By Tony Kerwin, P.Eng., MBA, COO

When Customers depend on you to deliver critical infrastructure work, reliability is not a slogan. It is a responsibility. At scale, reliability becomes a leadership discipline built into how you plan, lead, and execute.

At OE Utility Services, operational excellence means we show up prepared, we work safely, and we deliver consistent results, whether it is a planned program or an urgent response. Customers don’t buy our intentions. Customers buy our outcomes.

As OE enters our 30th year, I have been reflecting on what it truly takes to deliver reliability across a growing, province-wide operation.

Following our CEO Keith Boulton’s recent article on honouring our legacy and shaping what's next, I want to share what that vision looks like in operational reality.

It is not complexity. It is clarity, backed by capable people and strong fundamentals.

The Foundation: People Doing the Basics Right, Every Single Time

In our industry, the work is high-risk, timelines are tight, and the tolerance for failure is essentially zero. That means operational success cannot depend on heroics. We do not ask people to be heroes. We build systems that let good people win consistently.

That foundation includes:

• Clear planning and communication before work begins. Ambiguity creates risk. Clarity creates confidence, especially at the point of execution.
• Well-trained crews and strong field leadership. Training is not a checkbox. It is readiness. People need to understand the task and the environment they are walking into.
• Equipment that is maintained, ready, and fit for purpose. Reliability starts long before a breakdown. It starts with standards, inspections, and maintenance discipline.
• Simple, repeatable processes that hold up under pressure. If a process only works on a calm day, it isn’t a standard.

Operational excellence is not about doing more. It is about doing the right things reliably, at scale.

Safety and Reliability: One System, Not Two

Here is a truth worth repeating. You cannot deliver reliability without safety. Safety is not separate from operations. Safety is how operations work.

Safe operations are predictable operations. When safety systems are strong, including training, procedures, supervision, stop-work authority, and accountability, work flows better. Incidents decrease. Rework drops. Schedules stabilize. Customers gain confidence that OE will execute with discipline.

At OE, safety is not a department you hand off to. Safety is embedded in how we plan work, mobilize crews, manage sites, and review performance. It is reinforced through leadership presence, coaching, and consistent standards, especially when nobody is watching.

Cutting corners on safety does not accelerate timelines. It creates delays, incidents, and loss of trust. The strongest operational teams understand that safety and reliability are inseparable, and they lead that way every day.

LEAN Thinking: Making It Easier for People to Do the Right Work

As our operations have expanded, LEAN thinking has become essential. Not to make people work faster, but to make work clearer, safer, and more consistent for the people doing it.

LEAN is about removing friction that gets in the way of good execution. That friction shows up as unclear handoffs, missing information, rework, waiting, unnecessary steps, avoidable travel, and inconsistent standards between sites. When we reduce that waste, we reduce stress on crews and supervisors. We also reduce the temptation to improvise in ways that increase risk.

LEAN is a people system. It works best when the people closest to the work help design the improvements. We involve frontline leaders and crews in identifying what slows them down or creates exposure. We standardize what works so teams are not forced to reinvent solutions on every job. We build simple visual standards and job-ready routines that support safe, repeatable execution. We coach to the standard so expectations are clear and performance becomes consistent.

And over time, that becomes a capability advantage. Reliability is built in the quiet moments: planning, training, maintenance, and standards.

When people understand why a process exists and how it protects them, they execute with confidence. They do not work around the system. They trust it. That is how you scale performance without losing safety, quality, or culture.

Innovation That Serves the Front Line

Operational excellence does not stand still, and neither do we.

Innovation matters, but only when it solves real operational problems. This year, OE has several major initiatives underway, including an industry first that we are excited to introduce soon.

Our approach is simple. We do not adopt technology for headlines. We adopt solutions that reduce exposure, improve safety, strengthen reliability, and make it easier for crews to perform at a high standard where it counts, on the job site.

The best innovations solve problems the front line actually faces.

Learning From the Industry We Serve

Operational leadership also requires staying connected to what is happening beyond our own organization. Standards evolve. Customer expectations rise. Better practices emerge.

OE participates in trade shows and conferences to stay current on proven best practices and new technologies. We were proud to attend EDIST last month and ORCGA this month, with additional industry events planned throughout 2026.

These events are not just networking. They are how we learn, share, and bring field-tested ideas back to our teams so we can keep improving how we operate and how we protect our people.

Progress happens when you stay humble enough to learn.

Leadership at Scale: Trust, Coaching, and Accountability

You cannot lead a province-wide operation by trying to be everywhere at once. Reliability at scale requires strong teams who can execute independently while staying aligned to shared standards and values.

That requires:

• Empowering frontline leaders to make informed decisions in real time.
• Setting clear and measurable expectations so everyone knows what right looks like.
• Holding ourselves accountable for results, without relying on excuses.
• Listening to the people closest to the work. The best insights come from crews and supervisors who live the job every day.
• Coaching consistently. Not only after something goes wrong, but as part of normal operations, because that is how capability is built.

When trust and accountability are balanced, operations can scale without losing safety, quality, or the culture that makes performance sustainable.

Building Reliability That Lasts

Customers rely on OE Utility Services to be there when it matters most, today, tomorrow, and years from now. That responsibility shapes how we invest in people, how we train and supervise, how we maintain equipment, and how we build systems that perform under pressure.

Reliability at scale is not accidental. It is built deliberately, reinforced daily, and led from the front.

As we look ahead, our focus remains clear. Operational excellence rooted in people, safety, discipline, continuous improvement, and innovation that delivers real-world results.

Because when Customers depend on you, leadership is not measured by strategy documents. Leadership is measured by whether you show up prepared, protect your people, and deliver when it counts.

Tony Kerwin, P.Eng., MBA

Chief Operating Officer

OE Utility Services

What does operational excellence mean to you?

Please contact us to discuss and find out how OE Utility Services can help you!