Background
A large public utility faced mounting pressure to modernize its operations. As a not-for-profit entity owned by the state, the organization was responsible for electric transmission and distribution infrastructure. The CEO launched an initiative to transform the culture into a data-driven and project-oriented culture. This transformation aimed to enhance efficiency and drive better outcomes for the community.
At a Glance
What Mattered Most
Equip the CEO, Senior Leadership Team, and SLA stewards with a near-time, executive-level Command Center and Action Portal that transforms fragmented data, enabling faster decisions, improved accountability, and alignment across critical initiatives and operations.
What We Noticed
The Senior Leadership Team and staff were fatigued by fragmented systems, relying on email searches or bookmarking multiple links to locate information. Challenging navigation and limited data aggregation constrained pro-active monitoring of critical activities and vendor SLAs.
What Changed
of operational
health metrics
manage business
rhythm
via a single dashboard
needed to access data
Challenge
The staff struggled with managing data across multiple applications and platforms, hindering efficiency. The CEO and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) needed visibility into strategic workplans, vendor performance, and risks. Meetings decisions were postponed due to outdated or inaccessible data, eroding confidence in the systems. The SLT lacked a holistic view, complicating project tracking and decision-making, leading to missed opportunities and extended timelines as teams struggled to locate approvals or updates.
Solution
RW King partnered with the utility to design and implement a CEO and SLT Command Center—a centralized, performance and program management portal aggregating operational and strategic data.
- Conducted design workshops with Performance Office Director, COO, key program managers, and data stewards
- Coordinated with Data & Analytics teams to ensure appropriate data governance
- Implemented a unified dashboard integrating Power BI, Smartsheet, and SharePoint to manage strategic workplans and 700+ vendor Service Level Agreements: Strategic workplans, Vendor SLA management, Review activities, CEOs Executive Actions
- Enabled drill-down views by department, status, and steward, allowing SLT and functional staff to monitor activities.
- Led adoption and change management: Facilitated training at “All Hands Meetings”, 1:1 coaching, Brown-bags, and office hours to drive adoption and build a performance culture
- Guided integration of the command center into the organization’s daily business rhythm
- Supported SLT and stewards preparing for executive updates and vendor oversight meetings
Outcome
The turning point came when the CEO, during a weekly executive update, was able to instantly drill into a delayed vendor approval and resolve it on the spot—something that previously resulted in back-and-forth emails. This moment established the value of the new SLT Command Center and Action Portal.
- Centralized 20+ strategic workplans and vendor metrics into a single, interactive dashboard
- Reduced vendor approval delays by 30%, accelerating execution of high-priority initiatives
- Empowered the CEO and SLT with near real-time access to operational and strategic data
- Improved meeting outcomes by surfacing at-risk activities for Executive discussion and collaboration
- Increased responsiveness to IV&V oversight and board-level reporting through automated insights
Conclusion
RW King helped this public utility move from fragmented, reactive management to a strategic, data-driven leadership model. The CEO and SLT gained ability to leverage near real-time insights and promote a culture of accountability.
