What Is OMS?

OMS, or Outage Management System, is a software platform used by electric utilities to detect, manage, and resolve power outages. It gathers outage reports from SCADA, AMI, customer calls, and field crews, then builds a live picture of which parts of the distribution grid are without power. 

With this information, operators can locate faults, prioritize restoration, and communicate with customers.

Why OMS Matters in Utilities

Power outages are among the most visible issues utilities face. Customers expect fast restoration and accurate updates. Regulators track reliability metrics such as SAIDI and SAIFI, which directly affect utility performance ratings. An OMS helps operators manage outages efficiently by consolidating all relevant data into one view.

Without an OMS, utilities rely on manual reports or separate systems, which slows down response. With OMS, operators can pinpoint outage areas, estimate restoration times, and coordinate crews in real time. This shortens downtime, reduces customer frustration, and supports compliance with service standards.

How OMS Works

An OMS integrates multiple data streams:

• SCADA data showing breaker status and feeder conditions
• AMI data from smart meters confirming customer outages
• GIS data linking outages to asset locations
• Customer reports from call centers or digital channels
• Crew updates from the field

The system processes these inputs to create a network-wide outage map. Operators see which feeders and customers are affected, identify likely fault locations, and dispatch crews accordingly. OMS also supports restoration workflows, guiding the sequence of switching and updates needed to bring customers back online.

OMS in Daily Operations

During a storm, the OMS consolidates thousands of incoming outage signals into a manageable picture. It highlights priority circuits, tracks crew assignments, and updates restoration status as repairs are completed. In day-to-day use, it helps utilities validate customer calls, detect nested outages, and generate reports for regulatory compliance.

The OMS also improves customer communications. Many systems connect directly with customer portals or automated messaging tools, providing accurate restoration estimates and status updates based on real-time data.

How Primate Improves OMS

OMS data is valuable but often scattered across multiple dashboards and reports. Primate Technologies integrates OMS outputs with SCADA, EMS, GIS, and historian systems into a single visualization environment.

Our GridGuardian™ platform processes OMS data in real time, validating outage signals and correlating them with system events. BlackBoard™ renders the outage map and restoration workflows in clear, distortion-free graphics that scale from desktops to video walls. 

TileViewer extends the same live view securely across operations, engineering, and field teams, while TileBuilder ensures updates are displayed instantly as restoration progresses.

By unifying OMS with other control room systems, Primate helps operators act faster and with greater accuracy. Crews receive better direction, customers get clearer updates, and utilities reduce restoration times.

Ready to see how Primate makes OMS data actionable and restoration more efficient?