I know most utility audit software is PC-focused, but I'm wondering if any Mac users have found good solutions. I've been running Parallels with Windows just to use traditional audit software, but it's clunky and eats up system resources. Avista's online portal works fine through Safari, but I need something for analysis and reporting. Any recommendations?
Utility audit software recommendations for Mac users?
Cindy, I've been Mac-only for five years now. Excel for Mac handles most of the heavy lifting for analysis work. For specialized functions, I use cloud-based tools that run in the browser. Numbers is decent for basic stuff but Excel is still king for complex formulas and pivot tables.
Wayne here - switched to Mac three years ago and haven't looked back. Web-based tools are the way to go. Most utility portals work fine in Safari or Chrome. For analysis, I use a combination of Excel for Mac and Google Sheets for collaboration. Duke Energy's business portal actually works better on Mac than PC in my experience.
I've had good luck with FileMaker Pro for database work and client tracking. It's native Mac software and handles complex data relationships well. Not cheap, but if you're doing serious database work with multiple utility accounts, it's worth the investment. TVA data imports work seamlessly.
Another Mac user here. The key is finding workflow solutions rather than trying to replicate PC software exactly. Preview handles PDFs beautifully, TextEdit is fine for notes, and Excel covers the analysis needs. I actually find Mac more stable for long audit sessions than my old PC setup.
Boot Camp is another option if you absolutely need Windows software. Dual-boot rather than virtualization, so better performance. I keep a Windows partition just for the few PC-only tools I can't replace, but use Mac for everything else. SWEPCO's legacy systems work fine either way.
Randy here - made the Mac switch during the pandemic and love it. The ecosystem integration is fantastic if you use iPhone/iPad too. For utility audit work specifically, browser-based tools and Excel for Mac cover 95% of what I need. The other 5% I handle through a Windows VM when absolutely necessary, but that's rare these days.