In This Issue:

Where Are You on the Asset Management Path? Third in a Three-Part Series

Oakland County Keeps Moving Forward with Strategic Planning

Charting Progress at Toronto Water Improving Service Delivery through Customer Journey Mapping

ema-inc.com Issue 3, 2014

About EMAAs an innovative management and technology consulting firm, EMA develops solutions in anticipation of changing market needs and brings new business concepts to its clients, which include utilities and government organizations.

With offices throughout the United States and Canada, EMA is headquartered in St. Paul, MN, and has provided clients with solutions since 1975.

EMA publishes the Communicator several times a year. Your comments are always welcome. Please forward them to marketing@ema-inc.com.

Terry Brueck............................... President/CEO

Kristi Ward........................ Senior BD Specialist

Caroline Whaley.............................................Writer

Paul Dawson........................Marketing Specialist

EMA, Inc. 2355 Highway 36 West, Suite 200 St. Paul, MN 55113-3819 651.639.5600 651.639.5730 (fax)marketing@ema-inc.com ema-inc.com

©2014 EMA, Inc. Printed in the U.S.A.

Table of Contentsinsight Where Are You on the Asset Management Path? ......................3solutions Oakland County Keeps Moving Forward with Strategic Planning .......................6trends Charting Progress at Toronto Water ..........................................10

Issue 3, 2014 ema-inc.com 2

Contributors to this Issue(Listed in order of article appearance)

Much has been said about perseverance – sticking with something and never giving up. Perhaps the best rationale for sticking with something – an agreement, a resolution, a strategy or plan – is the promise of results that resides on the other side of our resolve.

In our work, we witness all the steps utilities take to achieve their specific project goals. While large steps

have the potential to generate significant change and progress, the small steps add up, too. Utilities “sticking with it” – implementing new ways of working and consistently taking the next step (large or small) – soon find they can no longer see where they were not so long ago. They have become different organizations.

Stories in this issue of Communicator illustrate how perseverance can drive improvements and inspire utilities to devise new ways to shape their future. We describe using data and technology to improve proactive maintenance practices, decision making, customer interactions, and more; share how staff commitment and dedication pay off for strategic planning; and describe a novel approach to enhancing customer service - all in the name of continuous improvement.

There’s power in “sticking with it.”

Enjoy this issue of Communicator!

Sticking with It

Get Your Communicator ElectronicallyCommunicator magazine is now available in electronic format.

Contact us at marketing@ema-inc.com if you prefer to receive a PDF of the magazine via email.

Interested in both formats? Contact us, and we will send both to your attention.

6

7

The Office of the Water Resources

Commissioner (WRC) is dedicated to delivering

the best, most cost-effective service to the

citizens of Oakland County, Michigan. The

WRC is responsible for regional sewer service

to 36 communities, local sewer service to all or

part of 16 communities, and water services to

all or part of 14 communities. In addition, the

WRC maintains more than 450 storm water

drains throughout Oakland County. The WRC

provides water supply, drainage systems, and

sewage disposal systems in a way that keeps

the environment safe and promotes

responsible growth.

The WRC has a solid reputation for effective

and efficient operations. It has received several

national and regional awards, including

multiple Platinum Awards for excellence from

the National Association of Clean Water

Agencies. It achieved this outstanding record

despite tough local economic conditions and

increasingly complex regulatory requirements.

The WRC’s success is the result of strong

leadership and the dedicated efforts of its more

than 225 skilled staff members.

The WRC is recognized as a leader in the

region, and management knew that

maintaining this level of performance requires

commitment to a process of continuous

improvement. They felt that developing a

Strategic Plan would allow them to elevate

their organization to an even greater level of

effectiveness and efficiency. They also knew

that for the plan to achieve successful results

the initiative would need broad employee

participation and support (Figure 1).

The Strategic Planning Process

In 2014 the WRC selected EMA to facilitate

development of its Strategic Plan. Our project

approach was based on the Scan-Plan-Do planning methodology

developed by EMA during Water Research Foundation’s (WRF) Project

#2849 “Strategic Planning and Organizational Development for Water

Utilities” (Figure 2).

