TransAlta redesigns its service-delivery network

TransAlta Utilities (TAU), Canada's largest publicly owned electric utility company, wanted to reduce costs and improve service, establish a call center, and redesign its service-delivery network. To help TAU locate service facilities, determine staffing levels, cluster facilities into call pools, locate equipment, and evaluate the impact of customers performing their own operations and maintenance, we used facility-location and vehicle-routing heuristics, multiple regression, cost/benefit analysis, and a geographical information system. We worked closely with TAU management, and TAU has implemented most of our recommendations.