As the sixth-largest utility organization in California, the agency modernized its construction operations—establishing a forward-thinking, structured digital foundation ready to support future AI-driven innovation and continuous improvement.
Enabling Digitalization at Eastern Municipal Water District.
CUSTOMER PROFILE
A CIPO customer since 2019, Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) serves nearly one million residents and businesses across a 555-square-mile region in western Riverside County, Southern California. EMWD provides water, wastewater, and recycled water services and is the sixth-largest retail water agency in the state.
CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL
- Capital Improvement Programs
- Developer Projects
- Operations & Maintenance
THE CHALLENGE
EMWD relied on a legacy project management system that no longer aligned with the agency’s evolving workflows.
Frequent outages and downtime
Complex, rigid controls requiring vendor intervention
Siloed systems across departments
Slow document turnaround times
Limited executive visibility into multi-year program performance
The system created inefficiencies and frustration across managers, administrators, inspectors, consultants, and contractors.
As capital programs expanded, EMWD needed a modern, governed platform built specifically for owner-driven oversight and long-term program visibility.
The Solution: Owner-First PMIS Software
EMWD implemented CIPO as its governed PMIS platform — initially within the CIP department, and later expanded agency-wide.
CIPO centralized:
Proposeed Change Orders, Change Orders, RFIs, Submittals, Daily Reports, Pay Applications, Inspections, Surveys, Safety, Drawings, Specifications, Shutdowns/Tie-ins, Development Projects, and more.
The platform provided personalized dashboards, role-based access, and structured workflows tailored to EMWD’s operational model.
CIPO integrates directly with EMWD’s Workday Financial system to streamline contractor pay request workflows and strengthen financial governance. It also connects with Oracle Primavera for scheduling and SharePoint for internal document archival, ensuring seamless coordination across financial, schedule, and records systems.
THE RESULTS
FASTER APPROVALS
Change order approvals were reduced from weeks to hours, significantly accelerating project delivery.
UNIFIED PLATFORM
Multiple siloed systems were consolidated into a single source of truth, improving transparency and organizational alignment
Real-Time Executive Visibility
Leadership gained access to multi-year capital program dashboards and organizational performance data, enabling proactive decision-making.
Improved Cross-Department Collaboration
Managers, inspectors, consultants, and contractors now collaborate within a unified environment with standardized workflows.
Streamlined Financial Controls
Contractor pay requests flow through a transparent, governed process integrated with Workday — improving oversight and accountability.
A Forward-Thinking Digital Foundation
As the sixth-largest utility organization in California, EMWD modernized its construction operations by establishing a structured digital foundation — positioning the agency for long-term continuous improvement and future technology advancements. CIPO now supports both capital improvement and development projects, with data accessible across departments including Operations and Maintenance — ensuring continuity from design through construction and into asset lifecycle management.
What EMWD SAYS
With CIPO, EMWD is able to accelerate our digital transformation through a dependable, user-friendly platform that offers the flexibility to adapt and evolve as new technologies and operational needs emerge.
Built for Capital Program Owners
CIPO is purpose-built for construction owners and the teams that support them. Unlike contractor-centric systems, CIPO delivers governed workflows, structured data, and executive visibility designed for oversight, accountability, and long-term program performance.
Ready to Modernize Your Capital Program?
Request a demo to see how CIPO can help your organization standardize processes, strengthen cost control, and deliver measurable results.