At the start of the project the WRC formed a five-member Strategic

Planning Leadership Team composed of top-level managers. The

Leadership Team established and maintained alignment throughout the

course of the project and guided the involvement and communication

processes related to developing the Plan.

Scan Phase

To begin the Scan phase, EMA consultants interviewed more than 50

WRC employees from across the organization involving a range of staff

levels. The interviews helped establish a broad perspective of current

strengths and identify opportunities for improvements. The interviews

also supported the WRC’s desire for extensive staff participation.

Next, to help the WRC align its plan with national and regional trends,

EMA facilitated a Future Trends workshop to review highlights from the

WRF’s Project #4232 “Forecasting the Future.” We used an interactive

process for WRC staff to provide on-line feedback during the workshop.

This allowed the workshop participants to see real time statistics of the

group’s consensus on how the major trends (environment, technology,

economic, and societal/political) identified in the WRF project related to

their organization.

Plan Phase

EMA reviewed feedback from the Future Trends workshop and staff

interview results with the Leadership Team. Using this information, the

Leadership Team identified five key strategic areas most important to

their organization:

Infrastructure Partnerships Culture

Technology Workforce

The WRC then formed Development

Teams to further define each strategy.

Each Development Team had a

Leadership Team member as its Executive

Sponsor; a Team Lead; and three to five

additional Team Members from various

areas and levels within the WRC. This

broad-based participation helped ensure

buy-in and commitment by the

entire organization.

Each Development Team held workshops

to further define its assigned Strategic

area. First, each team created brief

statements to summarize the purpose of

its assigned strategy (Figure 3).

Oakland County

Keeps Moving

Forward with

by Phil Gaberdiel and Sharon Peters

Figure 1: WRC Strategic Plan - Drivers for Improvement

Figure 2: Scan, Plan, Do Process from WRF Project #2849 “Strategic Planning and Organizational Development for Water Utilities”

In This Issue:Where Are You on theAsset Management Path?Third in a Three-Part Series

Oakland CountyKeeps Moving Forwardwith Strategic PlanningCharting Progressat Toronto WaterImproving Service Delivery through

Customer Journey Mapping

Jeff CoulsonPractice Group Manager

Sharon PetersPractice Director

Phil GaberdielPrincipal Consultant

Brian SchrantzPractice Director

John Brietz, Jr.Practice Director

Melanie RettieExecutive Vice President

insight

ema-inc.com Issue 3, 2014 3

insight

by Brian Schrantz

Where Are You on the Asset Management Path?

As a “Well on Your Way” organization, you are leveraging the good work you have already done in your asset management program as you adopt a broader approach that encompasses your entire enterprise.

At this point, you have an established, mature program in place. Your technology is the latest available, and you continue to integrate your enterprise systems. You’ve put your enterprise data to work – producing reports and collecting metrics that enable your organization to feed analytics that support continuous improvement.

You’re also considering advanced capabilities and cutting edge asset management practices …

As a “Well on Your Way” organization, you’re focused on strategic asset management.

You’re taking an organization-wide approach toward achieving your strategic goals. You know where you are, what you want to do, and how you want to do it. You are establishing processes and practices that will help you determine where to invest and better understand your true costs and rate of return. You also are looking beyond your enterprise at larger issues, such as environmental footprint and public awareness.

Third in a Three-Part Series

“Well on Your Way” organizations are:

Following an “Enterprise” Approach. You are viewing your programs collectively and holistically. You continue to integrate your enterprise systems to manage all levels of your organization using data from your enterprise asset management system. This “enterprise” approach empowers everyone – customer service and billing staff, dispatchers, planner/schedulers, field crews, and customers – with real-time information.

insight

Issue 3, 2014 ema-inc.com 4

Proactive Maintenance Management. Your asset data is being used to make informed decisions in the planning and prioritizing of maintenance work. Understanding the condition of your assets allows you to move from a reactive to a proactive approach to maintenance work.

