Annual Report 2016
STRATEGIC REPORT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Group overview, strategy
and business model
South Staffordshire Plc is a highly
respected integrated services
group of businesses with a
regulated water supply company,
South Staffs Water, comprising
two operational regions, South
Staffs and Cambridge, and two
non-regulated service divisions, SSI
Services and Echo.
The Group’s strategy is to continue
to grow by providing high
levels of service quality while
remaining price competitive
in all of its operations, through
driving continuing efficiency and
maintaining a safe and enjoyable
working environment. Details of
how this strategy is implemented
across the Group and the individual
divisional strategies, business
models and business plans are
provided throughout the Strategic
Report.
South Staffs Water
In the first year of delivery of the
new AMP6 period, South Staffs
Water achieved good performance
against most of its Outcome
Delivery Incentives including the
business’ best result in customer
supply interruptions in the last 15
years and seeing strong results
in Ofwat’s measure of customer
service performance (SIM).
4
Through a multimillion pound
investment in UV technology at
the business’ Seedy Mill treatment
works, which is due for completion
in this new year, and investment
planned for the Hampton Loade
treatment works, the business
is responding positively to the
requirement to improve its
water quality performance.
As the shape of the water industry
is set to change significantly,
South Staffs Water is preparing
its systems, processes and
organisational structures in
preparation for the non-household
retail business opening up fully
for competition in April 2017.
SSI Services
SSI Services had a very positive
year, with encouraging operational
performance on some key
contracts, important new contract
awards and achieving growth in
both its turnover and profitability.
The IWS business has seen a
positive year having performed
well on some of its most important
contracts. The OnSite business
had a slow start to the year, due to
the start of the new AMP period,
however the newly formed Rail
division gained momentum with
some significant contract awards,
with the second half of the year
much busier for the business.
SSI Services is now in a strong
position to continue to grow
its revenue with enhancement
of existing product and
service offerings and new
disciplines being offered.
Echo
Echo is helping its water company
customers to deliver service
excellence to customers through
the deployment of RapidXtra, its
market leading billing software,
with this part of the business
having another excellent year.
The business holds a strong
position in the debt collection
services market, has achieved
new contract awards and is now
able to offer end-to-end debt
recovery services focusing on
the importance of the customer
experience and early intervention.