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S P E C I A L R E P O RT: PA RT 3 / M A RC H 2 0 1 5 UTILITY WEEK | 20TH - 26TH MARCH 2015 | 19 In association with: F or utility companies immersed in an environment of change and unpre- dictability, the one constant is the need for an exceptional workforce. The strength of an organisation's people reflects the strength of the organisation. This is best driven by engaging staff and ensuring they're doing a valuable job: responding quickly and intelligently to cus- tomer and asset demand, operating at a high level during business as usual, and carrying out structured problem-solving during times of unexpected stress. This is achieved by putting in place smart, effective processes, so that those unexpected stresses are less unexpected. From Newton's work on improvement programmes within organisations, I know it's possible to get great results quickly in a way that makes a big impact. The key to success is to apply a scientific, data-driven approach to identify, prioritise and deliver real, sustainable improvements that can be measured through cost reduc- tions and business performance. I would advise any organisation seeking to improve the resilience of its workforce to invest in forecasting to make the unexpected expected, work on its data-driven decision- making processes and implements an improvement cycle. Your workforce needs to be listened to and shown visible evidence of change; to be given the opportunity to see how doing things one way can lead to less-than-desir- able results and doing them a different way can completely shi the balance in a positive way. All of this means that as an organisa- tion you'll be better prepared to deal with difficult yet oen unavoidable scenarios, boost your credibility, and avoid negative headlines. A resilient workforce is one of the results of a resilient environment. Don't wait for big top down changes or cultural changes to come from nowhere. Make practical, tangi- ble results happen on the ground right now. Simon Harvey, head of energy and utilities, Newton Europe Viewpoint Workforce resilience isn't all about top level leadership - there's also frontline effectiveness. Source: PA Consulting Group Three steps to a resilient frontline • Visibility is vital. Key to cr e ating resilience is accurate demand and capacity plan - ning. Producing an organisa- tion-wide view of staff deploy- ment enables better forecast- ing of customer service and asset maintenance resource requirements, while uncover- ing potential inefficiencies, pressure points and risks. This insight feeds the design of innovative shift patterns that maximise hour- to-hour performance and efficiency levels, provide flex- ibility to manage seasonality and support scenario-based contingency planning. Responsive resourcing builds resilience by ensuring staffing levels closely track the needs of the business, reducing reliance on expensive overtime in periods of peak demand while avoiding employee underutilisation in troughs. • Dealing with the unex- pected. Predictability is es- sential when a utility business experiences unplanned events such as extreme weather. Incidents can be modelled and simulated in advance to create emergency shift patterns. These purpose-built rosters ensure the additional short-term "flex" needed to respond quickly and ad- equately is delivered without significant disruption, addi- tional costs to the business or excessive working hours. Limiting the physical and mental impact of emergency shift work creates goodwill, improves work-life balance and brings additional benefits to customer service quality and employee retention. • Engagement is essential. All of the potential benefits of an optimised workforce are jeopardised if employees are disengaged. While change is essential, it can often be resisted. A co-operative approach to planning and implementa- tion is the most effective and enduring means of securing long-term resilience with a workforce that embraces change and strives for con- tinuous improvement. Kevin White, managing director of Working Time Solutions WORKFORCE TIPS 2. Preparation 3. Incident 4. Recovery 5. Review Mobilisation of internal resources, support resources (IT, supply chain, welfare) and call centres. Checking availability and constraints on movement. Strong focus on rapid assess- ment of damage, developing mitigation and service restoration strategies and providing accurate estimates returning to normal service (overall and then route and service specific). Clear communication interfaces to customers and media to inform and support the response to the incident, supported by regular brief- ings through the chain of command (eg 3x per day). Learns from others' events, actively seeking knowledge from similar organisations with familiar issues. Major rail operator Standardised templates for data sharing, including where appropriate transfer of data electronically eg fault map. Enables sharing across the different network routes. US Midwest utility Use of enhanced weather modelling systems, OMS, DMS and SMI applications are providing forecasts which predict where to send crews ahead of an event. Major US North East utility Working with regional mutual aid organisations to reform the process in order to better allocate foreign resources to utilities with the most need. Electric distribution company Invites the media to accompany and observe restoration efforts by crews in real time out in the field. Major rail operator Business publishes a target time, eg within 2hrs, for initial view of service resto- ration plan and then update cycles after that for more specific, local updates. Global energy company The results of an investiga- tion into a failed response was incorporated into the company's standard train- ing course.