Understanding Asset Life Cycles; Using Predictive Analytics. The data you’ve collected on your assets and associated risk valuations are paying off. You are tracking asset life cycles and identifying assets that increase your risks. You are improving your financial planning by forecasting when you will have to repair, rehabilitate, or replace critical assets.

Looking at larger issues. With systems in place, broader issues, such as environmental impacts on the life of an asset, are now a priority.

Enhancing Mobile Strategies. You may have empowered your field crews with mobile capabilities, but what about your customers? Are they able to log service requests directly into your system by telephone or internet?

Streamlining the CIP Process. You have mapped out your capital improvement planning (CIP) process, and you are using your data to build your case and plan for capital projects – thinking and planning many years ahead.

Using Data to Improve Performance. You have determined the metrics you should be measuring within your organization and are using performance data to gauge how well you are doing in specific areas of your business. This information is helping you continuously improve.

Leveraging Social Media. Social media outlets are helping you learn valuable information about your customers and enabling you to convey your messages to a broader audience. More accessibility and interaction with your customers is helping you to build stakeholder support, manage your reputation, promote programs, build engagement, and improve service - all in real time.

Assuming a Cross-functional Position. You’re looking beyond your utility at integration opportunities with other entities (e.g., recognizing your relationship with Public Works and how your maintenance work affects road conditions and contemplating ways to work together to minimize impact on roads).

“Well on Your Way” organizations are considering:

• Enterprise Asset Management – taking a full enterprise view of technology to support your organization

• Predictive Analytics – knowing what is going to fail and how to mitigate that risk

• Life Cycle Costing – cradle-to-grave analytics for every asset

• Data-driven CIP Decision Making – building a business case for the CIP process; eliminating political agendas

• Larger “Beyond the Enterprise” Strategies – cooperating with sister agencies, sharing data, and recognizing the organization’s impact on the environment

• Proactive Maintenance Practices – modifying maintenance activities proactively to become more efficient and minimize unscheduled outages

• Social Media Plan – using social media as a tool to help, not hurt, your utility

For more information, please contact Brian Schrantz at bschrantz@ema-inc.com.

The next page is the story of an “Well on Your Way” organization.

insightOrange County Utilities, Florida In January 2014 Orange County Utilities (OCU) went live with a significant IBM Maximo® upgrade project. OCU partnered with EMA to upgrade the organization from Maximo version 5.2 to 7.5.

This project was extensive, involving more than 800

users of the enterprise system that serves eight OCU divisions (Water Production, Water Reclamation, Fields Services, Water/Wastewater Distribution and Collection Systems, Solid Waste, Customer Services, Fiscal & Operational Support, and Engineering). OCU also has 150 mobile users working throughout various departments.

The upgrade included key integrations with OCU’s Customer Information System (Oracle CC&B) and Enterprise Resource Planning System (CGI Advantage AMS), as well as its GIS (IBM Maximo® Spatial) and Laboratory Information Management System.

The project also included changing the processes conducted within Maximo in order to fully meet OCU business requirements.

Project Benefits

The upgrade supports numerous OCU programs and applications, including:

• Backflow Prevention – a program - running completely in Maximo - requiring customers to check their backflow protection devices annually

• Environmental Compliance – a program for commercial customers that ensures proper disposal of grease and other contaminants. All processes run in Maximo (inspection reminders, test sample labels, chain of custody sheets, lab tests and results, and surcharge billing)

• Customer Service – ability to communicate with field crews on meter turn-ons and turn-offs due to bill payment; using mobile functionality as well as OCU’s CIS, current payment information is sent to meter readers in the field via an interface

• Solid Waste Customer Service – ability to track customer complaints on garbage and recycling pick-up; complaints and work orders are tracked geospatially to help haulers improve service

• Sunshine One “Call Before You Dig” – OCU participates in this statewide program using Spatial to identify geospatially if infrastructure exists where people request to dig, facilitating coordination among multiple departments and agencies

For more information, please contact John Brietz, Jr. at jbrietz@ema-inc.com.

Key at any point on the pathis recognizing three essential components to your program: Organization, Practices, as well as Technology (O-P-T). It’s an approach we’ve followed for decades that acknowledges best work practices and organizational development as fundamental elements that help you fully leverage your technological capabilities and support the success of your overall plan.

