A vision for standardized, integrated design
Hydro One, Ontario’s largest electricity transmission and distribution utility, serves 1.5 million customers across the province. In 2020, the utility began a comprehensive modernization of its electric distribution design process, anchored by the implementation of Automated Utility Design (AUD) from SBS.
The decision to move to AUD was driven by a clear goal: to bring consistency, transparency, and integration to Hydro One’s end-to-end design workflow. “The whole reason for going to AUD was consistency in both our designing and costing,” said Nicole Ireland, Manager of Special Projects in Distribution Design Services. For Hydro One, each design must be construction-ready and fully costed, with supporting documentation that includes everything from easements and permits to species-at-risk assessments and road approvals. AUD supports all of it.
AUD as the Hub of Design Operations
Since going live in May 2023, AUD has become the central tool for design teams across Hydro One. More than 300 internal designers and over 60 contractor users now rely on AUD to manage and submit distribution work packages. Each design completed in AUD is integrated directly with SAP for costing and work order management, and with Hydro One’s GIS system to maintain accurate asset records.
These integrations allow the utility to maintain high data integrity across all of its systems while streamlining the work of design technicians in the field.
“We use AUD as the focal point,” said Brian Winfield, Implementation Lead at Hydro One. “Designers interact with all of the supporting systems through AUD. It is how we maintain a consistent process while connecting design to cost, GIS, construction obligations, and more.”
Automating Design Rules and Costing
Hydro One has configured AUD to automate a wide range of calculations and decisions during the design process. From pole-classing and guying calculations to material selection and general contractor estimates, AUD applies complex business rules in real time.
The utility also uses AUD to manage cost modifiers such as soil conditions, road proximity, and voltage level, all of which influence unit costs and estimates.
“AUD automates what our designers used to do manually,” said Winfield. “Now the rules and calculations are built into the system, and we can be confident in the outputs.”
Supporting Users Across the Province
To support its rollout, Hydro One established a province-wide network of 23 power users and created a new AUD Lead position to provide dedicated training, documentation, and escalation support. Weekly check-ins and targeted training sessions help users stay aligned and ensure that new features are quickly adopted.
“Our power users are surprisingly engaged,” said Ireland. “They are not getting any extra pay. It is just their investment and interest in AUD.”
Feedback-Driven Improvement
In June 2024, Hydro One held its first Power User Conference, bringing design leads together from across the province to share feedback and identify opportunities for future enhancement. Insights from the event directly influenced upcoming updates and helped shape the next wave of training content.
The utility continues to refine its training, standards, and workflows to make the most of its investment in AUD.
A Model-Based Design Platform That Delivers
Hydro One continues to realize value from placing AUD as the core of its model-based design process. Designs are more consistent, costing is more accurate, and users across the province are working from a shared system that connects design to delivery.
“AUD is flexible, robust, and fully integrated into how we work,” said Winfield. “It has made a real difference in how we deliver projects.”