Compass and UtiliPoint Partner to Deliver Benchmarking Services to Utilities

NAPERVILLE, Ill., & ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--Compass America, Inc., and UtiliPoint International, Inc. today announced a partnership to provide operational performance improvement services to the energy and utility industry.

The partnership leverages Compass’ proven comparative analysis methodology and global database of operational metrics in combination with UtiliPoint’s utility and energy industry experience, database, and insight into critical customer-facing business processes. Working together, the two firms deliver a market-based and objective assessment of a broad range of a utility’s outsourced and in-house IT and business operations.

The initiative has grown out of several successful joint engagements with North American utilities involving extensive benchmarks of outsourced IT and business processes including customer care and billing, human resources, finance & accounting, and supply chain. These projects highlighted the industry’s demand for quantitative and transparent analyses of utility operations.

“Utilities face increasing pressure from regulators to justify rate increases and to demonstrate effective management practices and the delivery of cost-efficient, quality services,” said Max Staines, President of Compass America. “Through our methodology and UtiliPoint’s industry-specific expertise, we are able to drive improvement across a broad spectrum of business processes as well as the IT systems that support them.”

“Our collaboration provides an unmatched level of expertise and knowledge of the utility and energy business and of benchmarking methodologies and processes,” added Jon T. Brock, President and COO of UtiliPoint. “In addition to delivering quantifiable results and maximizing the industry’s return on investment in outsourcing and process improvement, we offer a proven methodology that is fully transparent and auditable, which is essential to achieving consensus among parties with differing objectives.”

Compass and UtiliPoint plan to aggressively target their unique joint offering to North American utilities and energy providers to meet burgeoning industry demand for benchmarking and operational improvement and for objectivity and transparency in the regulatory review process.

About Compass Consulting

Compass (www.compassmc.com) is an independent global management consulting firm that identifies and delivers significant improvement in the business and IT operations of large global organizations. Our fact-based approach enables clients to achieve world-class operational performance, optimized sourcing, alignment between systems and business processes, enhanced process maturity, and maximum value from investment in information technology. Compass applies a detailed comparative analysis methodology and proprietary models to identify the root cause of performance issues, define actions and quantify targets for improvement, and develop change plans and implementation programs to ensure that potential benefits are realized.

About UtiliPoint International, Inc.

UtiliPoint International, Inc. (www.utilipoint.com) is an independent management consulting firm providing autonomous research-based information, analysis, and consulting to energy companies, utilities, regulators, and industry technology and service providers. UtiliPoint delivers actionable knowledge and insight to energy and utility professionals who need to manage risk, validate business strategies, and quantify vanguard market opportunities. UtiliPoint enables energy and utility professionals to make better decisions in an ever-changing industry. UtiliPoint applies detailed multi-dimensional analysis methodologies and proprietary models to identify performance issues, define corrective actions and quantify targets for improvement. Our output includes change plans and implementation programs that innovate and ensure that potential benefits of cases are realized.