In high school, I always thought I’d become a doctor, but then I just fell in love with math and ended up with a PhD in electrical engineering. All these years later, I see myself as a doctor again. That’s really what we’re doing: extending our stethoscope out into the field, taking the pulse of all these assets – transformers, breakers, batteries – and, based on that pulse, making recommendations. The whole asset management field is basically taking data from the mind-boggling number of assets out there and knowing how to use it to make investment decisions as to how and when to fix things.

Just as energy management was an innovation in the 1970s, asset monitoring and management is a relatively new idea today. We’re in that same stage now, with a product that will completely change the way utility companies look at, maintain and replace their assets. I have no doubt that, in the next several months, this will be one of the most sought-out solutions for transmission asset management. Because utilities rely on the public to cover costs, any savings are also passed on to you and me – and the savings can really add up. Ultimately, we are saving society a lot of money by doing what we do, that’s what it comes down to.