WATT-Net™ with NISC Integration
How electric cooperatives and public utilities are eliminating manual data entry, improving compliance records, and gaining real-time visibility into meter shop performance.
The Integration Advantage
For electric cooperatives and public utilities using NISC as their core business platform, meter test data has traditionally lived in a separate world. Technicians test meters using WECO Test Boards controlled by WATT-Net data management software, then someone manually re-enters those results into NISC. That handoff creates delays, introduces transcription errors, and leaves gaps in the record.
The WATT-Net + NISC integration eliminates that handoff entirely. When a technician completes a meter test in WATT-Net, the results flow automatically into NISC. No duplicate data entry. No waiting for someone to transfer files. No wondering whether the records match.
The Integration Advantage
For electric cooperatives and public utilities using NISC as their core business platform, meter test data has traditionally lived in a separate world. Technicians test meters using WECO Test Boards controlled by WATT-Net data management software, then someone manually re-enters those results into NISC. That handoff creates delays, introduces transcription errors, and leaves gaps in the record.
The WATT-Net + NISC integration eliminates that handoff entirely. When a technician completes a meter test in WATT-Net, the results flow automatically into NISC. No duplicate data entry. No waiting for someone to transfer files. No wondering whether the records match.
The following three case studies illustrate how NISC member utilities are putting this integration to work.
• Case Study 1: Reclaiming lost hours by eliminating manual data entry
• Case Study 2: Building audit-ready compliance records with zero transcription errors
• Case Study 3: Unlocking real-time visibility into meter shop operations and asset health
These stories are composites drawn from the experiences of the 30+ NISC member utilities currently using this integration. Names reference job roles rather than specific individuals.
Use Case 1:
From Double Entry to Zero Entry
How a Midwestern electric cooperative reclaimed 15+ hours per week by eliminating manual test data re-entry.
The Challenge
This 35,000-member cooperative in the Midwest runs a busy meter shop, testing between 60 and 100 meters per day across multiple WECO Test Board positions. Every test generates a complete accuracy record—As Found results, As Left results, weighted averages, element balance data, and pass/fail status.
Before the integration, a meter shop clerk spent three or more hours each day manually transcribing those results from WATT-Net into NISC. The process involved printing test cards, reading the values, and typing them into the corresponding NISC meter records one by one. The work was tedious, error-prone, and completely redundant—the data already existed in digital form.
The Solution
RADIAN configured the WATT-Net export engine to format test results in the exact structure NISC expects, then set up automatic export at the point of save. Now, when a technician completes a meter test and presses Save, the results are simultaneously stored in WATT-Net and pushed to NISC. There is no second step. No file transfer. No clerk re-entering data.
The setup took advantage of WATT-Net’s built-in Import/Export engine, which allows utilities to define exactly which data fields are exported, in what order, and in what format. The Post-Export command feature triggers the push to NISC.
The Results
Key Outcomes
• Eliminated 15+ hours of manual data entry per week
• Test results appear in NISC within seconds of being saved in WATT-Net
• Freed the meter shop clerk to handle higher-value work: scheduling, customer inquiries, and inventory management
• Technicians no longer need to print test cards solely for data transfer purposes
• Reduced paper consumption and physical filing requirements
The Meter Shop Supervisor noted that the time savings compounded quickly. Beyond the direct hours saved on data entry, the team also eliminated the back-and-forth that happened when a clerk had a question about a handwritten test card or a number that didn’t look right. Those interruptions used to pull technicians off the test bench multiple times per day.
Use Case 2:
Audit-Ready from Day One
How a rural electric cooperative in the Southeast built flawless compliance records by removing the human element from data transfer.
The Challenge
This 28,000-member cooperative in the Southeast had experienced a recurring problem during regulatory audits: meter test records in their NISC system didn’t always match the original test data. The discrepancies were small—a transposed digit here, a decimal point shifted there—but auditors don’t distinguish between small errors and large ones. Every mismatch required investigation, explanation, and in some cases, retesting.
