Picture this: Your utility needs a new partner. Maybe you didn’t meet regulatory requirements in your last sanitary survey and need support. Maybe you want to transition certain operations to a third-party to free up internal staff time. Maybe you’ve decided to switch vendors. No matter the reason, the search begins.
How do you determine which vendor is the right fit for your utility and your community? Going a step further, how do you build a long-lasting partnership to keep operations running smoothly for years to come?
Building an Effective Cross-Connection Control Plan:
A Checklist for Success
Choosing the Right Partner
To know if a vendor is a good fit for your needs, your community, and your operational style, you must ask good questions. Come into vendor conversations with a checklist of questions, concerns, and items you need to fully understand so you can streamline the conversation and ensure you nothing falls through the cracks.
What to Look For & What to Ask
Thorough and intentional utilities looking for long-term vendor partnerships often seek information regarding:
- References and Case Studies: Who does your potential vendor already work with? See how they have provided the same service to utilities of a similar size, in your state, or serving a comparable customer base. Ask for references, review case studies, and consider similarities and differences that could impact your partnership.
- Company Longevity: How long have potential vendors been in operation? How long have they offered the service your utility needs? Look for a proven track record of success over time to confirm they have the experience and expertise you need.
- Implementation and Onboarding Support: The hardest part of a new partnership is almost always the transition. How do potential vendors manage the onboarding and implementation process? Find out if your utility will have a dedicated onboarding manager, what the timeline for implementation looks like, and what information you need to provide up front.
- Familiarity with Regulations: Utilities face regulations at the state and federal level—often complex and ever changing. You need a partner who understands what needs to be done operationally and where each action relates to compliance.
- Reporting Capabilities: To maintain that compliance, you need good reporting. What types of reports do potential vendors provide? Try to obtain sample reports and confirm they meet regulatory and internal reporting requirements. Come prepared with any custom capabilities you need and determine if the vendor can accommodate your utility.
- Personnel Training and Certifications: Take some time to ask about how potential vendors train personnel—from any on-site activity to admin support to customer service. What certifications do vendor staff have, what does continuous education look like, and what organizations or associations are they part of?
Who to Involve & When
Decisions—especially ones that use valuable budget—aren’t made in a vacuum. If you’re in charge of finding a partner to support your utility’s operations, make sure you involve the right people early on. As you start your search, make a list of all the stakeholders who should be part of the process, where to involve them, and what questions you can ask of potential vendors to proactively address their needs.
From administrative staff gathering and recording data to in-field employees interacting with water customers to budgeting decisions from department and municipal leaders, don’t wait to bring in critical stakeholders, get buy-in, and ensure alignment with potential vendors.
- Admin & Data Entry Staff: Engage these team members in discussions regarding the administrative support provided by potential vendors. Make them aware of any up-front data needed to streamline implementation.
- Field & Operational Staff: Boots-on-the-ground staff have deep understanding of your community. They can share critical information with potential vendors and ask unique questions to help paint a more complete picture of what the partnership will look like.
- Department & Municipal Leadership: Involve water operators, superintendents, directors, city managers, and any other management-level stakeholders who need to ensure the partnership works on a strategic level and alongside other ongoing initiatives.
- Finance & Attorneys: At the contract review stage, it’s time to bring in the specialists to ensure the partnership meets municipal and budget requirements.
From a vendor perspective, you may want to get an understanding of their operational structure and engage in tactical conversations with implementation, account managers, field staff, and customer success associates.
Building Trust, Establishing Communication, & Avoiding Common Pitfalls
New partnerships can fail quickly if you and your vendor don’t take steps to keep onboarding, expectations, and communication on track. When you’re considering vendors and once you sign a contract, set expectations for what your team needs in terms of support:
- What should implementation meetings look like? How often should you meet during the onboarding process?
- After implementation is complete, how often do you want to check in with your account manager?
- What should communication between meetings look like?
- What’s the process for communicating problems and ensuring deadlines are met?
If, during the onboarding process and beyond, issues arise, don’t let it sit and stew. Address problems with your vendor sooner rather than later. Often, common issues like communication gaps or misalignment can be resolved quickly if the vendor knows a problem exists. Emphasizing transparency at every step ensures you and your partner meets the utility’s goals.
A clear, determined implementation plan and schedule helps you get off on the right foot. But don’t neglect communication once onboarding is complete. Create a plan with your vendor on how you’ll maintain consistent contact. Make sure to establish mutual accountability at the outset to keep your project moving forward. Schedule regular meetings well into the future—quarterly, bi-annually, or annually—to help your partner understand the changing needs of your utility and adapt.
Build long-lasting, effective vendor partnerships that help your utility meet your goals, maintain compliance, and protect your community through diligent discovery, clear expectations, and strong internal and external communication.
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