5Issue 3, 2014 www.ema-inc.com

by John Brietz, Jr.

solutions

ema-inc.com Issue 3, 2014 Issue 3, 2014 ema-inc.com 6

The Office of the Water Resources Commissioner (WRC), Oakland County, Michigan, is dedicated to delivering the best, most cost-effective service to its citizens. The WRC is responsible for providing regional sewer service to 36 communities, local sewer service to all or part of 16 communities, and water services to all or part of 14 communities. In addition, the WRC maintains more than 450 storm water drains throughout Oakland County. The WRC provides water supply, drainage systems, and sewage disposal systems in a way that keeps the environment safe and promotes responsible growth.

The WRC has a solid reputation for effective and efficient operations. It has received several national and regional awards, including multiple Platinum Awards for excellence from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. It achieved this outstanding record despite tough local economic conditions and increasingly complex regulatory requirements.

The WRC’s success is the result of strong leadership and the dedicated efforts of its more

Plan

Do

Scan

Oakland CountyKeeps Moving Forward withStrategic Planningby Phil Gaberdiel and Sharon Peters

ema-inc.com Issue 3, 2014

solutions

7

than 225 skilled staff members. The WRC is recognized as a leader in the region, and management knew that maintaining this level of performance requires commitment to a process of continuous improvement. They felt that developing a Strategic Plan would allow them to elevate their organization to an even greater level of effectiveness and efficiency (Figure 1). They also knew that for the plan to achieve successful results the initiative would need broad employee participation and support.

The Strategic Planning Process

In 2014 the WRC selected EMA to facilitate

development of its Strategic Plan. Our project approach was based on the Scan-Plan-Do planning methodology developed by EMA during the Water Research Foundation’s (WRF) Project #2849 “Strategic Planning and Organizational Development for Water Utilities” (Figure 2).

At the start of the project the WRC formed a five-member Strategic Planning Leadership Team composed of top-level managers. The Leadership Team established and maintained alignment throughout the course of the project and guided the involvement and communication processes related to developing the Plan.

Scan Phase To begin the Scan phase, EMA consultants interviewed more than 50 WRC employees from across the organization involving a range of staff levels. The interviews helped establish a broad perspective of current strengths and identify opportunities for improvements. The interviews also supported the WRC’s desire for extensive staff participation.

Next, to help the WRC align its plan with national and regional trends, EMA facilitated a Future Trends workshop to review highlights from the WRF’s Project #4232 “Forecasting the Future.” We used an interactive process for WRC staff to provide on-line feedback during the workshop. This allowed the workshop participants to see real time statistics of the group’s consensus on how the major trends (environment, technology, economic, and societal/political) identified in the WRF project related to their organization.

Plan PhaseEMA reviewed feedback from the Future Trends workshop and staff interview results with the Leadership Team. Using this information, the Leadership Team identified five key strategic areas most important to their organization:

• Infrastructure • Partnerships • Culture

• Technology • Workforce

The WRC then formed Development Teams to further define each strategy. Each Development Team had a Leadership Team member as its Executive Sponsor; a Team Lead; and three to five additional Team Members from various areas and levels within the WRC. This broad-based participation helped ensure buy-in and commitment by the entire organization.

Each Development Team held workshops to further define its assigned Strategic area. First, each team created brief statements to summarize the purpose of its assigned strategy (Figure 3, Page 8).

Build future capabilities

Increase e�ective communication

Align strategies with goals and objectives

Build commitment and consensus with sta� and management

Develop capabilities to measure success

Figure 1: WRC Strategic Plan - Drivers for Improvement

Figure 2: Scan, Plan, Do Process from WRF Project #2849 “Strategic Planning and Organizational Development for Water Utilities”

solutions

ema-inc.com Issue 3, 2014 Issue 3, 2014 ema-inc.com 8

Collectively the five teams identified 77 projects and initiatives to support their Strategic Plan. The Leadership Team then rated projects based on labor hours, cost, and benefit/impact to prioritize project start dates over the next five years.

