Using Data Envelopment Analysis to support the design of process improvement interventions in electricity distribution

► The paper confirms the potential of using DEA for organisational learning. ► It demonstrates that DEA and rank statistics are very useful for programme evaluation. ► It analyses the impact of external quality standards on the efficiency of lines. ► It shows that it is worth for power companies to invest in OCR technology. ► It shows that aerial time-based preventive maintenance is not cost-effective.