In 2021, electric, natural gas, water, sewage, telephone, and transportation utilities will continue to be under pressure to reduce cost and risk, improve service, and comply with regulation, public disclosure, and litigation requests.

What is a Public Utility improvement checklist for 2021?

• Is there a need to improve internal processes and customer service? If so, inventory process and rank as to the efficiency, service, quality, and risk of penalty. Develop an improvement plan.
• Does staff working remotely or online interaction with customers create challenges? Assess where friction exists in the process (time waiting, errors, frustration, stress). Identify ways through process changes, current technologies, and new/replacement technology friction can be reduced.
• Do specific areas need to be improved? Identify ways to reduce costs, waiting time, unnecessary steps, mistakes, communication issues, and re-work. Identify ways to improve the customer experience.
• Are the email, shared drives, and paper systems making it difficult to find documents for internal purposes or public disclosure? Is there a possibility of penalties? Explore electronic content management capture, recognition, electronic signature, auto-classification, content management, workflow (routing) and electronic records management.
• Do your current computer systems not work the way you would like? Identifying how existing functionality can be improved through training, configuration, and integration.
• Do older computer systems provide limited functionality, support, service, and charge for on-going maintenance? Develop requirements for a new system and find a better vendor.
• Are your email, records management, and public disclosure policies, procedures, and schedules, up to date and being followed? Are there inconsistencies depending where information is stored (email, shared drives, paper)? Perform an Information Governance / Records Information Management assessment. Identify what needs to be updated, and training requirements.

Learn more about how to improve your Utility and how we at CRE8 Independent Consultants can help.

About the Author. George Dunn, the president of CRE8 Independent Consultants, is a worldwide recognized consultant, speaker, instructor, and author on business process improvement, advanced technologies, governance, and computer system replacement. He has worked extensively with Public Utilities.  George can be reached as follows.