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How to Select a Fault Reporting System

The most critical part of keeping your network online is a repair reporting system. This system has a direct effect on the costs related to network maintenance issues, as you rely on the information it provides to dispatch technicians with the right tools and knowledge to fix problems in just one site visit.

Therefore, your choice of a fault reporting system is very important. The system you select will directly impact your operations for many years to come. These guiding principles will help you to make sure that you choose the correct fault reporting system for your network:

Collects Alarms Your Remotes

It is pointless and hazardous to run numerous systems in parallel merely because your remotes report alarms in different protocols. This simply increases the risk that your operators will overlook a critical alarm while juggling multiple systems. The best fault reporting system for you is one that supports all your protocols to bring all of your alarms into a single integrated system.

Detailed Alarms

Certain systems merely alert you that a specific point is in alarm. However, it is up to you to determine what course of action to take. The best fault reporting systems not only report a repair but also provide a detailed explanation of the problem, allowing even your least experienced technicians to take the appropriate tools to the site and fix the problem as promptly as possible.

Reports to a Master Station

It is essential that your fault reporting system supports the capability of forwarding alarms to a higher-level master. Support for alarm forwarding in open protocols, such as SNMP and TL1, is most essential.

T/Mon LNX provides visibility of all your remote sites by providing centralized monitoring. Get alarms sent directly to your war room and receive SMS and email alerts.

Labeled Controls

Quality alarm management systems support labeled controls that allow you to influence your control relays with swift and decisive action. For example, if power fails at your site and your batteries are running low, you know you need to activate "Backup Generator" even if you may not know it was "Control Relay 6".

Trouble Logs and Root Cause Analysis

Without the ability to log their troubleshooting and repair activities, your technicians will continuously be putting out fires instead of attacking the root causes of problems. A fault reporting system that supports trouble logs allows your technicians to record steps they have taken right next to the alarm point.

This can be useful for future applications as others who see the same alarm in a failed state later can review what has been done in the past. As a result, a relatively simple data logging capability can significantly reduce your repair and maintenance expenses.

Call DPS Today to find out about T/Mon LNX's ability to support trouble logs and root cause analysis