Cutting OPEX with SAP in a Large Northeast Utility

Scott Mackenzie hosts an industrial podcast featuring Curt Chamberlain, a consultant with extensive experience in the energy and utility sectors. Chamberlain discusses his work with utilities like OG&E and a large Northeast utility, focusing on SAP implementations to cut OPEX by a billion dollars. He also details his projects with EMaint and Deep Blue, including a tight five-month implementation of EMaint for a pipeline company and a subsequent 18-month transition to EMaint's X5. Chamberlain highlights the challenges of regulatory compliance and the potential of AI in maintenance, emphasizing the need for substantial data to drive AI effectiveness.

Action Items

• [ ] Connect with Curt Chamberlain on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

Outline

Introduction and Welcome to the Podcast

• Speaker 1 introduces Scott Mackenzie as the host of the industrial talk podcast, highlighting his dedication to industry innovations and trends.
• Scott MacKenzie welcomes listeners to the podcast, emphasizing the importance of industry professionals and their contributions.
• Scott mentions the early morning conversation at the Accelerate conference, sponsored by Fluke Reliability.
• Scott promotes Fluke Reliability, encouraging listeners to visit their website for more information on asset management, maintenance, and reliability.

Discussion on Autonomous Vehicles and Personal Experiences

• Scott and Curt discuss their experiences with autonomous vehicles, including taking one to a cigar shop and a short ride in another one.
• They share their thoughts on the comfort and safety of autonomous vehicles, with Speaker 2 expressing a desire to take one to the airport.
• Scott and Speaker 2 talk about the strange feeling of being in a car with no visible driver and the future of autonomous vehicles.

Background on Curt Chamberlain

• Curt introduces himself as a consultant with extensive experience in the energy and utility business, particularly in maintenance and process improvement.
• He shares his background in the utility industry, starting in the mid-90s, and his work with various utilities, including OG and E.
• Curt describes his role in implementing SAP for OG and E, including payroll, maintenance, and other business systems.
• He mentions his recent work with a large utility in the Northeast, focusing on cutting a billion dollars in operating costs through SAP implementation.

Implementation of E-Mate and Challenges

• Curt discusses his work with EMaint, a crude pipeline company, and the implementation of their asset management system.
• He describes the tight deadline and the challenges of transferring 389,000 historical work orders from the old system to E-Mate.
• Curt explains the regulatory requirements for maintaining historical data and the complexity of the implementation process.
• He shares the success of the implementation and the transition to E-Mate's new product, X5, which was pioneered by his team.

Transition to Deep Blue and Current Projects

• Curt talks about his retirement and subsequent return to work with Deep Blue, a company in the water business.
• He describes the company's operations in Midland, Texas, and their role in treating and disposing of water used in hydraulic fracking.
• Curt explains the challenges of treating water to meet regulatory standards and the company's goal of using 100% treated water.
• He mentions the potential for future acquisitions and the increase in work orders, currently running at 1500 per month.

Exploration of AI and Technology in Maintenance

• Scott asks Curt about his thoughts on AI and its potential in the maintenance industry.
• Curt expresses skepticism about the current hype around AI, emphasizing the need for a significant amount of data for AI to be effective.
• He discusses the potential for AI in industries with established data collections, such as big refineries, but sees limited immediate use for AI in his current company.
• Curt highlights the importance of operational excellence and the challenges of getting companies to invest in preventive maintenance.

Observations from the Reliability Lab Floor

• Scott asks Speaker 2 about his impressions of the Reliability Lab Floor at the conference.
• Curt praises the Fluke tools and the potential for vibration analysis and other maintenance technologies.
• He discusses the challenges of getting companies to adopt new maintenance practices and the importance of data in improving reliability.
• Curt shares his experiences with spin-off companies from large oil companies and the run-to-fail mentality that often prevails.

Conclusion and Contact Information

• Scott thanks Curt for the conversation and asks how listeners can get in touch with him.
• Curt provides his LinkedIn profile and expresses his willingness to connect and discuss industry topics.
• Scott wraps up the podcast, promoting the Xcelerate 2026 conference and encouraging listeners to visit the Fluke Reliability website.
• The podcast ends with a reminder to stay tuned for future episodes and to connect with Scott and other industry professionals.