Webinar Recap: Powering Lasting Success at Alabama Power
Energy Central recently hosted a webinar that highlights the transformative power of strategic software implementation and the importance of a holistic approach to change management and governance.
This session featured Emily Boles, Manager Transmission Data Analytics at Alabama Power; Santiago Vasquez, Practice Lead, Electrical Generation at Copperleaf; and Rose Teame and Eric Uhl, both Senior Consultants at Slalom.
Together, they showcased the benefits that innovation and collaboration can bring to the ever-evolving landscape of energy management, where Alabama Power has taken a significant step forward by implementing Asset Investment Planning (AIP) technology solutions for capital planning. Its initiative aims to enhance decision-making processes and ensure sustainable success through improved governance and change management.
The Road to Better Capital Planning
Alabama Power was on a mission to transform its capital planning to prioritize investment needs and streamline cumbersome processes. Many other utilities find themselves in the same situation where costs are constrained by higher interest rates, regulatory changes, supply chain disruptions, and more—but customer service must remain safe and reliable.
To address this challenge, Alabama Power adopted a unique approach to governance and change management that played a pivotal role in its decision-making process transformation.
This initiative involved a comprehensive implementation of AIP software (Copperleaf®) tailored to Alabama Power’s specific needs through extensive stakeholder engagement and interviews. This level of collaboration ensured the technology solution was perfectly aligned with the company’s goals and requirements. The project covered various aspects of capital planning that aimed to streamline and optimize investment decisions.
Here’s Emily Boles speaking about the challenges behind the need for this transformation:
A Holistic Approach to Change Management and Governance
Within every implementation, change management can often be complex or, in worst-case scenarios, non-existent. Large-scale transformation also requires a governance structure meticulously designed to ensure clarity, consistency, and accountability across the organization.
A three-tiered structure was established, including project originators, a Capital Investment Committee (CIC), and executive leadership. This structure ensured that those with the most knowledge about the projects were deeply involved in the evaluation process, while executive leaders provided strategic oversight and final approval.
Eric shared the process that was created to enforce this governance design:
Alabama Power’s change management strategy involves a continuous cycle of several focus areas:
- Emphasize stakeholder engagement and alignment to facilitate a seamless transition
- Provide teams with necessary knowledge and training
- Promote transparent communications
- Drive adoption of new ways of working
Rose reviewed the key parts from the areas above, with Eric discussing the adoption status:
Transformation and Implementation Success Factors
The success of this capital planning transformation at Alabama Power is attributed to several key factors:
- Leadership Alignment: Full commitment from executive sponsors means they actively drive the change, while clearly communicating the reasons and benefits to the entire organization.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Extensive interviews and collaboration with all stakeholders led to the effective customization of the Copperleaf solution, further supported by a robust communication strategy to build awareness and desire for the change.
- Training, Adoption, and Measurement: Comprehensive training and continuously measuring adoption ensures the organization successfully transitions through the change journey.
Commitment from executive sponsors, coupled with tailored solutions and continuous measurement, ensures a smooth transition and widespread acceptance of new processes. This holistic approach not only facilitates effective change management but also positions Alabama Power for sustained success in its capital planning endeavors.
The Copperleaf solution provides a robust platform to align different stakeholder groups and projects for better capital planning, enabling Alabama Power to optimize their portfolio and make data-driven decisions—faster, smarter, and with more confidence.
In this webinar clip, Emily and Santiago talk about the importance and benefits of having the right implementation and change management partner, and what their next steps will be:
Looking Ahead
Alabama Power plans to eventually expand the implementation of Copperleaf beyond its transmission organization, further broadening the scope and impact of the project. A key focus will be continuous improvement through ongoing feedback and refinement of both the process and technology.
The implementation of Copperleaf software at Alabama Power marks a significant milestone in its journey towards optimized capital planning and investment decision making. By prioritizing robust governance structures, effective change management, and data-driven strategies, Alabama Power is well-positioned for lasting success.
To learn the full details of the process to building an effective governance structure and change management approach, as well as audience Q&As, watch the full webinar here: