TITLE:
Research on Operation Management and Investment Financing Strategies of Water Utilities under New Circumstances
AUTHORS:
Miao Ouyang
KEYWORDS:
Water Utilities, Operational Management, Investment and Financing
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.12 No.11,
November
25,
2024
ABSTRACT: This paper integrates the current political and economic landscape to analyze cases of large-scale water utilities both domestically and internationally. It concludes that their success is primarily attributed to lean management, cost reduction and expenditure control, and the provision of services with higher cost-effectiveness to customers; related diversification, market expansion, and the exertion of synergistic effects; emphasis on research and development (R&D) with hierarchical management of R&D activities; and the importance of investment and financing management, including mergers and acquisitions as well as continuous innovation in investment and financing instruments. Based on these findings, the paper proposes three major suggestions: leveraging technological innovation and big data to enhance service levels; adopting a holistic perspective to implement lean management and improve water quality; and seizing policy opportunities to innovate investment and financing models. It is hoped that these suggestions will serve as a catalyst for further discussion and provide a certain degree of reference for the industry.