Benchmarking of Gas Distribution Utilities

Benchmarking-Analyse für Gasversorgungsunternehmen

Investigators

Prof. Massimo Filippini, Dr. Jörg Wild, Michael Kuenzle, Heike Gerling-Moraschetti

Time Frame
8/2001-1/2003

Funding
Participating gas distribution utilities

Abstract

The trends in the energy markets in Switzerland and abroad indicate that there may be a market liberalization in the gas distribution sector in the future.

Market opening and increased competition can be a chance for the gas distributors, which exhibit an efficient production and offer higher quality services. In such an environment, it is crucial for an individual gas distributor to know its relative position in the market and to have information about its strengths and weaknesses in different fields of activity. With regard to a potential market liberalization, it is vital to minimize or to eliminate the weaknesses, to improve the efficiency and to maintain or increase the strengths simultaneously.

The comparison of different activities within a branch allows on the one hand to identify the most efficient supplier ("best practice") and on the other hand to measure the performance of each utility relative to this benchmark. This procedure allows deducing cost reduction measures.