Chesapeake Water Environment Association - Event Information
Event Name:
CWEA Webinar - Plant O&M/Safety
Event Type(s):
CWEA Event
Description:
Data Driven Decision Making (DDDM) Speaker 1
Yvette Judge Director, Project Management and Business Analysis Yvette.Judge@DCWater.com
Yvette Judge serves DC Water as the Director of Project Management and Business Analysis in the Office of the CEO. In this capacity, Ms. Judge supports and facilitates high-priority, cross-functional Operational Excellence efforts using objective evidence-based decision making. Ms. Judge also leads executive-level business projects and programs crucial to optimal, efficient performance of the OCEO and the organization while supporting the organizational fact base behind DC Water’s organizational strategy and the executive priorities and goals.
Ms. Judge joined DC Water in 2017 bringing proven experience in strategy and operations, financial decision making, business transformation leadership, and implementing value-adding action plans that increase operational efficiency in the Private and Public sectors. Her comprehensive strategic management expertise is supported by her career experience in business analysis, program development and execution, consultative problem-solving, process improvement, and governance. During her tenure at DC Water, Ms. Judge led the organization through their first three iterations of annual enterprise performance planning and the development of their first performance accountability report. Additionally, she customized a strategic management framework where all aspects of strategic planning and enterprise performance work in unison to streamline management across the organization. She also played a key role in the development and execution of DC Water’s premier in-house leadership development program and enterprise efforts towards improving the Employee Experience and moving towards a learning organization.
Ms. Judge holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA), with a concentration in Management and Operations and a Master of Science in Project Management from the University of Maryland University College and a B.S. in Computer Science (Engineering) from The George Washington University (GWU). Additionally, Ms. Judge is a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB) by Villanova University, a Certified Public Manager (CPM) by GWU, a Certified Change Practitioner by Prosci, and certified in Strategic Management Performance Systems by GWU.
Speaker 2
Kenrick St. Louis Kenrick.stlouis@dcwater.com
Kenrick St. Louis serves the Authority as Vice President, Sewer and Pumping Operations. Over the last 25 plus years, he has worked in many industries including Manufacturing, Energy – Downstream Oil and Gas, Coal, Water and Wastewater. Mr. St. Louis has held various roles in operations, sales, engineering, and facility optimization in the Americas in both the Public and Private sectors.
Mr. St. Louis is a professional Water and Sewer Operator. Additionally, he has significant experience in operational excellence, developing, deploying, and executing processes to ensure effectiveness and consistency of operational expectations and requirements. Mr. St. Louis was recognized as DC Water’s Employee of the Year (2018) and was awarded the DC Water General Manager's Award (2019). He is currently focused on ensuring processes are created, updated, and deployed to all stakeholders within the organization to ensure the long-term sustainability of the operations under his purview.
His education includes a Bachelor of Technology diploma – Chemical Engineering Technology, Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with an Environmental Engineering bias and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees in Management and Finance. Mr. St. Louis is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE), Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional, and a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).
Mr. Gregory Stephens, Foreman, has worked for DC Water for 11 years. Gregory is a member of various organizations including but not limited to Water and Waste Operators Association (WWOA) and Chesapeake Water Environment Association (CWEA). Mr. Stephens is a certified Professional Operator (Collections and Distribution) with the Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) and is the WWOA Liaison for DC Water.
Mr. Stephens created and implemented an on-boarding process for all new operators which is a three (3) month mandatory program. Though this program, Mr. Stephens sits with each individual and explains in detail the inner functions of both the Distribution and Collection Systems. This gives new operators an opportunity to gain veteran knowledge of operating both systems in preparation to working independently. Mr. Stephens leverages the SOPs for each station and uses the SCADA screens to explain the operation of each station.
Mr. Stephens has participated in various presentations representing DC Water including a short course at St. Mary’s University and most recently a presenter of RCM at the 2018 Tricon Conference in Ocean City Maryland. There he spoke in detail of the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) process performed at DC Water. After the presentation, which was attended by various municipalities throughout the region, Mr. Stephens was invited to speak at Baltimore County and Artesian Water (Delaware).
Abstract
Data driven decision-making for operations and maintenance (O&M) leverages the advanced technology infrastructure of today. Systems like the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), PCS, Maximo, and Oracle enable the use of a set of rules that analyze data, predict emerging situations, and recommend mitigating actions. The webinar –Data Driven Decision Making (DDDM), reviews some best practices on DDDM in operations and maintenance and highlights areas for additional application of DDDM for water and wastewater utility personnel. The content includes the DDDM process, steps to effectively use data, best practices using a practical example, and decision-making during certainty and uncertain times. Additionally, proven successful strategies for promoting a data-driven culture will be highlighted.
The scope of DDDM can be expansive therefore this session provides practical application that can be leveraged and further developed over time. This brief overview webinar supports a broader discussion on the roles that data plays in gaining competitive advantage, optimization of resources, cost reduction, continuous improvement, accuracy and accountability, and hedging uncertainty for better business decisions. Proper use of data can bring efficiency and effectiveness in the strategic decision-making process. The importance of sound data analysis, interpretation, and use to create competitive advantage should not be overlooked.
The ability to make quick, well-informed decisions is critical to competitiveness and growth for small and large utilities alike. In recent years, the collection of data has increased significantly. However, in many cases the data “sits” in storage and is not used. When leveraged appropriately, this data is valuable and if accessed and analyzed, can lead to decisions that support and enhance employee morale, increase competitiveness, and optimize costs.
It is proven that data can help to enhance decision making in the following ways:
Optimizing Limited Resources: Ensure that funding is used in areas that deliver the greatest value.
Support Regulatory Compliance: Ability to comply with government mandates as well as statutory and regulatory requirements.
