The Case
You are the new Lead Asset Manager at Northwood Power & Light (NP&L), a regional utility responsible for providing electricity to over two million people. For the past 18 months, NP&L has been plagued by a series of cascading equipment failures—aging transformers blowing during heatwaves, underground cables failing after heavy rains, and substation breakers tripping without clear cause. While no single incident has caused a city-wide blackout, the constant, localized outages are eroding public trust and attracting regulatory scrutiny.
The problem isn't a lack of data. NP&L's systems generate terabytes of it. The problem is a lack of insight. Reports are a chaotic jumble of spreadsheets, maintenance logs, and sensor readouts delivered weeks after the fact. The Chief Operating Officer, Maria Flores, is frustrated. She has no clear, up-to-the-minute picture of asset health, and she can't tell if the company's multi-million dollar maintenance budget is actually improving reliability or just plugging the latest hole in the dam.
Your predecessor tried to tackle this but got lost in the technical weeds. Now, all eyes are on you. Ms. Flores has made it clear she doesn't need another 100-page report. She needs a command center view. She needs to see, at a glance, the health of her most critical assets and whether the company is meeting its strategic goals. Your first major task is to design the tool that will give her that clarity.
Resources and Evidence
You have been given access to a collection of internal documents and data to inform your proposal.
Key Document: Memo: Urgent Action on Asset Performance Reporting
Key Document: Excerpt: Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP)
Q3 Critical Asset Performance Data
| Asset ID | Asset Type | Install Date | Last Maintenance Date | Last Failure Date | Maintenance Cost YTD | Is Reactive Maintenance | Outage Duration Mins | Safety Inspection Status | Risk Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TFR-1051 | Transformer | 2012-08-20 | 2023-07-15 | 2023-07-14 | 9250.5 | True | 360 | Failed | 5 |
| SWG-2304 | Switchgear | 2018-05-30 | 2023-07-21 | None | 1250.0 | False | 0 | Passed | 2 |
| CBL-4598 | Cable | 2005-11-10 | 2023-08-02 | 2023-08-01 | 4800.75 | True | 95 | Passed with Remarks | 4 |
| CRB-3310 | Circuit Breaker | 2020-02-14 | 2023-08-05 | None | 850.0 | False | 0 | Passed | 1 |
| TFR-1099 | Transformer | 2009-03-25 | 2023-08-11 | None | 2100.0 | False | 0 | Passed with Remarks | 3 |
| RCL-5021 | Recloser | 2015-07-01 | 2023-08-18 | 2023-08-18 | 6100.25 | True | 180 | Passed with Remarks | 4 |
| SWG-2411 | Switchgear | 2019-01-15 | 2023-08-25 | None | 1100.0 | False | 0 | Passed | 2 |
| CBL-4802 | Cable | 2008-09-09 | 2023-09-01 | None | 3500.0 | True | 0 | Passed with Remarks | 3 |
| TFR-1150 | Transformer | 2013-10-12 | 2023-09-04 | None | 1800.5 | False | 0 | Passed | 3 |
| CRB-3380 | Circuit Breaker | 2017-06-20 | 2023-09-08 | 2023-09-07 | 7800.0 | True | 420 | Passed | 5 |
| TFR-1201 | Transformer | 2021-04-01 | 2023-09-12 | None | 950.0 | False | 0 | Passed | 1 |
| SWG-2500 | Switchgear | 2010-01-05 | 2023-09-15 | None | 4250.0 | True | 0 | Passed with Remarks | 4 |
| CBL-5100 | Cable | 2002-07-22 | 2023-09-18 | 2023-09-18 | 3950.0 | True | 65 | Passed | 3 |
| RCL-5033 | Recloser | 2016-08-19 | 2023-09-20 | None | 1500.0 | False | 0 | Passed | 2 |
| TFR-1355 | Transformer | 2014-12-01 | 2023-09-22 | None | 1750.8 | False | 0 | Passed | 2 |
| SWG-2610 | Switchgear | 2022-01-10 | 2023-09-25 | None | 750.0 | False | 0 | Passed | 1 |
| CRB-3401 | Circuit Breaker | 2011-06-15 | 2023-09-26 | 2023-09-25 | 5500.0 | True | 150 | Passed | 3 |
| CBL-5250 | Cable | 2007-04-18 | 2023-09-28 | None | 2200.0 | False | 0 | Passed with Remarks | 3 |
| TFR-1400 | Transformer | 2011-09-30 | 2023-09-29 | None | 1900.0 | False | 0 | Passed | 3 |
| SWG-2705 | Switchgear | 2013-03-03 | 2023-09-30 | None | 1850.0 | False | 0 | Passed | 2 |
📊 View Diagram: Current (Broken) Reporting Process
Your Task
As the Lead Asset Manager, your task is to create a formal proposal for the COO, Maria Flores. Your proposal must be a single, concise document that responds directly to her memo. It should be structured to give her confidence that you understand the problem and have a viable plan to solve it.
Your proposal must contain two key deliverables: 1. Recommended Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): A list of 5-7 specific KPIs that will form the backbone of the dashboard. For each KPI, you must provide a name, a brief justification explaining how it aligns with NP&L's strategic objectives (from the SAMP), and a note on how it can be calculated from the available asset data. 2. Conceptual Dashboard Design: A one-page conceptual mock-up, wireframe, or sketch of the proposed executive dashboard. This is a visual representation of your ideas. You do not need to use design software; a clearly structured diagram is sufficient. It must show how the KPIs would be visualized (e.g., as gauges, trend lines, bar charts, tables) and how they would be arranged on the screen to provide an at-a-glance summary for a busy executive.
Submit Your Work
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Next Steps
Excellent work tackling this complex challenge. You have successfully analyzed the situation at Northwood Power & Light and developed a strategic proposal to address a critical business need.
Please ensure you have uploaded your final proposal document. Once your submission is complete, you can navigate back to the course homepage to continue your learning journey.
