What do a few thousand end-use customers, a couple of hundred energy efficiency contractors, multiple energy utilities, a program administrator, and a state regulator have to do with each other? This is not the start of a joke where a diverse group of characters walks into a bar. This is the day-to-day business of a program administrator implementing an energy efficiency program. These programs are designed and implemented to overcome market barriers to the adoption of more efficient technologies. Their very nature means there is a complex coordination of interests between the program’s stakeholders and participants. In addition to the benefits of automating and streamlining work processes, a business process management software solution (BPM) can help consolidate these diverse sets of stakeholder interests.
A significant challenge that program administrators face is how to balance the needs and expectations of different stakeholders. Each stakeholder will have different goals, priorities, preferences, and opinions about the project scope, schedule, budget, quality, and risks. A BPM solution is a software application that automates and streamlines the processes and tasks involved in a program. It also allows program administrators to define the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder, assign tasks and deadlines, track progress and status, communicate and collaborate with stakeholders, and generate reports and dashboards. A BPM solution can help a program administrator achieve the following benefits:
• Efficiency and Productivity Improvements: BPM solutions reduce manual work and errors by automating repetitive and routine tasks. It can also eliminate bottlenecks and delays by ensuring that tasks are completed in the right order and by the right people. Additionally, it also provides real-time visibility into the project performance and status, allowing administrators to identify and resolve issues quickly.
• Communication and Collaboration Enhancements: BPM solutions facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders by providing a central platform for sharing information and feedback. It can also enable stakeholders to easily access the project data and documents, ensuring that everyone is working from the same page. It also fosters transparency and accountability by providing clear visibility into the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder, as well as their contributions and performance.
• Increases Stakeholder Satisfaction and Engagement: These solutions increase stakeholder satisfaction and engagement by aligning their expectations and goals with the project objectives. It also empowers stakeholders to participate actively in the project by giving them a voice and a choice in the decision-making process.
BPM solutions can assist program administrators in consolidating the diverse sets of stakeholder interests by improving efficiency and productivity, enhancing communication and collaboration, and increasing stakeholder satisfaction and engagement. eTRACK+ is a low code/no code BPM solution that easily creates workflows and seamlessly integrates with applications and devices. A BPM such as eTRACK+ is a tool that can help program administrators successfully manage energy efficiency programs that meet or exceed the expectations of all stakeholders.
Written by – Michael Stockard
Michael Stockard is an independent consultant at Stockard Energy Advising and is a member of the Advisory Panel at ANB Systems. Michael has over 40 years of experience in the design and implementation of demand-side management programs.
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