, another impressed customer, a new assignment.  Time to go home.

The Miracle

This is the benefit of automated circuit documentation.  By recording each circuit for a panel as they are created or changed, the electrician builds a data repository that is extremely valuable to both himself and his customers.  The product is called the Power Panel Tracking System™.

Using a specialized database application, you record each circuit, the equipment it feeds, note whether its dual powered and from where, costs of installing the circuit and detailed panel information.  In so doing you can quickly perform such miracles as:

·       Print color-coded panel schedules or directories at the touch of a button;

·        Determine which equipment will be down when you take out a specific electrical feed;

·        Find spare breakers for new requirements;

·        Track installation costs for each circuit;

·        Monitor actual and electrical usage by box and feed for power budgeting;

·        Print data cards to be placed on major equipment to identify all electrical source(s);

·        Track panels and breakers for multiple buildings, multiple sites, and multiple customers;

·        Provide all of these capabilities for PDU panels as well, and

·        Create a data repository for emergency preparedness.

The software provides extensive capabilities to streamline data collection.   Including extensive edits so that a 2-pole breaker is not entered where a 3-pole is installed, lookup lists for standardized entries, and quick switches for circuit and breaker removal.

Multiple panel sizes can be created for panels from 12 to 68 breakers.  Lookup tables can be easily modified to allow custom tailoring of entries.  Breaker size colors can be selected and changed on the fly.  Panel modification dates are set automatically whenever panel data is changed.  Data can be entered in single user mode, or it can be installed on a network to allow simultaneous entry and use of the software and database.

Other features include tracking of manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, and other firms and contacts.  Contact information for all major electrical manufacturers comes pre-loaded.  Resource information is provided for major engineering organizations, web sites, reference material and publications.  The product includes a complete glossary of electrical terms, common electrical calculators and converters.  Reports include spare reports, available capacity (blanks), and power utilization.  Backup and maintenance functions are included to keep your data safe and access speed at maximum.

Product Options

To make this tool even more powerful, a number of product options are offered which provide additional functionality.  These include:

m     Enhanced version;

m     PDU management;

m     Multiple sites (locations);

m     Multiple customers;

m     Equipment/Environmental tracking;

m     Power Request Management;

m     Power Budgeting, and

m  Annual maintenance agreement.

You may purchase these options at any time or purchase a special bundled version with your initial order.

Best of all, the software may also be custom modified to suit your specific needs.