Implementation of a Balanced Scorecard in the Water Industry. The Abbanoa S.p.A. Case

Abstract

The complexity and constraints in which the public administrations have to operate have greatly increased over the last twenty years. It is common (and established) that public administration and public companies in Italy have not been able to understand this change, sometimes assuming a defensive and conservative approach. The ability (and willingness) to translate traditional principles that inform public policy in organization and management models based on performance measurements is missing. The objective of this work is to offer a report of what has been done and a few thoughts on what, based on experience, should not be done. This is framed in the specific changes within integrated water management, highlighting that the model, in the opinion of the writer, is a practical tool that defines and achieves the integration and industrial development processes and their accompanying public service. It is a valid response to the needs of every modern company acting within the market, which is fully projected into the challenging dimension of the Industry 4.0. The work supports the wish to promote a better understanding among stakeholders (institutions, shareholders, investors, customers, suppliers, and, more broadly, territories), as well as in the community of professionals.