Was NW Natural doing some things better than others?
Stinson: In some areas we are the leader. We've worked hard over the years to develop productive regulatory relationships and that has helped. We're fortunate to have regulators who grasp the complexities of the utility business. Among other things, this has led to approval of several innovative tariffs. Also, in pipeline safety and other compliance issues, we're already ahead of the curve.
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| NW Natural's redesign required identifying core processes-acquiring customers, serving customers, delivering gas and managing supply. The changes will improve efficiency while enhancing customer service. The redesign also identified the work best performed by employees. |
What are some of the changes being implemented and how will they improve operations long term?
Yoshihara: We have a culture that has always valued its commitment to customers. The attitude is, 'we're not going to let the customer down.' That spirit and commitment will never change. But how we respond to customer requests is changing - for the better. If you design your response around every possible variable, you can actually be underserving the majority of customers. By better standardizing our practices and responses, we gain efficiencies that will allow us to better serve more customers.
Will customers notice anything different?
Yoshihara: Service will continue to improve and customers will have more choices. New options will continue to evolve such as Web self-service. It's low cost and can serve a broader customer base, which frees us up to concentrate on other service issues. By being more efficient, we will be able to keep our product and service competitive in the marketplace.
How are employees responding to change?
Williams: They've done very well. It's been a tough adjustment for some employees who worked here for many years and were accustomed to the existing processes. We knew we had to approach it right, and we spent a good deal of time communicating with employees, identifying the core values as a company we needed to preserve. Change is never easy, but we have smart employees who can see that the marketplace is changing and we need to adapt.
Doolittle: Of course, change is most difficult when you're directly impacted. But many employees also realized fundamental changes were necessary if NW Natural was to thrive, not just survive. Building a stronger company that can provide good jobs, competitive salaries and a dependable retirement into the future is something people can understand.
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