Evaluation of Customer-Driven Level of Service for Water Infrastructure Asset Management

Sustainable Water Infrastructure Asset Management: A Gap Analysis of Customer and Service Provider Perspectives

“…A wellbeing approach [12] has been adopted to analyze the LOS evaluations based on the aspects of environmental, economic, and social wellbeing, which are matched with the six customer values suggested in our previous study [24]. Accessibility to an unrestricted water supply in the community is not included in the six customer values according to our previous customer survey because the weight of influence of accessibility had the lowest customer value.…”

“…In our previous study, Han et al [24] developed a new method to quantitatively evaluate customer needs in the Korean water and wastewater service utility sector (independent of the service provider's perspective) using six customer values: (1) sustainability, (2) affordability, (3) quality (functional performance), (4) health and safety, (5) reliability and responsiveness, and (6) customer service. The developed methodology for quantitatively assessing customer values allowed us to analyze the gaps between the perspectives of water service customers and providers in Korean water and wastewater infrastructure asset management.…”

“…The developed methodology for quantitatively assessing customer values allowed us to analyze the gaps between the perspectives of water service customers and providers in Korean water and wastewater infrastructure asset management. To compare the LOS evaluations from the customer's perspective to those from the provider's perspective, it is necessary to select and develop PIs to measure the provider's values that are equivalent to the six customer's values considered in the LOS evaluation of the customer's perspective [24] Although PIs [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] and methodologies [37][38][39][40] to measure water infrastructure asset management from the provider's perspective already exist, it is necessary to further investigate which PIs are suitable for comparison with LOS evaluations from the customer's perspective. Based on a literature review, the research objectives of this work were (i) to select and develop customer-based key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate water infrastructure asset management in Korea and (ii) to compare the LOS evaluations between the perspectives of customers and providers.…”

Gap Analysis Based Decision Support Methodology to Improve Level of Service of Water Services

“…Figure 1 shows that the relative weights of their water service attributes were estimated from the customer perspective [33] and the provider perspective [18]. To evaluate the influence weights of LOS from the customer perspective, the levels of the customer value attributes (Equivalent performance indicators) were defined and their influence weights were measured using a hierarchical survey customer opinion from approximately 800 respondents [33]. To evaluate the influence weights LOS from the service provider perspective, key performance indicators (PIs) were developed, and their influence weights were measured using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) from eight water service experts [18].…”

“…In addition, as proposed in our previous studies, six customer values, (i) environmental sustainability; (ii) affordability; (iii) quality; (iv) health & safety; (v) reliability & responsiveness; and, (vi) customer service, were considered in the LOS evaluation. Figure 1 shows that the relative weights of their water service attributes were estimated from the customer perspective [33] and the provider perspective [18]. To evaluate the influence weights of LOS from the customer perspective, the levels of the customer value attributes (Equivalent performance indicators) were defined and their influence weights were measured using a hierarchical survey customer opinion from approximately 800 respondents [33].…”