Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 50

SPECIALLY PRICED FOR ONE WEEK ONLY! LIMITED QUANTITY! MAXIMUM SAVINGS! Dealer 1 mn! Authorized Edison crews branch out ear I Jf A -WPrmaWTT i JjT Vi. i IBM Model N51 $U69 386 sx Notebook -2 MB 40 MB HD- Reg. $2,250 Compaq LIE Lite25 inA 386 SL25 -4 MB I UU 60 MB HD Reg. $3,699 JM-S NECUltralite Color Notebook -2MB 80 MB HD Reg. $5,999 HP DeskJet 500 or DeskWriter $395 HP ScanJet IIP Scanner $849 SIV25C uiu K'-TiV "4 r- Connecting Point' downed power line can make a tree explode.

It can melt concrete. You don't fool around with 18,000 volts. You don't let any thing touch a power line. Detroit Edison knows that. Like most electric companies, Edison contracts with firms to cut limbs from trees that threaten to brush against power lines.

The goal is to keep trees a safe 10 feet away. But in the war against tree encroachment, Edison often lacked one critical weapon: timely information. Until recently, Edison gave line crews paper lists of tasks every morning, and crew foremen filled out forms at the end of the day to report on their progress. Later, these reports were keyed into the Detroit Edison computer. By the time management had an update, six weeks had passed since the limbs were cut.

"What we got was ancient history," said John Caretti, assistant forestry specialist for line service at Detroit Edison. "We couldn't monitor productivity. It made it hard to see whether crews were doing eight hours' work for eight hours' pay. It was hard to do the forecasting you need to make budgets." Job foremen were spending time doing paper work instead of trimming trees. And the time delay was making it difficult for the company to react quickly to trends.

At first, Edison explored the possibilities of using pre-programmed laptop computers in the field. But it wasn't long before Edison realized it faced a formidable learning curve; some line foremen weren't just computer illiterate, they weren't trained to type, either. Caretti recalled an incident: "One guy looked at the laptop and said, 'What idiot designed this keyboard? The keys aren't even in alphabetical That's when Detroit Edison began working with the Texas-based Grid company. Among other products, Grid makes tablet-style computers called Gridpads. These five-pound wonders are each about the dimensions of a pack of notebook paper.

Gridpads can run on their own rechargeable batteries and display information on a screen which covers most of one face of the pad. The data is stored not on floppy discs but in random access memory (RAM) cards, slightly bigger than credit cards, which maintain their memory with lithium batteries. Best of all, the Gridpad responds to commands tapped on its Macintosh Dei Reg. $3,999 5MB Memory -80MB HD a- System 7 -Monitor fCj keyboard not included jlTTS Quadra 700 Reg. $5,199 5MB Memory-Mouse System 7 'Monitor 4 5Z 1JZ(J keyboard not included JyZJ Zr Quadra 950 Reg.

$7,199 8MB Memory 'Mouse rt System 7 -Monitor tJC keyboard not included HP LaserJet IIP Plus $799 HP DraftPro EXL Plotter $4,249 SINCE 1979 COMPUTE CENTERS urn PTS. MM IKI mm MORTGAGE CONNECTION.INC 855-0110 SOyrFIX 8 50 2.00 5 60 day $350 15yrFIX 8.00 2.00 5 60 day $350 lyrArm 6.25 1.00 10 60 day $350 a-point programs also available western Hwy, Farmington Hills, Ml 48334 MORTGAGE CORP. OF AMERICA 358-5550 30yrFIX 8.625 2.00 5 SO day -0-ISyrFIX 8.125 2.00 5 50 day -0-525 BAL 7.50 2.00 10 SO day -0-Excellent rates lor loans above $202,30 23999 Northwestern Ste. 101, Southlield, Ml 48075 MORTGAGE FINANCIAL CORP. 737-8880 30yrFIX 8.2S Call 5 SO day $325 15yrFIX 7.75 Call 5 50 day $32S 5yrBal 7.125 2.00 10 SO day $325 We mill seal all tali! II eat ameer sack (saraatee aibi sa aril si.nna ail SIJJZ MUTUAL FINANCIAL SERVICES INC.

