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ANCHORAGE WATER & WASTEWATER UTILITY (AWWU) |
| Information Systems Master Plan | |
| AWWU is the largest water and wastewater utility in Alaska serving almost 225,000 residents. AWWU has 260 employees and has approximately $60 million in annual budget. |
Issue
The management of information technology is considered a key enabler
of business effectiveness by the AWWU executive team. To continually
improve their information technology, AWWU completed two IT strategic
planning exercises (1995 and 2000) and is in the process of implementing
their third. Each of these plans has provided the impetus for improving
information technology within AWWU and enabling new business initiatives.
Westin was selected by AWWU to facilitate each IT master planning project mentioned above. These plans identified and prioritized the needs of all AWWU divisions and outlined specific IT projects. IT project objectives, scope, benefits, and budgets were formulated, helping AWWU to effectively allocate and commit resources to these projects.
During all IT master planning projects, Westin worked closely with AWWU management to build consensus and commitment to their long-range IT objectives. This approach helped them solve multidivisional problems and establish enterprise-wide priorities that matched business goals.
Projects
addressed in the plans were scheduled according to business priorities
and dependencies. The plans defined a concise, easy-to-follow roadmap
for the implementation, enhancement and integration of information systems
including:
- Facilities Asset Management
- Knowledge Management (content, document and collaboration management)
- Construction and rehabilitation project management
- Financial and Human Resources management
- Business intelligence
- GIS integration
- SCADA and SCADA communications
- Customer service and billing
- Water quality management and reporting
- Networking enhancements including mobile computing
Outcome
Implementing the technology solutions identified in the three IT Master
Plans enabled AWWU to improve work processes and formulate critical
business and operational decisions more efficiently. These efforts have
been recognized on numerous occasions by national water and wastewater
associations, including the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies’
Platinum Award for Sustained Competitiveness Achievement in 2004.