Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) Central Region 1 has officially announced the launch of a new digital system aimed at modernizing its operational framework.
The region has implemented a new mobile and web based application, named the Operation, Inspection, and Maintenance Management System (OIMMS), designed to overhaul its traditional work processes.
The region immediately provided comprehensive training to its employees on the new OIMMS application, which is expected to significantly expedite crucial operation and maintenance tasks for the region’s vast network of substations and transmission lines.
Speaking at the training, Regional Director of Central Region 1, Dereje Gezahegn confirmed that the application marks a critical step forward, opening the door for a rapid, and data-based work system across all maintenance and operational functions.
He emphasized the app’s pivotal role, stating that its implementation will modernize work systems by eliminating paper-based processes, establishing a robust asset control system, driving down operating costs, and fundamentally streamlining overall workflow.
Dereje also addressed prior inconsistencies in data, noting that daily information recorded within power substations often lacked uniformity. He confirmed that the OIMMS application’s implementation is specifically designed to resolve this persistent data integrity challenge.
According to him, the comprehensive application integrates key functions, including resource management, operational planning, and employee competency assessment systems.
Looking ahead, Ato Dereze explained that the movement to implement this modern work system across all EEP regions has already begun. Implementation trials, starting with training for Central Regions 2 and 3, are currently underway.
Furthermore, the Director expressed the department’s firm commitment to supporting employees’ creative contributions and innovation efforts that extend beyond their regular professional duties.
The application’s developers, Regional Technical Experts Ato Desalegn Tegegn and Eyayehu Desie, stated that the OIMMS will elevate the inter-regional information exchange system to a higher standard.
They revealed that the primary motivation for developing the application was the critical lack of complete information on the institution’s assets, most of the substations and transmission lines managed by the region had incomplete data records.
The developers further highlighted the measurable benefits achieved since the trial implementation began. They explained that because operation and maintenance employees are now recording accurate and consistent information on time, the duration of power interruptions within the region has demonstrably decreased.
The comprehensive OIMMS application meticulously documents all critical components managed by Central Region 1. This includes the types and sizes of all transformers within power substations, the number of incoming and outgoing lines, the count of power-bearing poles, and detailed mapping of the specific areas the lines supply power to.
Central Region 1 holds significant responsibility, managing 21 substations with sizes ranging from 132 kV to 400kV and over 1,400 kilometers of high-capacity power transmission lines.