474-8470 SOyrFIX 8.50 2.00 50 day $295 15yrFIX 8.00 2.00 SO day $295 Bal 7.125 2.00 10 SO day $295 No coat loans available; same day applications NATIONWIDE MORTGAGE CO. 340-0900 joj rarmmqion rarminqion. Ml 4DJ3q ha e.js 5 sw day $325 FIX 8.00 1.00 5 SO day $325 Arm 5.375 1.25 10 50 day $325 V5 camrtMB tt etwrwrt (iittl rate ARMS ti mtui. i1 twtMM ri. 1-5; Otktf iwtctm afUM 2450 Commfcil Auburn Hilts, Mi 4932 OMEGA MORTGAGE CORP.

471-6000 30yrFIX 8.50 2.00 5 SO day -0- 30yrFIX 8.00 0.00 5 SO day -0- 15yrFIX 8.00 2.00 5 SO day -0- 15yrFIX 8.625 0.00 5 SO day -0- BAL 7.25 2 00 10 50 day -0- PACIFIC WORLD MORTGAGE 642-1030 SOyrFIX 8.50 1.50 5 SO day -0-15yrFIX 8.00 1.50 5 50 day -0-1 yr ARM S.375 1.50 10 50 day -0-Calt for current ratea: 0-point programs availabia 1533 N. Woodward Ave. Bloomfield Hills, Ml 48304 PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE INC. 851-6410 MyrFIX 8.625 1.00 5 SO day $295 15yrFIX 8.125 1.00 5 50 day $295 Syr BAL 7.50 1.00 10 SO day $295 SPECIAL OUOTE8 100 .000 AND UP 5.375 ARM 28592 Orchard Lahe Famungton Hills. Ml 40334.

JAMES SERVICING CORPORATION 258-9S00 MyrFIX 8 75 0.00 10 55 day $300 ISyrFIX 8.375 0 00 10 55 day $300 723 EXT 8.25 0.00 10 55 day $300 Call for information en other lean l.nas. Woodward Ave, 910-115 Bloonrfieuj Hills, Ml 48304 WORLD WIDE FINANCIAL MyrFIX 6.25 Call 15yrFIX 7 75 Can yr ARM 5.375 Call Bal 7.00 Call Bal 7.25 Call 647-1199 5 Can -O- 5 Can -0- 10 CaH -0- 10 Call -a- 10 Call -O- Llalen for us on WXVT. WCAR and WWJ Call about out No-Pi. No closing cost loans Evening and weekend appomtinonls avaaabat WE COME TO YOUII 1533 N. Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Has.

Ml 48304 Ratesterms current as of 6'492 and may chanae without noteice Source: Midwest Mortgage Monitor LENDERS TO PARTICIPATE: CALL 1 -800-736-1 305 Free Press June 8, 1992 Steve Beaudett, working for a a Grid Laptop. Laptop computers track the effort to keep trees from snagging power lines face using an attached stylus. That means Detroit Edison programmers could program Gridpad software to create displays on the screen that looked almost identical to the paper forms line workers were used to handling. "That's the beauty of this system," said Jon Higbee, Detroit Edison general foreman for line clearance in Macomb County. "The whole process is updated even though it still looks so familiar." Last year, Edison tested a few Gridpads with crews in the Thumb.

A few months ago, the corporation took the plunge and spent about $1.6 million to buy 367 Gridpads, more than enough for every one of the 254 line crews and supervisors in the system. They paid for those computers using part of the $35 million budgeted RICK IUTLIFF RICHARD LEEDetroit Free Press subcontractor, enters a report into for tree trimming in 1992. About a month has passed since the last of the Edison crews was trained to use the new computers. And for now, the crews are still filling out paper forms as a backup. That means that in addition to picking up paper work orders and other forms every morning, crews pick up a couple of RAM cards.

At the end of the day, the foreman sticks his RAM cards in a device which reads his report into the computer directly. The plan, however, is for paper to disappear entirely from this process, assuming the accounting department is comfortable with processing the crew's work claims electronically. This should happen by August. Edison figures if that happens, the amount of time a cutting crew foreman spends each day processing forms will drop from 30 minutes' to five. Then each crew will be able to cut more trees in the same amount of time as under the paper system.

