HENRICO COUNTY, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES (DPU)
	Engineering and Technology Master Plan
	DPU is the fourth largest utility in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Serving a rapidly growing population of approximately 276,000 DPU supports the water and wastewater needs of 245 square miles of urban, suburban and agricultural areas.

Issue
Like many utilities, DPU faced issues related to its application of information technology to improve its business processes including:

• Islands of information, instead of information as an enterprise resource
• Duplication of effort, which could be made more efficient
• Managers frequently requiring a complex combination of manual and automated processes to obtain answers to important questions, in spite of considerable investment in technology and data
• Technology not being used to maximum advantage in supporting the organization’s business objectives

Solution
DPU selected Westin to develop an Engineering and Technology Master Plan (ETMP) and to provide Program Management services during a three-year implementation. The plan’s comprehensive strategy integrated the goals and resources of all organizational divisions.

In preparing the plan, Westin reviewed DPU’s engineering, business and technology practices and developed a strategy to improve decision making. Primary strategies included asset management, customer service, performance management and technology improvement. Another key aspect of the program was mentoring DPU staff in the technology implementation processes.

The ETMP was a multiyear “road map” to guide the implementation of all aspects of DPU’s business and technology systems. Westin helped assess current and desired states, then performed a gap analysis for DPU’s business processes, organization and information technology. The plan addressed:

• Engineering and technology solutions for an integrated water and wastewater Utility Information Management System
• Business process management
• Asset & maintenance management including life cycle asset management and capacity modeling
• Engineering and technology solution for GIS deployment
• Document, drawing and O&M manual management
• Capacity modeling application
• Water and sewer connection fee system
• Industrial waste customer management
• Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)
• Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)
• Meter reading
• Internet and intranet applications
• Systems integration including interfacing to county-wide financials

Outcome

• DPU has a business case for savings as a result of the completed ETMP projects in the areas of improved efficiency, service levels, staff time and management effectiveness, as well as a reduction in the cost of implementing new technology.
• Management and staff have access to information to support decision making and service to DPU customers.
• Core business units have automated tools to support increased workloads and/or service levels with the same number of employees.