City of Cleveland Water Department - Financial & Management Consulting

Challenge:

In 2008, Cleveland Water faced serious operational hurdles: 

• 18% of bills were estimated, frustrating customers. 
• Manual meter readings and a CIS upgrade created inefficiencies. 
• Most meters were indoors, making access difficult. 
• Rising costs and a shrinking customer base strained resources. 

Solution:

IBS, in partnership with Black & Veatch, supported the city’s $115M Clear Reads AMR project with: 

• Project & Contract Management - Oversight of vendors, budgets, and timelines. 
• Policy Development - Created Access, Opt-Out, and Claims policies to streamline installations. 
• Quality Assurance & Field Oversight - Daily exception reviews, site visits, and SOP improvements. 
• Financial Modeling & Analytics - Forecasting, rate modeling, and forensic audits to uncover revenue opportunities. 
• Technical Support - Helped manage one of the fastest indoor meter installations in the U.S.—over 1,300 meters/day. 

Impact:

• Estimated bills reduced from 18% to under 1% 
• Customer satisfaction improved 
• Data-driven decision-making enabled 
• Operational efficiency and revenue recovery enhanced