Utilities

Facing global Complexities

Telecom and utility providers are at the epicenter of powering global economies. Advances in energy efficiency mean net lower demand in developed countries, while climate-related disasters in these areas result in demands of a different nature. Grid infrastructure and an aging workforce are emerging as new issues requiring immediate attention by market players. Ongoing regulatory changes and increasing customer and investment expectations place another set of antagonistic pressures on utility providers.

Building Competitive Business Capabilities

Revenue Streams & Business Models

Technology advancement and competitive forces have challenged the fundamentals of every utility industry player. Deregulation, new technologies, and changing customer expectations require continuous reassessment of business practices. One national telephone utility faced such challenges. The company needed a new business model to effectively operate in a competitive market.

DRC designed and implemented a two-part program to address the challenges as the first step of a major transition. DRC facilitated the internal Vision Team to produce a comprehensive operating plan for the company. Market analyses, technology assessments, benchmarking best practices, and input from customers informed decisions on the current state of operations which served as the basis for a strategic vision and performance improvement initiatives.

Planning and Anticipating Dispatch Services

Optimal Productivity & Performance

In order to remove productivity barriers, mitigate the risk associated with poor service and reduce the overall operating costs of the telecom company, DRC conducted field service analysis to identify potential barriers.

Operational observations were conducted to review field operations over a one month period. Sixteen (16) installation and maintenance technicians from different work-groups participated. The participating work-group managers selected technicians that typified the skills and competencies of their group. Technicians in each field truck were paired with a DRC consultant.

Opportunities stemming from productivity discrepancies in the sampling were many: variances over 300% in installation completions; 180% in installation completions; 150% in installation lines; and 160% in maintenance troubles. An important outcome was the evidence that inadequate planning and ineffective order “scrubbing” were critical barriers to optimal performance.

Designing for Predictive Maintenance

Maintenance as a Strategic Weapon

A major utility company serving the northeast corridor shut down several of its operating plants due to technical issues. Soon thereafter, the company was placed on the NRC watch list. The challenge to resume operations was compounded by simultaneous economic and market realities associated with a move towards a deregulated, competitive industry. The company needed to reestablish quickly its credibility around regulatory compliance, operational excellence and public safety. In response, the Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) Department was chartered with implementing a condition-based approach to servicing plant equipment.

Working closely with the CBM Department, DRC consultants applied their program management expertise by planning and managing the development of an Integrated Preventive Maintenance Program (IPMP), integrating four elements into the Program’s design— organizational structure, work practices, team culture and enabling technologies. Within five months, IPMP was launched organization-wide: procedures were written to provide administrative controls over IPMP activities, enabling software tools were customized and installed, an IPMP service-level agreement was approved, and plant representatives were trained regarding IPMP roles, work practices and support tools.

Client Engagements

30

Years

12

Countries

15

Industries

65+

Organizations

DRC

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Dartmouth Research & Consulting

Industry 3 – utilities