We are a different company today than we were just a few years ago, and the future is also looking much different than what we envisioned. The evolution is just beginning. A big challenge as we prepare for the future is that we aren’t certain which skills will be most needed. But we know that one critically important characteristic will be a willingness to innovate. Even now, employees are finding new ways to get work done with fewer people.

The stronger operating-company business model, which entrusts greater decision making and accountability to operating company management, serves as a catalyst for some of these changes. For example, Cook Plant and our Indiana Michigan Power subsidiary are finding that working together is helping each understand and address the other’s needs. Each now has a seat at the other’s management team table. This did not happen routinely before.

There are other examples. The EP&FS business unit traditionally was the organization to engineer and construct new power plants and maintain existing ones in collaboration with the Fossil & Hydro organization. Today, because we are building fewer plants, fewer employees are required to perform this work. But there are still engineering and design needs, some of which are handled in-house and some of which are outsourced.

An example of cost-effective innovation is the Financial Performance Analysis group within Commercial Operations, which didn’t exist three years ago. Its sole responsibility is to provide daily data that allow energy traders to develop cost curves for our power plants. This shows a particular unit’s contribution to net income every day, which helps in mapping operational and financial strategies.

Yet another illustration is the collaborative efforts of the Learning Forum, which brings employees from various business units together to discuss issues and opportunities related to learning, development and training. These conversations have led to cost-effective solutions benefiting the company. For example, some work groups have been able to combine efforts on training programs that previously were offered separately, saving time and resources and streamlining the process.