Redefining ‘Best in Class’: Atlanta’s Pursuit of Excellence

‘Best in Class’ is thrown about the industry as the ultimate goal for every operations and utility organization. It is an overused expression that carries an idea of excellence. Yet, that excellence is never quite defined. This paper will present an approach utilized by the author for achieving ‘Best in Class’ for the City of Atlanta’s Bureau of Wastewater Treatment and Collections which can be applied to any public sector utility. The paper provides a definition of ‘Best in Class’, and describes the supporting organizational composition and discusses the important role of leadership in achieving successful results. A review of the Bureau’s Strategic Plan and the $25 Million savings achieved from the two-year old strategy will be presented. Source: WEFTEC 2009 Proceedings