Case Study: American Electric Power achieves automated, lower-cost and safer meter reading operations with IFS MWM

The evolution of meter reading with IFS MWM

American Electric Power (AEP), one of the nation’s largest utilities serving more than 5 million customers across 11 states, faced an outdated, paper‑based meter reading and route management process that was slow, costly and error‑prone. Meter readings were recorded on pencil cards, routes had to be manually resequenced, and field and office operations lacked reliable, weather‑resilient automation—creating inefficiency, safety risks and scalability challenges as the company expanded and integrated new customer information systems.

AEP implemented the IFS MWM route‑control and meter‑reading platform—deploying office route optimization, handhelds, vehicle‑based collectors and later integrating with its AMI smart‑meter rollout. The solution automated real‑time route balancing, increased reading accuracy and throughput (thousands of meters captured rapidly), simplified training, and improved safety and visibility (including reducing dog‑bite incidents to zero), delivering lower operating costs and measurable productivity gains across field and back‑office operations.

American Electric Power