Atos Origin helps utilities companies to realise better efficiency through IT by using operational process improvement as a vehicle to create sustainable business advantage.

We deliver integrated solutions that improve performance by enabling better management of the operational interdependencies that exist between different business functions. Utility companies typically face three key operational process improvement challenges: lack of documented processes; lack of codified knowledge; and the need to streamline IT infrastructures.

Lack of documented processes

Because staff retention at utility companies is relatively high, many business processes are only partially documented. Working practices tend to be passed on from employee to employee as part of on-the-job learning, rather than being written down. Furthermore, gaps between processes tend to be resolved via manual intervention by local experts, which is inefficient and expensive.

Lack of codified knowledge

A large amount of knowledge – particularly on the topic of best practices – is accrued by staff but not systematically documented, preventing its dissemination across the organisation. This is due partly to the lack of reward/motivation for operational staff to create documentation. Also, it is only relatively recently that effective data-capture tools and processes have become viable, particularly for field staff.

Application rationalisation

Over the past ten years, market merger and acquisition activity has resulted in the use of many overlapping and bespoke IT systems within the same company. Rationalisation is needed to reduce support costs and ensure that data required for operational, managerial and regulatory compliance requirements is used effectively.

To improve the flow of information through the organisation and reduce costs, business processes need to be properly defined and automated across and between business units. To achieve this, utility companies must simplify their IT infrastructures and replace multiple, overlapping core and back-office systems (some stand-alone) with a fully integrated set of applications that also accommodate third-party needs.