Do Phase

To begin the implementation process, the Leadership Team assigned a project manager to each FY15 project or initiative. Each project manager then assembled a project team to assist with implementation. Many implementation team members participated in Development teams; additional staff members were added to continue the broad-based participation in the Strategic Plan. Each project team defined its project’s scope, cost estimate, and schedule. The Leadership Team (now referred to as the Strategic Plan Steering Committee) will review these detailed project plans prior to seeking final approval from the WRC Chief Deputy.

Teams will review project progress with the Steering Committee each quarter. Each year the Steering Committee will select projects to undertake during the upcoming fiscal year. It is anticipated that new projects will be identified and some future projects from the Strategic Plan may be modified or eliminated.

Essential Qualities of the WRC’s Strategic Planning Success

The WRC’s Strategic Plan development was a huge success. Following are a number of key elements which helped to make the project successful.

Staff Involvement. Experience tells us that user involvement in strategic planning is the key to building support and commitment, and ensuring the plan is carried out. The WRC’s Project team engaged the entire organization, from the commissioner through field operations and maintenance staff, in the planning process.

Next the teams identified specific objectives for each strategy. For example, the following objectives were defined to support the Workforce strategy:

• Retain valued employees who are productively engaged• Improve succession planning for a skilled, developed and

trained workforce• Define and develop an understanding of workload and

workforce balance• Improve safety, work methods and physical health of workers to

improve team productivity• Establish a competitive and attractive compensation structure to

recruit skilled and diverse workers

The teams also identified tangible measurements for each objective to monitor their progress toward meeting that objective.

The final task was to identify projects and initiatives to fulfill the objectives required to meet their Strategic goals. The teams identified a combination of new and ongoing activities to undertake within a five-year planning window, although the duration of several projects will extend beyond that time.

Infrastructure

Technology

Partnerships

Workforce

Culture

“Keep it flowing…Out of sightbut NOT out of mind”

“Technology: working harder sowe can work smarter”

“Being Engaged inExcellent Relationships”

“The WRC wants you to comefor a job and stay for acareer!”

“Real EmployeesSeeking Positive ExperiencesComing Together”

Figure 3: The WRC’s Identified Strategies

ema-inc.com Issue 3, 2014

solutions

9

The resulting project buy-in is very strong, which helped fuel the plan’s initial success. The Project Teams continue to have strong management and organizational support as they move into the implementation phase.

Thinking Outside of the Box. Each of the Development Teams saw the Strategic Plan process as an opportunity to challenge the status quo. Past planning efforts typically involved only WRC management, so involvement by all levels of the organization helped to foster creative approaches and solutions. For instance, the Technology Team appointed a staff member from Field Maintenance as its Team Lead. Their reasoning was that, if their recommendations made sense to an admitted non-“techie,” they would make sense to the entire organization.

Embracing the Process. Team members all enjoyed and embraced the process. Each Development Team devised strategy slogans and creative ways to present its issues – to explain the purpose of its strategy and recruit support for it. For instance, the Infrastructure Team selected the slogan “Keep it flowing…

Out of sight but NOT out of mind” and chose a toilet as its graphic symbol.

Carefully Executed Planning Process. EMA laid out a structured process for each team to use to define its strategy. The teams first worked to understand the purpose of its assigned strategic focus. From there they defined tangible objectives and measurements for each strategy, and then identified projects and initiatives to meet the identified objectives. Although the teams at times felt frustrated by this structured approach, in retrospect they saw the process resulted in a solid foundation for their Strategic Plan.

Communication. The WRC diligently informed its entire staff about the Strategic Plan development. Regular updates were provided through broadcast email communications and newsletter articles. As the plan neared completion, WRC staff made presentations to several communities they serve in order to get feedback. Once the plan was completed, the WRC presented the Strategic Plan at an all-employee

meeting. The WRC also developed a sixteen-page brochure to highlight the Strategic Plan.

