The Challenge: Managing Knowledge Gaps in a Changing Workforce

Facing a wave of baby boomer retirements and a surge of new-generation hires, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) needed a way to preserve operational knowledge while modernizing internal workflows. With over 2,000 employees delivering water, wastewater, and power services to 2.4 million people, SFPUC struggled to maintain consistency and accountability during this generational transition.

Traditional knowledge capture methods, like internal wikis or “Ask Fred” practices, fell short. With critical infrastructure on the line and process documentation either outdated or nonexistent, SFPUC risked service delays, compliance issues, and costly inefficiencies. A centralized, intelligent solution was urgently required.

The Solution: A Process-Based Knowledge Management Strategy

To overcome these challenges, SFPUC implemented Interfacing’s Enterprise Process Center® (EPC)—a business process management (BPM) platform designed to capture, automate, and govern critical workflows.

Beginning with high-risk, high-frequency processes like travel expense reimbursement, EPC enabled SFPUC to:

• Visually map end-to-end workflows using BPMN

• Assign clear ownership with RACI structures

• Attach supporting assets, videos, and permits to each task

• Replace manual steps with automated web forms and approval flows

What started as a knowledge retention program quickly evolved into a full process governance model. Employees across departments—from field operators to supervisors—gained access to real-time instructions, compliance documentation, and performance dashboards.

Results That Strengthened Service Delivery and Accountability

By using EPC, SFPUC achieved a significant cultural and operational shift:

• Knowledge capture became embedded into process execution, helping new hires ramp up quickly while retaining senior expertise.

• Automation cut processing time by 50%, reducing delays and errors in tasks like expense reporting.

• Departmental silos were broken down, with visual workflows exposing bottlenecks and overlapping responsibilities.

• SFPUC became a recognized leader in public sector process innovation, presenting its transformation at the WEFTEC Conference and being featured in industry journals.

This initiative not only improved day-to-day operations but also elevated SFPUC’s reputation as a forward-thinking utility prepared for regulatory demands and workforce changes.