Case Study: Sacramento Municipal Utility District achieves rapid ROI and open communication with OpenText Analytics

How the Sacramento Municipal Utility District Realized Rapid ROI and Opened Up Communication

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), a community‑owned electric utility serving about 592,000 customers and the sixth‑largest public utility in the U.S., launched an organization‑wide performance management initiative at the CEO’s direction to improve business acumen, react faster to problems, optimize projects, and drive efficiency by getting managers and employees to measure and manage performance.

SMUD selected Actuate Performance Improvement for its ease of use, scalability and calculation power, implementing it in three months to deliver customized dashboards, KPIs and internal measures, clear metric ownership and regular reviews. The program produced rapid, measurable ROI—including $2.5–3M in distribution savings and $3M in substation maintenance reductions in a single year—while fostering open communication, clearer accountability and a more efficient, metrics‑driven culture.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Greg "Augie" Augst

Manager, Enterprise Performance Office, SMUD