How do you transform a knowledge-dependent process into a streamlined, efficient and systematic operation?
Integris Group Services played a pivotal role in enhancing the water trading operations of the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action (DEECA) [i] by developing efficient processes and documentation to embed good practices and ensure sustainable knowledge management.
The Problem: Water Trading Challenges
DEECA self-identified opportunities for improvement, but they also faced challenges in managing water trading operations. Much of the critical knowledge was concentrated among a few key individuals, creating a risk of operational disruptions if those individuals left the organisation.
Additionally, there needed to be more clarity around roles and responsibilities among stakeholders involved in the water trading and maintenance processes. Consequently, this led to operational risks, errors and inefficiencies that had a direct impact on water trade.
DEECA also wanted consistency in reporting and documentation, particularly regarding its annual water trade reports, which involved complicated internal processes. Therefore, these challenges highlighted the importance of streamlining water trading operations to mitigate risks and improve efficiency.
The Challenge: Streamlining Operations Efficiently
DEECA required a solution that would streamline processes, create clarity in roles and responsibilities, and improve the consistency of their reporting—all while ensuring that their operations were no longer dependent on the knowledge of a selection of individuals.
Additionally, the solution needed to align with regulatory requirements and good- or best practices, a key focus area for Integris Group Services.
Our Solution: Framework for Efficient Water Trading
Integris Group Services collaborated with the Market Operations & Insights team within DEECA to develop a comprehensive solution that addressed each of their pain points:
Streamlining processes and documentation:
Integris developed detailed Development Procedures, Guidelines, User Manuals, and Management Plans, extracting the knowledge and operational steps into key documents, enabling DEECA to maintain continuity even during staff changes. The documentation also validated compliance through alignment with regulatory standards, policies and legislation.
Clarifying roles and responsibilities:
Integris worked closely with DEECA to define clear responsibilities for different stakeholders involved in their water trade operational processes. This improved accountability and operational efficiency by eliminating confusion over task ownership.
Enhancing consistency in reporting:
Integris developed a style guide to standardise all trade reports, enabling DEECA to produce reliable and consistent documentation while reducing the time and effort required to prepare annual reports.
Developing a management plan:
A tailored management plan was delivered, that provided a repository that outlined roles, obligations, and governance around the water trading processes that operate on an annual cycle.
This provided DEECA with a sustainable framework for compliance and best practice management, which could evolve as processes and opportunities were identified and embedded.
Benefits: Improved Water Trading Efficiency
By implementing these changes, Integris Group Services delivered the following benefits to DEECA:
- It enhanced system management by creating tailored procedures and frameworks that align with regulatory requirements.
- It reduced operational risk by embedding good practices in DEECA’s operations, clarified processes and enabled knowledge transfer for broader team participation.
- It has improved efficiency and clarity in daily operations through well-defined roles and responsibilities.
- It has improved consistency and reliability in operations by aligning and embedding best practices into documentation and processes, simplifying compliance with regulatory standards.
This success story underscores the power of streamlining water trading operations to achieve both immediate improvements and long-term sustainability.
Integris is a Valuable Partner in Achieving Good-Practice Process Management
“Our engagement with Integris Group Services has been pivotal in developing key documentation for DEECA, including Development Procedures, Guidelines, User Manuals, Governance Frameworks, and Management Plans. These outputs significantly enhance our approach to managing systems, processes, and operations, while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and best practices. Through their service delivery approach, the team at Integris quickly gained a thorough understanding of our systems and processes, enabling them to provide practical, customised solutions and embed good practices in our operations. Their professionalism, collaboration, and commitment to delivering quality outcomes have made them a valuable partner in this project.”
Learn more about our approach to Strategic and Operational Consulting here.