In fact, best estimates now indicate the new service will save enough time to allow for the cutting of 13,000 extra trees a year. That means, in the first year alone, these new computers will have paid for themselves. Edison is now looking at other areas of its business that might benefit from using tablet-style computers instead of paper and pens. Meanwhile, other utility companies have shown an interest in Detroit Edison's tree trimming accounting system, and Edison is willing to sell them copies of the software. What a bunch of live wires.

urn m. tm tici nil ADVANCE MORTGAGE CORP. 932-8800 ISyrFIX 8.12S 1.50 5 SO day -O-JOyrFIX 8.625 1.50 5 50 day -O-1yrARM 5.875 1.75 5 50 day -0- Call for our O-Pt programs 31313 Northwestern Hwy, Farmlnglon Hillt, Ml 48334 ATLAS MORTGAGE CORP 1-800-365-2200 30yrFIX 8.25 2.50 10 50 day -O-15yrFIX 7.75 2.50 10 50 day -O-723 Bal 8.00 2.50 10 50 day -0-Serving all of Michigan; Arms A Jumbos availabia quo w. aaginaw si, Lapeer, Ml 4B44B DETROIT SAVINGS BANK 961-7600 30yrFil 8.375 1.625 5 50 day -O-30yrFii 8.75 0.OO 5 50 day -0-15yrFi 7.75 2.25 5 50 day -0-15yrFi 8.25 0.00 5 50 day -O-SyrBai 7.00 1.75 10 50 day -O-SyrBal 7.625 0.00 10 50 day -0-1 yr Arm 4.50 1.875 10 60 day -O-lyrArm 5.00 1.00 10 60 day -O-1 yr Arm 6.00 0.00 10 60 day -O-Points vary based on loan amounts Above prices for $1 75.000 loan amounts 511 Woodward Detroit, Ml 40220 DMR FINANCIAL SERVICES. INC 827-3390 30 yr.

Fii 8.375 2.375 5 45 day $275 15 yr. Fu 6.00 2.00 5 45 day $275 SYr. Bal. 7.125 2 00 10 45 day $275 FHAVA 8.50 1.00 3 45 day $275 No closing cost mlge. and free preguelity available 24445 Northwestern Hwy.

SouilMioid. Ml 40075 EXECUTEC MORTGAGE CORP. 855-8800 30yrFIX 8.375 2.25 5 50 day $60 15yrFIX 8.00 1.50 5 50 day $60 lyrArm 5.375 1.50 10 50 day $60 0 -point and O-closmg cost loans available 32001 MiddlebeM. Ste-OOOTFemunglon Hills.MI 48334 FIRST ALLIANCE MORTGAGE CO. 433-9626 525 Bal 7.50 2.00 10 50 day cm mi with skciu eiftn niiins- NICM DEIT UTIOS SH III! HjECTWU IIU CONSOLIHTlOa (HIUIII 1HI Doeratrl 8lserhrM Hilli, II IUM FIRST INT'RNL FINANCIAL CORP.

649-6304 30yrFIX 8.75 0.00 5 50 day -0-30 yr FIX 8.375 2.00 5 50 day -0-15yrFIX 6.375 0.00 5 50 day -0-ISyrFIX 8.00 1.50 5 50 day -0- 2820 Maplo Rd SlS-101, Troy. Mi 4BQ8A FIRST SECURITY SAVINGS BANK 332-7600 SOyrFIX 8.50 2.00 50 day $300 15yrFIX 8.00 1.75 5 50 day $300 1 yr ARM 5.375 1.50 10 50 day $300 Buv Downs extended loans available 2000 Toleqiaph Bioomlield Hills. Ml 48302-0053 FLEET MORTGAGE 462-4041 30yrFIX 8 50 2.00 5 45 day -0- ISyrFIX 8.00 2.00 5 45 day -0- 5 yr BAL 7.25 2.00 10 45 day FHA 8.50 2.25 3 60 day -0- Ml Clemens: 313-203-1510: Soutttgate: 313-202-2800 MIDWEST MORTGAGE CO. 451-0000 30yrFIX 8.50 2.00 5 50 day $300 Bi-Weekry Effective Rate: 6.25 30 yr Bi-Dn 7.125 2.00 5 50 day $300 1st yr. 7 125, 2nd yr.

8.125, 3rdterm 9.1 25 Mon-Frl: 9:00 am to Sun: 9:00 am lo 5:00 pm 409 Plymouth Plymouth, Ml 48170 THE MORTGAGE COMPANY OF MICHIGAN 375-2626 SOyrFIX 8.375 2.00 10 50 day $295 ISyrFIX 8.00 2.00 10 50 day $295 Syr Arm 7.875 0.00 10 50 day $29S Call about other available progiams 2915 Walton Blvd Rocheslei Hills Ml 4B309 525 ju 15 1 yr. 525 ST. 1500 1 525 7.23 1 8F Business Monday Detroit.