Home

Our cloud-based apps include Smart Metrics, an Out-of-the-Box business intelligence solution comprised of over 200 utility-centric metrics that can be implemented in a matter of days and provide visibility into key business and operational functions specific to each utility. The utility can then benchmark its internal metrics to the UtilityWorks industry data.   UtilityWorks has researched and compiled data from over 1,400 utilities, as well as offering, other externally available industry benchmark data.

A 360-degree look at an Effectively Managed Utility to protect public health and the environment in the 21st century

 

The performance measurements provide a clear set of reference points and are intended to help utilities maintain a balanced focus on all important operational areas rather than reactively moving from one problem to the next or focusing on the “problem of the day.”

Customer Satisfaction

• Customer Complaints
• Customer Service Delivery
• Customer Satisfaction

Employee and Leadership Development

• Employee retention and satisfaction
• Management of core competencies
• Workforce development

Water Resource Sustainability

• Water supply adequacy
• Supply and demand management
• Watershd sustainability

Stakeholder Understanding and Support

• Stakeholder consultation
• Stakeholder satisfaction
• Internal benefits from stakeholder input
• Comparative rate rank
• Media and press coverage
• Partnering in your community

Enterprise Resiliency

• Recordable incidents of injury or illness
• Insurance claims
• Risk assessment and response preparedness
• Ongoing operational resiliency
• Operational resiliency under emergency conditions

Community Sustainability

• Watershed-based infrastructure planning
• Green infrastructure
• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Service affordability
• Community economic development

Infrastructure Strategy and Performance

• Asset Inventory
• Asset (system) renewal and replacement
• Water distribution/collection system integrity
• Infrastructure planning and maintenance

Product Quality

• Regulatory Compliance
• Service Delivery

Financial Viability

• Budget Management Effectiveness
• Financial Procedure Integrity
• Bond Ratings
• Rate Adequacy

Operational Optimization

• Resource optimization
• Water management efficiency

Industry-leading practices delivered out of the box

Using industry practices can offer a set of powerful business tools for utilities of all sizes.  You can use them to fine-tune your performance and manage the risks you face while operating in more efficient and sustainable ways.

Improving Performance.  Success is all about how you perform at every level of your organization.  Leading industry practices promote a culture of continual improvement.

Reducing business risk.  Utilities today simply can’t afford to take an improvised, reactive approach to risk.  Using leading practices can help you identify your risks and minimize them.

Becoming more sustainable.  By helping you to take a close look at how you’re using energy and resources, using standards can save you money and improve your image, while benefiting the environment.

Encouraging innovation.  In a global economy of rapidly emerging new technologies and markets, standards help set the rules and establish frameworks, making it easier to innovate successfully.

Our solution has over 70 pre-defined utility leading practices and over 150 utility performance metrics.

Maintaining adequate cash reserves, working
capital, and margins

Maintaining efficient O&M costs in relation to
customers and volume of sales

Maintaining strong bond rating

Recognize and support the stockholders interest

Rate comparisons

Budget management effectiveness: capital budget

Setting rates and financial forecasts for a multi-year period

Minimizing uncollected bills

Vet major investments through rigorous process

Budget management effectiveness: operating budget

Developing funding plans that account for growth

Setting appropriate balance between debt and
equity funding for capital program

Return on assets

Debt service coverage ratio

Financial Viability

Air Quality

Wastewater treatment effectiveness/compliance

Drinking water quality/compliance

Biosolids beneficial use

Reducing water service interruptions

Minimizing wastewater treatment toxicity events

Preventing sanitary sewer overflows

Reducing wastewater service interruptions (blockages)

Providing safe high-quality water

Preventive maintenance of the water distribution

Enhancing and protecting the environment

Systematic process compliance (findings per internal audits)

Protecting public health

Product Quality

Reducing recordable incidents of work-related
injury or illnesses

Maintaining sufficient staffing levels

Emergency response readiness

Use of Standard Operating Practices

Energy co-generation

Solid waste recycling/composting

Risk management program

Enterprise Resiliency

Resource optimization (cost metrics)

Resource optimization (human resources)

Resource optimization (other)

Energy optimization

Operational Optimization

Promoting sustainability through CIP sustainability review

Promoting customer service affordability

Promoting energy efficiency

Implementing environmental management system

Implementing successful recycling and resource
conservation programs to support sustainability

Supporting overall utility system efficiency

Supporting environmental stewardship

Managing greenhouse gas emissions to support
environmental goals

Actively supporting employee and corporate
participation in establishing and supporting
community goals