The root cause was straightforward. A human being was manually transferring numbers from WATT-Net test results into NISC. Even a careful clerk working at a reasonable pace will occasionally misread a “99.96” as “99.69” or skip a field entirely. When you multiply that error rate across thousands of meter tests per year, the cumulative impact on data quality becomes significant.
The Solution
RADIAN configured the WATT-Net export engine to format test results in the exact structure NISC expects, then set up automatic export at the point of save. Now, when a technician completes a meter test and presses Save, the results are simultaneously stored in WATT-Net and pushed to NISC. There is no second step. No file transfer. No clerk re-entering data.
The setup took advantage of WATT-Net’s built-in Import/Export engine, which allows utilities to define exactly which data fields are exported, in what order, and in what format. The Post-Export command feature triggers the push to NISC.
The Results
Key Outcomes
• Zero transcription errors since implementation
• Complete test records for every meter—no missing fields or partial entries
• Audit preparation time reduced from weeks to hours
• Reference Standard traceability maintained automatically (serial numbers, calibration dates)
• Historical test data in NISC now matches WATT-Net records exactly, enabling confident trend analysis
The Engineering Manager pointed out an unexpected benefit: with confidence in the data, the cooperative started using NISC’s reporting tools to analyze test results in ways they never could before. When every record is accurate and complete, you can trust the trends. That opened the door to proactive maintenance decisions based on actual meter performance data rather than gut instinct.
Use Case 3:
Seeing the Whole Picture
How a Pacific Northwest public utility district gained real-time operational visibility by connecting meter shop data to their enterprise platform.
The Challenge
This 45,000-meter public utility district in the Pacific Northwest had a data visibility problem. Their meter shop was running efficiently—technicians were testing meters on WECO Test Boards with WATT-Net managing the workflow—but the results lived in a silo. Managers who needed to see meter shop throughput, failure rates, or testing backlogs had to request reports from the meter shop directly. The information existed, but it wasn’t accessible to the people who needed it for planning and decision-making.
More critically, customer service representatives fielding billing complaints had no way to quickly verify whether a disputed meter had been recently tested, what the accuracy results were, or whether it was due for testing. That information required a phone call to the meter shop and a manual lookup—adding delay to an already stressful customer interaction.
The Solution
By implementing the WATT-Net + NISC integration, the utility connected their meter shop’s operational data to their enterprise-wide information system. Every completed meter test now appears in NISC alongside the meter’s service history, customer account, billing data, and field notes. The result is a single, comprehensive view of each meter as an asset—from installation through testing to retirement.
RADIAN configured the export to include the full range of WATT-Net data: accuracy results by element, test sequence details, reference standard information, technician identification, and test timestamps. WATT-Net’s Management Dashboard continues to serve the meter shop team’s daily needs, while NISC now serves as the system of record for the entire organization.
The Results
Key Outcomes
• Customer service representatives can verify meter test status during live calls—no callbacks needed
• Managers have real-time visibility into meter shop throughput and testing backlogs through NISC dashboards
• Meter failure trends are visible across the full asset base, enabling proactive replacement programs
• Sample testing compliance tracking is now automated—NISC flags when testing falls behind schedule
• Field crews can see test history before visiting a site, reducing repeat truck rolls
The Director of Operations emphasized that the value went beyond convenience. With test data flowing into NISC automatically, the utility was able to identify a pattern of accelerated accuracy drift in a specific meter model. That insight, which would have been nearly impossible to spot with siloed data, led to a targeted replacement program that prevented an estimated 2% revenue loss across the affected meters.
Getting Started
The WATT-Net + NISC integration is available to any NISC member utility running WATT-Net test and data management software with WECO Test Boards. More than 30 cooperatives and public utilities across the country are already using this integration to save time, improve data quality, and gain visibility into their meter shop operations.
Implementation is straightforward. RADIAN’s software team works directly with your meter shop staff to configure the export definitions, map the data fields to your NISC instance, and verify the data flow end to end. Most installations are completed within a few days, with minimal disruption to testing operations.
To Learn More
Contact RADIAN to discuss how the WATT-Net + NISC integration can work for your utility:
Phone 765-449-5500
Software Sales sales@radianresearch.com
To learn more about WATT-Net Test and Asset Management Software, visit our website.
