Yarra Valley Water: A Successful Change Programme for a Corporatised Water Utility

Yarra Valley Water, a corporatised water utility achieved the significant efficiencies that are promised from the move towards privatisation. At the same time it substantially improved the quality of service delivery to its customers. It demonstrated that substantial benefits can be achieved with a minimal investment through leveraging existing information systems. The use of enterprise modelling that contributes to an “holistic” view of the organisation’s information and processing in Customer Services contributed greatly to successful integration of these existing systems. Crucial to all of this was the willingness of the organisation to transform itself to one dedicated to “best” customer service and asset management. The experience of Yarra Valley Water provides lessons relevant worldwide, but especially for developed economies. First, achieving efficiencies and improving service quality are not mutually contradictory. Second, these benefits can be accomplished with a minimal investment by leveraging off existing systems. Third, the use of enterprise modelling gives the necessary “holistic” view of the relevant information flows and processes to enable successful integration of disparate systems. Finally, realisation of the benefits of corporatisation ( privatisation) requires a paradigm shift in the business culture of the former utility.