COMPANY: SAN JOSE WATER COMPANY (SJWC)

San Jose Water Company (SJWC) streamlined the SDP
Reporting process and reducing time from 15 days to just 1 with the power of automation.

With a tailored GO-156 compliant tool for automating data flow and reporting, SJWC now accesses instant results, eliminating manual calculations. This advancement saves over 50% of the SDP Head's time, enhancing operational efficiency.

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PROJECT OVERVIEW

As a regulated utility within California, SJWC’s supplier diversity program is based upon guidelines established by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). A Supplier Diversity Report is required to be submitted annually on the 1st of March to the CPUC. This report needs to comply with the guidelines delineated by the GO 156.

Driven by the pursuit of efficiency and precision, SJWC sought a solution to streamline processes and mitigate manual errors.

PROBLEMS

  • Incomplete and inaccurate data from accounting
    department
  • Expiration of CPUC certification of suppliers
  • Incomplete, delayed subcontractor diversity data from Prime Suppliers
  • Suppliers qualifying in more than one diverse categories
  • Lack of oversight and need for monitoring and review procedures
  • Incorrectly captured vendor data from the in-house
    AP department
  • A short time span for gathering data and reporting (mid-February to 1st March)
  • Ambiguous definition of suppliers that need to beincluded or excluded for the reporting by the CPUC
  • Incomplete data shared by vendors Complexity and lack of control due to large volume of data

SOLUTION

Implement a Reporting Tool that creates reports in CPUC formats in compliance with GO-156. We coded the following control features to make it robust:

Prompts to prevent non-compliance

Features for highlighting errors in data input

Additional controls for input data validation and drop downs for selection

Provision of clear and concise instructions to enable users to use the Tool with clarity

Incorporation of control checks to ensure the completeness and accuracy of data

Compatibility with the sub-contractor data received from Primes

HIGHLIGHTS

 
Before
After
Time required by SDP for reporting10-15 working days1-2 days
EffortManual and stressfulAutomated and easy
AccuracyVulnerable to errorsRobust and standard
Working MethodComplex and manualSimple and formula-driven
Availability/FrequencyAnnualReal-time, anytime
Reporting processPerson drivenProcess-driven

When you not only solve your client’s problem but also craft a solution that simplifies their job and delivers the exact results they seek, that makes you a truly powerful partner. That’s exactly what I experienced with Astute while building the Supplier

Diversity Reporting Tool. When the Astute team unveiled their solution, it went above and beyond my expectations. The Tool has revolutionized our analysis and reporting process, making it ten times more efficient and slashing our time spent on SDP Reporting to the CPUC by 50%. Astute’s team is not just diligent and dedicated; they’re laser-focused on delivering the perfect solution for you.

Timothy McLaughlin
Director at San Jose Water

LET'S TALK!
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