2027 Event Agenda

As electric utilities modernize their operations and prepare for increasing levels of distributed energy resources (DERs), Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) and Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) have become foundational technologies for achieving reliability, resilience, operational efficiency, and grid flexibility.

While many utilities have invested millions of dollars in ADMS and DERMS programs, industry experience shows that technology alone does not guarantee success. Numerous projects have experienced schedule delays, budget overruns, reduced functionality, poor user adoption, integration challenges, and difficulties realizing anticipated business benefits. Conversely, leading utilities have demonstrated that with proper planning, governance, architecture, implementation strategies, testing programs, and organizational readiness, ADMS and DERMS can deliver transformational value.

This DistribuTECH University course draws upon real-world experiences from utilities across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and the Caribbean to provide a practical roadmap for successful ADMS and DERMS implementation.

Participants will learn how leading utilities have planned, procured, implemented, tested, commissioned, and operationalized ADMS and DERMS solutions while avoiding many of the common pitfalls that have challenged other organizations.

The course will address both traditional ADMS capabilities—including SCADA, Distribution Power Flow, FLISR, Volt/VAR Optimization, Outage Management, and Advanced Network Applications—as well as emerging DERMS capabilities required to support high penetrations of solar PV, battery energy storage systems, electric vehicles, demand response resources, virtual power plants, and FERC Order 2222 participation.

Special attention will be given to the architectural, organizational, business process, data management, integration, change management, and cybersecurity aspects of the initiative—including budgetary considerations—as these factors often play a larger role in project success than the technology itself.