Supporting community programs

Community Sustainability

Capital program delivery

Rehabilitation and replacement rate

Planned maintenance effectiveness

Development and implementation of strategic
asset management plan

Condition assessment/system integrity

Risk management plan/program

Minimizing water loss

Infrastructure Strategy and Performance

Customer contact center efficiency and responsiveness

Understanding overall customer satisfaction

Accurate meter reading and billing

Tracking complaints

Use of social media

Service reliability

Customer Satisfaction

Long-term water supply adequacy

Tracking current water demand

Reducing water consumption

Long-term ambient water quality

Minimizing real water losses

Providing adequate capacity

Water Resource Sustainability

Retaining talent through employee satisfaction

High performing workforce

Leadership development

Succession planning

Recruiting talent

Employee and Leadership Development

Actively engaging stakeholders in decisions that affect them

Securing support and understanding from stakeholders

Stakeholder Understanding and Support

Product Quality

Air quality

Wastewater treatment effectiveness/compliance

Drinking water quality/compliance

Biosolids beneficial use

Reducing water service interruptions

Minimizing wastewater treatment toxicity events

Preventing sanitary sewer overflows

Enterprise Resiliency

Reducing recordable incidents of work-related injury
or illnesses

Maintaining sufficient staffing levels

Emergency response readiness

Use of Standard Operating Practices

Energy co-generation

Solid waste recycling/composting

Risk management program

Financial Viability

Setting appropriate balance between debt and
equity funding for capital program

Return on assets

Maintaining adequate cash reserves, working capital,
and margins

Maintaining strong bond rating

Financial Viability

Maintaining efficient O&M costs in relation to
customers and volume of sales

Maintaining strong bond rating

Debt service coverage ratio

Recognize and support the stockholders interest

Community Sustainability

Promoting sustainability through CIP sustainability review

Promoting energy efficiency

Supporting overall utility system efficiency

Supporting environmental stewardship

Product Quality

Reducing wastewater service interruptions (blockages)

Providing safe high-quality water

Protecting public health

Preventive maintenance of the water distribution

Systematic process compliance (findings per internal audits)

Enhancing and protecting the environment

Operational Optimization

Energy optimization

Resource optimization (cost metrics)

Resource optimization (human resources)

Resource optimization (other)

Community Sustainability

Promoting customer service affordability

Implementing environmental management system

Supporting community programs

Implementing successful recycling and resource
conservation programs to support sustainability

Community Sustainability

Actively supporting employee and corporate participation
in establishing and supporting community goals

Managing greenhouse gas emissions to support
environmental goals

Financial Viability

Rate comparisons

Budget management effectiveness: capital budget

Budget management effectiveness: operating budget

Setting rates and financial forecasts for a multi-year period

Minimizing uncollected bills

Vet major investments through rigorous process

Developing funding plans that account for growth

Infrastructure Strategy and Performance

Capital program delivery

Rehabilitation and replacement rate

Planned maintenance effectiveness

Condition assessment/system integrity

Minimizing water loss

Development and implementation of strategic asset
management plan

Risk management plan/program

Customer Satisfaction

Understanding overall customer satisfaction

Tracking complaints

Accurate meter reading and billing

Customer contact center efficiency and responsiveness

Service reliability

Use of social media

Water Resource Sustainability

Long-term water supply adequacy

Tracking current water demand

Reducing water consumption

Long-term ambient water quality

Minimizing real water losses

Providing adequate capacity

Performance Benchmarking for Effectively Managed Utilities

Industry benchmarks are tools to help assess the performance of your business, by comparing it with others in your industry.  Benchmarking compares one’s business processes and performance metrics to industry bests and best practices from other utilities.

Our best practice benchmarking helps utilities evaluate various aspects of their processes in relation to best practices of similar utilities, usually within a peer group defined for the purposes of comparison.  This allows organizations to develop plans on how to make improvements or adapt specific best practices, usually with the aim of increasing some aspect of performance

Benchmarking may be a one-time event but is often treated as a continuous process in which utilities continually seek to improve their practices.  Our external benchmarking allows utilities to tailor needs based on the following criteria:

Population Served

30,000 and above

Service Connections

10,000 and above

Geographical Region

All US 50 states

Primary Water Source Type

• Ground Water, Ground Water Purchased,

• Surface Water, Surface Water Purchased,

• Ground Water under influence of Surface Water,

• Purchased Ground Water under influence of Surface Water Source

Revenue 

$20M and above