Utilities

Are your projects cost effective? Get visibility and control of your projects

Like all organisations utility companies have to keep a careful eye on what they spend. Unlike most organisations, however, UK utilities live with the added burden of knowing that powerful regulators are scrutinizing their cash outlay to ensure capital is not being wasted. In an environment where negative publicity within the sector abounds, whether through water shortages or spiralling energy prices, the requirement to demonstrate that investments create real value for money has become even more essential.

The nature of the industry is that it drives spending on capital projects to maintain and improve its essential infrastructure. The first requirement, therefore, is to ensure individual projects are completed on time and within budget. Clearly, this involves planning and controlling resources, identifying project risks, and quantifying health and safety concerns.

A complicating issue for utilities is the need to use contractors for design and build of assets. These contractors are responsible for providing feedback to the utilities on the progress they are making, which is a bit like marking your own homework! Furthermore the effort required to create these reports is often intensive, with plenty of opportunity for manual adjustment. So, how can utilities be sure that feedback in accurate and valid, and that the project will be delivered to their requirements?

Model for success
A solution is required which aligns project control processes with technology in such a way as to provide clear, accurate visibility of progress and status. WCI have developed an approach to implementing just such a solution for utility projects, whether they are contractor or internally led, as outlined below.

Project Control Benchmarking
Our process experts work with the utility organisation to review project processes against a proven project control maturity model, identify where help is most needed and prioritising the roadmap to get there.

Process Simplification
Waste within the project control processes is identified and then designed out using best practice, standardised templates, customised for the specific client requirements. This reduces errors, increases effectiveness and enhances accuracy and quality of reporting.

Project Environment
A project control environment is created to provide great collaboration and information sharing. A centralised, web based project portal ensures everything from calendars to processes are accessible in one place. By manipulating information using Microsoft technologies, detailed knowledge can be made available for real-time reporting. Standardised forms are deployed as templates to ensure the new processes are used consistently. Workflow and reporting is integrated with current financial and project systems to make best use of employees’ familiarity with existing applications.

Management Dashboard
A management dashboard provides accurate, up-to-date reports on key performance measures across projects. Managers can drill down to items needing more attention - improving quality, reducing cost and ensuring targets are achieved.

Benefits
The WCI approach delivers real benefit to utility organisations. In particular, it provides;

  • Real-time knowledge, in one place.
  • A single, clear overall picture of individual projects.
  • Alignment of internal and external resource with shared goals and targets
  • Improved efficiency.
  • Better decision making.
  • Reduced reporting costs.
  • Clearer visibility and faster resolution of project risks.