Strategic Planning and Leadership Advances Effective Utility Management Using Integrated Information Technology

摘要

Water and wastewater utilities face common challenges: rising costs, aging infrastructure,regulatory pressure, population shifts, and a changing workforce. This paper discusses thestrategic imperative, forces of change and information technology (IT) leadership undertaken byBoston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) in making long-term IT investments to supportorganizational goals related to infrastructure expansion and maintenance, customer service, andcontrolling non-revenue water. The case study focuses on the capstone IT project, “ConsolidatedGIS Viewer,” which integrates their line-of-business (LOB) information systems to realize thestrategic vision of real-time information to improve operations and decision-making.Utilities need timely and easily-accessible information in order to meet these challenges andsucceed as 21st century service providers. Strategic planning and leadership are the essentiallevers for effective utility management. BWSC’s experience offers insights for utilities of allsizes.