Conclusion

The WRC is dedicated to exceptional customer service and to working with the communities they serve to protect and preserve their most valuable natural resource – clean water. The WRC’s Strategic Plan provides the organization with a framework for capitalizing on its already outstanding performance and moving it into the great performance exhibited by world-class utilities. The plan defines the WRC’s strategic direction and helps to maintain a focus on continuous improvement.

For more information, please contact Phil Gaberdiel at pgaberdiel@ema-inc.com, or Sharon Peters at speters@ema-inc.com.

StrategiesIdenti�ed

5 26 77 31

Objectives Established

Projects De�ned

Projects to begin FY2015

Figure 4: Quantifiable Project Results

“Our Strategic Plan will allow us to increase our efficiency, provide better services, and prepare for the future … We are confident these efforts will pay off for many

years to come in better service for the people in Oakland County and the entire region.”

-Jim Nash Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner

technologytrends

Toronto Water is committed to continuous service improvement and customer-centered service delivery. To help support these objectives Toronto Water is taking a novel approach; use customer experience as the basis for process improvement decisions. To effectively develop this approach they needed to establish a standardized process for customer journey mapping.

What is a Customer Journey Map?

A Customer Journey Map (CJM) is a diagram illustrating each interaction the customer experiences in the delivery of a service along with their needs and feelings at each step. CJMs will be used whenever a business process involving customer interaction is created, changed, or evaluated.

Why Develop Customer Journey Maps

CJMs are a crucial part of developing effective business processes as they:

• Provide customer perspective of their total journey interacting within and outside of an organization

• Identify business process areas that require change to address pain points experienced by customers in their journeys

• Demonstrate sensitivity and attention to customers’ experience

• Redefine the technology support organization

• Help customers form positive opinions of an organization by requesting their feedback

Issue 3, 2014 ema-inc.com 10

by Jeff Coulson, P. Eng, PMP

Charting Progressat Toronto Water Improving Service Delivery through Customer Journey Mapping

technology

Project Approach

The project was conducted through a series of workshops including education on customer service mapping practices, development of a CJM template and design guidelines, and the development of 13 customer service journey maps. The maps document experiences of various customer types for a variety of services and complaints. The project also delivered policy recommendations for using CJMs when Toronto Water and the City begin documenting customer interactions.

trends

ema-inc.com Issue 3, 2014 11

Join EMA this winter at the following conferences! UMC 2015Hyatt Regency • Austin, TX • February 17-20, 2015

PRESENTATIONS

Thursday, February 19THU01: Customer Analytics and Effective Stakeholder Engagement Session9:30 a.m. .03 Strategy, Planning and Best Practices for CIS Evolution Panel Discussion: Sue Gildea, Aqua America; Gary Wiest, Greater Cincinnati Water Works; Emma Bridges, San Antonio Water System; Melanie Rettie, EMA, Inc.; Bruce Kane, Oracle; Maria DeChellis, ItinerisThursday, February 19THU06: Advantages of Developing a Smart Water System11 a.m. .02 Leveraging the Key Customer Service Technologies & Data in Your Utility’s Meter-to-Cash Process Melanie Rettie, EMA, Inc.; Gary Wiest, Greater Cincinnati Water WorksFriday, February 20FRI06: Planning to Succeed: Strategic Planning for Today’s Utility Manager11 a.m. .02 Move From “Good” to “Great” with Strategic Planning! Phil Gaberdiel, EMA, Inc.; Tim Prince, Oakland County WRC

IBM InterConnect 2015MGM Grand & Mandalay Bay • Las Vegas, NV • February 22-26, 2015

EMA will be attending and presenting at IBM InterConnect 2015. IBM Pulse is now part of IBM InterConnect – the cloud and mobile conference encompassing the full life-cycle of IT, assets, and infrastructure.

Benefits

The customer journey map is a first source of data related to improving business processes that directly affect customers. From their initial maps Toronto Water has already identified opportunities to improve customer service, including website enhancements and expanding access to work order process information. The base input to these and future improvement opportunities are the customers’ experiences. It is the customers’ perceptions of water service that define reality and shape our actions.

For more information, please contact Jeff Coulson at jcoulson@ema-inc.com.

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