Advanced Applications in an Advanced Distribution Management System By Ethan Boardman ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ILBUSCA Essentials for Implementation and Integration Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPE.2019.2947818 Date of current version: 7 January 2020 january/february 2020 F FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THE DISTRIBUTION utility industry has recognized and increasingly accepted the concept of an advanced distribution management system (ADMS). In a nutshell, an ADMS combines the functional domains of distribution supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, the outage management system, switching management, and distribution network analysis and optimization into a single seamless system. The distribution network analysis and optimization functions are referred to as advanced applications. However, surprisingly few distribution utilities have successfully implemented an ADMS with advanced applications. Even fewer have system 1540-7977/20©2020IEEE ieee power & energy magazine 43http://www.ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ILBUSCA