~ Specialist whitepaper explores improving utilities data strategies ~
Novotek UK and Ireland, a specialist in industrial automation and data management software for utilities, has released a new whitepaper explaining how utilities operators can improve their network performance with better data strategies. The whitepaper, Enhancing data management in utilities, is currently available from Novotek’s Ideas Hub platform.
The launch of the whitepaper comes shortly after the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published its draft strategic priorities for UK water regulator Ofwat in July 2021. The document outlines DEFRA’s expectations for Ofwat in the coming years, with several points indicating a continued drive for water operators to focus on innovation and investment to improve operations and services.
Innovation has been at the centre of Ofwat’s price reviews for the past few years, with the current PR19 encouraging water companies to improve network resilience to increase service quality. The regulator also launched a £200m innovation fund at the start of 2021 to support water companies in achieving this.
For Novotek, the broad focus on innovation and the vagueness that comes with it poses a risk of hindering network improvements. Drawing from its decades of experience working with utilities companies across the UK, Ireland and the Nordics, Novotek’s whitepaper aims to focus the broad scope of innovation onto three core areas where it often supports operators: consolidation and modernisation of network data collection systems, understanding of collected data and methods for deriving continuous value from data sets.
“There is a mounting pressure and need for utilities operators, especially in the water market, to innovate so as to improve service quality and operational resilience,” said George Walker, managing director of Novotek UK and Ireland. “However, simply telling operators to innovate is too vague. There needs to be more specific guidance.
“Across the miles of network assets and devices, there are countless opportunities for operators to innovate; the challenge is knowing where to prioritise and why. The best approach is to let the data determine this decision. Data collection and analysis are often the safest starting points when exploring options for innovation.
“With networks the size of those managed by utilities operators, there can be different levels of technological uptake within a single network, let alone between different companies. Some may be using a mix of recently upgraded hardware and legacy systems that are incompatible with several newer devices. Others might have an entirely compatible network of devices, but not know how to manage and share data effectively.
“With our whitepaper, we’ve set out distinct sections that cover the fundamental challenges that operators regularly approach us with. No matter what the biggest barrier to data-driven innovation is that an operator is facing, the whitepaper can offer some guidance. For anything else, our specialists are always on hand.”
The whitepaper is available to download for free from Novotek’s Ideas Hub platform. Water and utilities operations managers interested in the whitepaper can download it here.
