Informatization / u-KEPCO Korea's electricity provider KEPCO looks to the future by applying ubiquitous technology Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) is seeking globalization through the introduction of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), a new management paradigm. Lee Sang-dae, general manager of the Information System Department of KEPCO, said that construction of global KEPCO is the new strategy for the giant company to survive crises of the future. Accordingly, KEPCO will actively push for digital KEPCO, reform of business procedures and practice of transparent and ethical management, he said. To achieve the major targets, KEPCO is actively pushing ahead with introducing ERP. In actual fact, KEPCO started to push for informatization in the 1960s. For advanced informatization, however, all KEPCO executives and employees, including Chairman Han Joon-ho, have great expectations for activities of the ERP task force, which will launch its operations in January 2007 in earnest. Through the introduction of ERP, which builds an advanced PI system, gathers all information and enables speedy decision making through one-click, KEPCO hopes to digitalize and upgrade its business procedures. In a nutshell, KEPCO is pushing for ethical and transparent management through the introduction of ERP, living up to people's expectations, Lee said. In terms of budget, KEPCO is a public corporation representing Korea and one of the giant enterprises in the country. Informatization of KEPCO will become a momentum for Korean enterprises to become more transparent and advanced, he added. In keeping with Korea's advanced IT strategy, KEPCO, the nation's largest public corporation, plans to take the initiative in pushing for informatization. In such a giant enterprise, building ERP is an epoch-making movement. Accordingly, KEPCO is planning to advance the timing of the ERP operation to the maximum extent, he explained. ERP removes inefficiency of information resources and manages information resources comprehensively as well as offering management-related information to manager promptly. As a result, it means the introduction of procedures applied by advanced enterprises to Korean companies. KEPCO has already paid keen attention to building a ubiquitous environment through inspection of meters using PDA and electronic bidding. Lee said that KEPCO is actively promoting the 'u-KEPCO mid- and long-term strategy.' KEPCO plans to develop into a global general energy group by implementing an upgraded business disposal environment, which can satisfy various customers' demands, in keeping with a ubiquitous era and the government's state informatization strategy. Under its ambitious informatization strategy, the government aims at building 'u-Korea' by 2007 and creating a knowledge hub country. The active promotion of u-KEPCO stems from the fact that about 72 percent of Korean people use the Internet and the number of those using the KEPCO homepage and cyber branches soared to 80,000 on a daily averaged basis, Lee explained. Along with this, the number of those using e-commerce, including the electronic bidding system of KEPCO, has been on a rapid rise. For instance, the number of cases concluded through the electronic bidding system rose to 18,652 cases worth 2.46 trillion won ($2.5 billion). At present, KEPCO is in an initial stage of launching mobilization for business disposals for customers. For example, it started to carry out the meter inspection business through personal digital assistants (PDAs) from 2005 on a step-by-step basis and plans to complete the application of the advanced business procedure in 2006. From 2005, it also began to allow customers to participate in the KEPCO-offered electronic bidding through their mobile phones. KEPCO is also carrying out material tests and inspection business on the spot through the Internet or PDA. At the same time, KEPCO is offering major information on its business to both KEPCO employees and customers through PDA. In the meantime, KEPCO has launched the radio frequency identification (RFID)-applied facility management business. To build a geographical information system (GIS)-based and RFID-applied electric power facility management system, KEPCO is developing an application model and pushing for a pilot system, Lee said. Since 1998, it has also supported small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for informatization. In 2006, KEPCO plans to spend a total of 5 billion won ($5.1 million) for informatization of 32 SMEs. Since Han took office as chairman of KEPCO, it has increased its support to SMEs. Last year, KEPCO extended financial and other support to 42 SMEs for informatization and received favorable responses from the smaller companies. At present, most of KEPCO's information system has been computerized, so customers can easily access KEPCO's information through such an information system. However, there are still several sectors to be computerized further. KEPCO will continue pushing for full-scale informatization, enabling its electric power-related subsidiaries and other public corporations to benchmark the success case of KEPCO, Lee added. As part of its future strategies, KEPCO will make a strong push for expansion of the information service environment and customer-oriented mobile business disposal. In a detailed step, KEPCO will offer a mobile environment to its Internet homepage and cyber branches, Lee disclosed. KEPCO will also seek introduction of advanced material chase and logistics management system by applying RFID system to all business cycle ranging from asset acquisition to abolition. It plans to integrate information on management of its vast electric power facilities and keep the asset management unit system. As of the end of 2005, KEPCO managed about 30 trillion won ($30.6 billion) worth of inventory and tangible assets. Besides, KEPCO plans to build an RFID center before the end of 2008. It can double value-added by operating a linkage system with ERP and GIS. It also plans to take the initiative in introducing ubiquitous technology standards to the overall electric power industry, he added.