The Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company (EYDAP SA), is the largest company in Greece operating in the water market. Factors, such as the international development and the responsibility to supply 40% of the Greek population with potable water, render it obligatory to operate in the private sector economic standards and maintain openness to new enterprising activities. The individual objectives and the strategies of the company include: a) completion of the financial-administrative modernization, b) increase in the efficiency and competitiveness of the provided products and services, c) implementation of modern methods in HRM, d) efficient asset management, e) implementation of new information systems and expansion of the current ones, f) expansion of its jurisdiction area and acquisition of distribution networks outside its jurisdiction, g) cooperation with other foreign water supply and sewerage companies, h) development of new activities in fields that utilize the existing infrastructure and know-how of EYDAP and j) participation in business schemes to increase its turnover, such as Natural Gas Distribution.
The project focused on assisting the management of EYDAP to shape the vision and mission of the HR department, as well as to redefine the processes that will lead to the strategic alignment of HRM objectives with the strategy of the company. Moreover, current HRM practices were recorded and the optimal level of development for the HR department estimated. Finally, the team analyzed the extend to which some best practices and HRM functions can be applied to the business scheme of EYDAP. The tools and methods employed include: SWOT/PEST analysis, Porter’s 5 forces analysis, questionnaires of CRANET, organizational culture model by Cameron & Quinn, HR role assessment model by Ulrich & Conner, as well as benchmarking of successful companies.
