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Click here to contact one of our consultantsPerformance Improvement
A merger or adoption is a serious process for a company. Performance improvement must follow in order to cover the premium paid. Quintel has contributed in diverse situations with multidisciplinary teams to the integration of company components. In most of the cases overseen we join directly after a merger. But also, we implement important efficiency plans for the coming years after a merger or adoption.
Quintel consultants have wide experience with projects which have been aimed at cost saving and restructuring for different customers. That experience includes both reduction of overheads and saving on operational costs, and elimination of loss-making products and company components.
Business Case and Performance Improvement Analysis
California Electric and Water Utility
Quintel provided efficiency advisory services to include performance improvement and performance measurement consulting services. In completing this assignment, Quintel interviewed staff in Power generation, transmission, distribution and engineering; Water operations, engineering and construction; customer service, finance and general services areas. We utilized several unique approaches to capture the information required to study these areas in more detail:
1. i. Completed activity survey
1. Distributed to all employees (e-mail or test sessions)
2. Documented employee responses
3. ii. Completed a functional audit of processes
1. Focus groups with multiple user groups
4. iii. Captured and analyzed the client’s data and created data as needed :
1. Reviewed performance metrics, processes, procedures and policies
2. Data estimated based on employee interview
3. Data extrapolated based on available information
4. Prior client experiences and benchmarks incorporated in the generation of workable data for analysis
5. iv. Conducted best practices and peer group benchmarking analysis
Quintel then crafted into recommendations with the associated business cases. The total efficiency savings opportunities identified were in the areas of SAP usage, Fleet Management, Water Order Fulfillment, Billing, Customer Service projects and organization design. These areas amounted to a savings potential of approximately $30 million, or 15% of the current IID operating and capital budget. The area with the greatest potential for savings ($7 million) was the more efficient use of SAP. In addition to these “hard” savings areas, the area of governance (performance measures, policies and procedures, etc.) was identified as a key area that needed to be addressed in order to achieve the savings.
Finally, detailed implementation plans were developed with critical paths identified in order to assist the client in planning its implementation.
Assessment of SAP-Enabled Processes for an Integrated Petroleum Company
One of the Major Integrated Petroleum Companies
Management at this large oil company began to recognize the criticality of maintaining the appropriate level of commonality among key business processes that are either supported by the recently established shared services unit, or are enabled by the SAP implementation currently underway. Further study led to the conclusion that management and streamlining of important cross-functional business processes was in fact a more general challenge. However, there was no organizational apparatus in place to provide this cross-functional perspective, nor to balance the benefits of commonality with the need for local business unit responsiveness.
Our consultants were engaged to help develop a process management approach that would be beneficial and acceptable to this traditionally hierarchical, decentralized organization. We worked closely with a team of client personnel to tailor an approach that would fit into their culture. First, we investigated a series of internal initiatives that had been formulated to deal with various cross-functional and cross business unit issues – from energy conservation to sharing best practices – and documented what worked and what didn’t, and what barriers were encountered. We then surveyed several leading companies that had formalized a process management approach to learn about their organization roles and responsibilities, procedures, performance measures and transition.
Next, we crafted an approach to process management that would fit the client organization, and recommended a series of pilot projects to begin the transition. Organizational roles and responsibilities were defined for process sponsors, process sponsor’s council, process and sub-process owners, and process councils. A first cut business process model was developed in order to help clarify what the process boundaries were. Recommendations were also developed for how this new organizational dimension would influence technology investments such as SAP.
Utility eBusiness Strategy and Internet Infrastructure Analysis
Northwestern Municipality
The client is a large Northwestern city with two large utilities: an electric utility and a water and wastewater utility.
The City had won a number of rewards for having some of the best web pages and web content in industry. However, the City desired to make its e-Business offerings more robust and interactive. All divisions, including the two utilities, desired to use the internet to facilitate business transactions with customers, suppliers and stakeholders. In an effort to become more interactive, each division was pursuing its own initiatives. As a result there was no clear vision of user needs, redundant architecture was in place (software and hardware) and there was no quality control from a web development process or a content management process.
In addition, there was a traditional “utility or government” mentality that permeated the organization. Many executives did not know what e-Business was and why they should be concerned. The utility executives also felt that they had captive customers and would not need to provide additional services or change the way they were doing business.
Our consulting team worked jointly with the utilities and the City’s IT department. The project team interviewed various city and utility executives, web managers and IT professionals to understand the current process and e-Business strategy. In addition, the we conducted research into the trends of e-Business in government and utility industry as well as best practices into web architecture. Together the team and City teamed identified recommendations to align the City and utility e-Business strategy and to improve the development and management of web content.
The project team identified various opportunities to improve the City’s web architecture and to develop a comprehensive e-business strategy that is aligned with the City’s and the Utilities business and technology strategies. The leadership team accepted all recommendations.