Why Sydvatten calls INSIKT the system of opportunities

Sydvatten

Every day, Sydvatten supplies around one million people in Skåne with a vital resource: drinking water. It is not an easy task. That is why the organization is constantly working on stable and long-term planning.

Every day, Sydvatten supplies around one million people in Skåne with a vital resource: drinking water. It is not an easy task. That's why the company is constantly working on stable and long-term planning.

With such an important task as supplying Sweden with drinking water, Sydvatten has an extra complex operation. They need to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Adjustments to operations must be made in real time, so it is important to keep track of operations to ensure 100% operational reliability.

Sydvatten is owned by 17 different municipalities in southern Sweden. Since the company is municipally owned, it is not allowed to make a profit, which makes operational control and forecasting work extra important. With around a hundred projects and a project portfolio worth around SEK 4 billion in today's money, there is a lot to keep track of.

- We are financed by fees and charges, so it is very important for us to always have a good balance. We have to make sure that we don't charge too high fees, while at the same time keeping track of what we actually cost so that we always cover our costs. In this way, forecasting is a very natural part of our work, says Mikael Siding, Project Controller.

The importance of getting the aim right

Mikael highlights the importance of identifying what the intended function of the system is. Who is the system supposed to help and what is the benefit?

- Since it is supposed to be a support for the project manager, the focus in the set-up should not be on finances or on my needs but on precisely how the system can help the project managers. After all, they are the ones who enter the information into the system that I then use and not the other way around. Of course, they can see a lot of financial information, but beyond that, the information is what they enter, Mikael explains.

To ensure that you always aim right, Sydvatten did one incredibly important thing: They involved the end users. Already during the implementation of INSIKT, three project managers were involved to provide feedback and develop ideas. This has since continued and the further development of the system is always based on the users, which Mikael clearly exemplifies.

- Resource planning is a very good example. Finance may have a need for time reporting, forecasting and clarity and quality in the figures for internal time. However, the primary thing is not that, the primary thing is that we ask the project managers to estimate what resources they need. How many electricians are needed during a certain time and when are they needed? How much project management time will you need to spend per month to get to the finish line?

The right person for the right job

Previously, this work was done by the project manager claiming resources in the form of a total sum that could often be very loosely estimated. Now, this is instead expressed in hours per role, which in turn is automatically converted into money. This has made the project manager's work more intuitive as they now only need to think in terms of resources and hours, something they have extremely good control over. Then the next person in line can take over.

- Through the project manager's input, we get both a money but also hours per resource. Then we can quickly make a reasonability assessment and later send it on to those responsible. We can then determine the estimated cost and review whether we have the resources needed to succeed. So just by having the project manager fill in hours, we get so much more in return.

Sydvatten has also integrated its time reporting system with INSIKT, which allows project managers to quickly see if the outcome matches the planned values per role.

Project management full of added value

The same approach is used in Sydvatten's project planning. There, project managers estimate how much each project will cost from start to finish. This estimate is broken down into activities consisting of everything from how much archaeology will be required to what machines will need to be purchased and when these activities will be carried out. Here too, Sydvatten creates added value.

- Since we ask the project managers to look at the project as a whole and then distribute costs over time, the economy gets its pieces for financial statements and the like. If the project manager enters values for a project that is estimated to run over four years, finance suddenly has part of the forecast or budget for these four years. They input and have control of the big picture but it also gives us the detail.

This data also becomes a basis for other parts of the business such as the procurement of consultancy services. With the project managers' estimates in hand, managers can immediately see what needs to be procured in future periods, which not only reduces stress but also increases efficiency. It also helps with the all-important loan work. Since Sydvatten has no surplus, all projects are implemented with borrowed money. Taking the right loan at the right time is something that can save large amounts of money.

- If we, through INSIKT and the ongoing forecasting, can move one borrowing requirement of 150 million in 30 days, we can save the annual cost of INSIKT says Mikael with a big smile on his face.

Analysis

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Everything you need for accurate planning. Through the product's web interface, you can involve the entire organization and streamline your work.

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Project

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Ale municipality takes its analysis work to new levels with INSIKT

Why Sydvatten calls INSIKT the system of opportunities

The importance of getting the aim right

If, through INSIKT and the ongoing forecasting, we can move one borrowing requirement of 150 million for 30 days, we have already saved the annual cost of INSIKT.