In January 2018, Zinfra commenced working on the operations and maintenance contract for the entire United Energy electricity network in Victoria. This contract reinforces Zinfra’s position as a leading provider of power services in Australia.
The contract covers the 24/7 operations and maintenance of the United Energy electricity distribution network, servicing over 670,000 customers in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula.
While Zinfra had delivered operations and maintenance services to the northern region of the United Energy network since 2012, this agreement, signed in late 2017, sees Zinfra as the single service provider across the utility’s full network.
According to Zinfra’s Operations Director, Michael Green, “The main achievement in this first year of the new contract has been the successful integration of the two regions under one contract, while maintaining the high level of service required.”
In the Australian Energy Regulator’s latest benchmarking report, United Energy was ranked as one of the most efficient networks in the country, rising in the rankings from eighth in 2017 to fourth in 2018.
Ensuring a collaborative approach
“The contract has been constructed in a way that drives a collaborative relationship encompassing safety, quality, commercial, relationships and performance,” Mr Green said.
A high degree of focus was placed on preparing the network in high bushfire risk areas ahead of summer, in line with regulatory requirements.
Zinfra and United Energy have also been working collaboratively on technology projects. The latest trials of drones and asset inspection technology have provided great opportunities to continually improve the service provided by both organisations, together with a drive to reduce cost to customers.
“The success of the program of work that we have executed is largely due to strong collaboration with United Energy, and having an open and transparent relationship to plan and measure what is required to achieve the level of service and results expected under the contract,” Mr Green said.
The successful trial of Zinfra’s Work Order Management System
A key contract milestone has been the successful trial of Zinfra’s Work Order Management System (ZWOMS) to enable the efficient scheduling of work to field crews. ZWOMS is a fully customisable mobile and cloud-based IT solution that connects to multiple devices and applications.
ZWOMS gives Zinfra the ability to track and understand what is happening in work programs on a real-time basis. Daily reports are viewed alongside on-screen dashboards, which allows decision making to be based on the latest up-to-date information.
This trial is just one of the ways that Zinfra has been working closely with United Energy to ensure a high focus on quality and safety, and deliver better outcomes for customers.
Mr Green said that the next two years of the contract will involve looking for opportunities to continuously improve performance.
“In the first half of 2019 we will implement a full multi resource scheduling system and work order management system that will provide efficient and effective work scheduling. Over the two years there will also be the ongoing focus on the most productive cost model.”
Zinfra attributes its success in winning this contract to its safety record, achievement of KPIs, the quality of its people, innovation in delivery and its vision for the future.
For more information on Zinfra’s services and capabilities, please visit www.zinfra.com.au.
