Utilities excel at keeping the lights on, but today’s grid modernization and digital transformation demand more than “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” Effectively managing a diverse set of internal stakeholders requires ongoing operational technology (OT) process improvements which are essential to a utility’s resilience, reliability and efficiency.

While upgrading projects often introduces new procedures and process changes, sustained performance depends on improvements beyond those upgrades. As technology evolves, the number of stakeholders affected by the data a utility produces increases, and outdated processes can create service bottlenecks and risks. A proactive approach to OT improvements can help with dependability, enhance safety and drive efficacy across an increasingly complex grid environment.

When considering improving OT systems, the focus should be on refining the processes, documentation and integrations that keep OT systems running seamlessly. This includes everything from standardizing maintenance procedures and expanding stakeholder notification lists to strengthening communication between OT and IT teams. At its core, process improvement means continuously analyzing and optimizing workflows to make systems more efficient, cost-effective and reliable.

Processes provide a foundation for measuring, analyzing and improving how work gets done. This idea is central to process improvement methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma. Watching how systems perform helps OT teams spot problems, and using gathered data shows whether process and procedure changes are working. If things do not improve as expected, making further adjustments is possible.

Without improvements, even the most ideal equipment and skilled teams can fall short of delivering consistent, efficient service. The strategic benefits organizations realize by prioritizing OT system enhancements include:

• Resilient operations. Advanced systems and streamlined workflows reduce downtime and make processes repeatable. Improvements that involve automated and integrated tools help teams adapt as processes continually change, roles shift and experienced staff retire. The goal of improvements should always be to reduce waste, eliminate bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and enhance the overall customer experience.
• Quality and consistency. OT system improvements, such as enhanced monitoring and process optimization, should increase efficiency and uptime. Streamlining and documenting these processes helps reduce errors, deliver consistent results and create more predictable outcomes regardless of who performs the work.
• Improved knowledge-sharing management. When tasks are handled ad hoc, knowledge stays locked in people’s heads. Documenting procedures makes onboarding easier, helps support cross-training and reduces reliance on only a few key individuals. Today’s modern OT platforms capture and share insights automatically, making knowledge-sharing easier.

Security for OT systems can be strengthened through improvements such as advanced network segmentation, zero trust architectures and multi-factor authentication for remote access. These enhancements should be complemented by foundational practices including more timely patch management, regular firmware updates and rigorous control assessments.

A mature OT systems improvement program should go further. Integrating continuous monitoring, threat intelligence, and incident response planning with disciplined access and identity management should be considered. Comprehensive asset inventories and risk‑based assessments provide the system visibility needed to anticipate vulnerabilities and prioritize mitigation.

True resilience and scalability arise not only from strong security but also from OT system redundancies, sustained IoT expansion support, and the strategic adoption of emerging technologies such as 5G and edge computing. Together, these capabilities enable utilities to operate with greater reliability, adaptability and long‑term efficiency.

Without ongoing OT system optimization, utilities face inefficiencies that can lead to compliance issues and safety hazards. Continuous improvements turn data into actionable insights and foster a culture that anticipates problems rather than reacting to them. Configuring OT systems with a strong, data-based foundation allows utilities to implement targeted enhancements that can make a difference. A few key improvements that help impact real operational change include:

• Breaking down silos. Integrate OT and IT teams through operating-level agreements and clear handoffs. Siloed teams often work independently, creating gaps in communication and delays in execution. Strong tech collaboration helps smooth workflows and improve service.
• Following documented procedures. Consistency matters. Skipping steps can lead to errors, downtime or even safety risks. Automation can help maintain compliance and reduce human error. As utilities become more digital and connected, operating in silos no longer works. Teams must coordinate smoothly, which requires clear processes and handoffs.
• Using key universal metrics to measure success. Metrics that go ignored leave utilities without clear insight into whether processes are effective. Two key performance indicators (KPIs) that provide a significant amount of insight are mean time to resolve and mean time between failures. Tracking these KPIs and others like them helps validate whether process changes are working and highlight areas for improvement.
• Optimizing existing procedures. Remove unnecessary steps and simplify workflows. If processes are too long and involved, staff may choose to take shortcuts and not execute critical steps. For example, utilities may want to consider trimming procedural manuals by moving rare scenarios to an appendix or consolidating repetitive steps into a more streamlined process. Shorter, clearer procedures save time and reduce mistakes.
• Leveraging data and automation. Use real-time data for situational awareness and predictive maintenance. Start with recommendation-based automation before switching to full automation to build trust among operators. Gradual automation adoption reduces resistance and helps with safety.
• Planning for managing legacy systems. Modernization takes time. Utilities often manage old and new systems side by side for years. Vulnerability and patch management, especially for legacy systems, combined with employee training on security best practices and device usage policies can help reduce risk. Document processes to avoid inefficiencies during long migration periods.

As solar, wind and battery storage systems grow, utilities must build flexible, dependable processes to keep pace. Smart meters, IoT devices and renewable energy systems generate enormous amounts of data, making it critical to improve OT systems for faster decisions and better planning. For improvements to be sustainable, utility providers may want to prioritize:

• Applying data-driven insights to track performance, strengthen improvement decisions and maintain transparency across operations.
• Leveraging advanced analytics to forecast and avert equipment failures, driving operational continuity and cost savings.
• Boosting grid efficiency and automating workflows with AI and remembering to tap into staff experience when identifying where automation can truly add value.
• Creating cross-team processes with clear role identification to shift from an execution-focused mindset to an optimization-focused one, empowering service managers to monitor performance and drive change.
• Capturing institutional knowledge in documented processes that safeguard critical insights and prevent knowledge loss during staff turnover.

In an era of rapid grid transformation, maintaining the status quo is a path to obsolescence. Utilities must shift company culture from simply completing tasks to continuously improving the processes behind them. What's important is to challenge teams to look beyond short-term solutions. Real progress starts when staff are empowered to collaborate and use analytics to shore up OT capabilities, creating the foundation for long-lasting improvements. The mandate is simple: Invest in operational discipline that will sustain reliability and performance for the next decade and beyond, not merely the next utility outage.