| | OCTOBER 20179CIOReviewWorking in close collaboration with Information Technology is also vital to developing successful advanced data analytics. The proper amount of pre-data collection research should be completed before engaging in building tools. Because the models used in data analytics, as well as the end-user interface, can be developed from many different types of software programs, and data storage options may vary based on the type of data being accessed. Moreover, a strong partnership with IT from the beginning is critical. At Ameren, the advanced data analytics team is working with IT and other stakeholders to assess and improve vegetation management. At an annual cost of $100+ million to maintain the vegetation around our assets across our service area, analytics will help ensure the proper balance of environmental stewardship and maintaining safe and reliable service. Gathering data such as rainfall patterns, tree canopy and soil makeup, in addition to historical cost and outage data, provides a more complete picture of the landscape to optimize vegetation management spends. Ameren's newly developed analytics tool will allow us to optimize vegetation management crews while also increasing reliability for our customers. Data analytics can also provide meaningful customer insights. The acquisition and analysis of customer segmentation data continues to be valuable in developing the demand landscape from which to prioritize products and services development. Data and related insights from customer surveys, phone and email interactions, and social media are used to develop customer service enhancements. This information is even more meaningful when combined together to build predictive models to develop insights about customer preferences. Ameren is spearheading numerous initiatives and partnerships to find innovative solutions to meet our customers' future energy needs and expectations. The technologies identified will provide even more data sources, resulting in a growing need for advanced data analytics to isolate the insights and drive more data-driven decision making. It's one of the ways we are leading today to transform tomorrow. One example of a new technology that will provide more data is Ameren's recently announced partnership with Atomation-an Israeli-based technology company who moved their U.S. headquarters to St. Louis to partner with us on a pilot program. Atomation is installing small, low-cost sensor packs on dozens of our utility poles. The packs will remotely monitor the integrity and health of the poles, allowing us to pinpoint issues in real time and respond more quickly and efficiently to operational issues. The program is being conducted at our Technology Applications Center in Champaign, Illinois, a testing facility dedicated to innovation and smart-grid improvement. This program has tremendous potential for enhancing service to our customers as well as for cost-effective monitoring and operation of the energy grid. As this and other technologies like it mature, more data will become available, increasing the demand for advanced data analytics to extract actionable insights from the data to drive business value. As technological advancements impact traditional utility business models, Ameren and energy companies across the country are focusing on the need to mine meaningful data and leverage that data for better forecasting and data-driven decision making to bring greater value to our customers and our shareholders. The solutions we discover will enable us to continue to efficiently deliver the products and services our customers most value, today and for generations to come. Ameren invests in new tools and partnerships to maximize business value, increase reliability and leverage future technologiesLynn Barnes
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