The challenge 

Western Power, a state-owned energy distribution utility, is in the midst of a major strategic shift: moving from its traditional role as a Distribution Network Operator (DNO) to becoming a Distribution System Operator (DSO). This transformation is driven by the rapid growth of decentralised energy technologies such as rooftop solar, batteries, and electric vehicles, which demanded new capabilities, operating practices, and process change across the business.

The transition is challenging on several fronts. While the technical blueprint was being developed, the organisation needed to understand and manage the significant people and process impacts across the organisation. Western Power engaged Rennie to develop the future state business process for Western Power in its role as DSO.

Our solution 

We worked with Western Power to ensure its DSO transition was not just technically defined, but operationally understood and owned by its people.

• Workshops and engagement: Through targeted workshops, we developed detailed future state process maps that showed what working in the new model would look like in practice.
• Process Development: Future state processes were developed for the procurement of network support services and the management of dynamic connections. These processes were developed and road tested with internal functional groups at Western Power as well as with AEMO (as Distribution Market Operator) and Synergy (as Parent Aggregator).
• Definition of new accountabilities: We worked with leaders and functional teams to clarify evolving decision points and responsibilities under the DSO model, ensuring clear ownership and alignment across business units. Clear RACI tables were produced as well as detailed processes and work instructions to role level for high priority processes.
• Change impact assessment: We mapped process shifts, new responsibilities, and role impacts across key functions – identifying areas of change resistance, surfacing workforce concerns, and building understanding of what the transition meant day to day. This gave the business a clear, people-centred view of the change and the practical implications for each function.

  This approach meant that through stakeholder and engagement and dialogue stakeholders across the organisation were brought along the journey of what Western Power’s role as DSO would mean for the organisation.

Our impact 

Western Power gained the clarity, tools, and alignment to manage the people and process shifts of its DSO transformation.

Through this work, Western Power moved beyond a purely technical view of the DSO transition and began to understand the process and people impact to deliver it in practice. The engagement gave leaders and staff a shared understanding of the scale of change, and the process documentation to begin embedding new ways of working. These outcomes translated into tangible benefits, including:

• Strengthened cross-functional alignment through collaborative workshops and iterative validation of findings.
• A shift in focus from technical system design to operational enablement, ensuring the transition was grounded in people as well as processes.
• A change impact assessment that mapped people, process, and technology shifts, addressing workforce concerns and resistance.
• Consistent and transparent communication that built sustained momentum and helped embed new behaviours and cultural norms critical to DSO operations.

Key insights 

• Change needs to be defined at the human level, not just the technical. The transition to a DSO was underpinned by complex system design, but without a clear translation of what that meant for roles and responsibilities, staff risked disengagement. By mapping day-to-day impacts, the change became tangible and actionable, building confidence that individuals could succeed in the new environment.
• Early engagement builds ownership and reduces resistance. Teams were more willing to support the transformation when they were engaged from the outset, not presented with changes after decisions had been made. Involving functions early helped move people from passive awareness to active commitment, making the shift less about imposed change and more about shared ownership.
• Linking change to benefits sustains momentum. Staff were more motivated to embrace the DSO model when they could see the broader purpose — better customer outcomes, improved system reliability, and a more sustainable energy future. Framing change around benefits, rather than compliance, gave the transformation meaning and helped it endure beyond the project’s initial phases.