Digitalization is more than a trend shared across different sectors. The implementation of new technologies brings major benefits and has the power to transform the water industry in several ways:
- Measuring efficiency is now a reachable goal for organizations.
- New technologies implemented with a continuous improvement mentality can boost efficiency.
- Decision making processes may rely on data instead of opinions or beliefs.
The following list contains the most relevant impacts that propel efficiency in the management of the integral water cycle.
1. Efficiency becomes an achievable goal
There are many different ways in which to measure the success or failure of a change introduced within a water company. For example, an investment on new infrastructures or a shift in people management may be reflected on several performance indicators (unitary costs, increase in final revenue…).
However, the star KPI of a digitalized industry is efficiency, both related to processes and infrastructures. Rates of efficiency, often micro-measured by the sensorization of environments such as water flow and number of leaks per month, currently guide the digitalization effort in many organizations. In fact, optimal results are achieved when digitalization is applied to the 3 water industry’s cornerstones: commercial cycle, assets and work orders.
Data acquisition, integration and processing makes efficiency a reachable goal for water organizations when they implement the right services and solutions.
2. A continuous improvement mentality is pushed forward by new technologies
Continuous improvement was introduced in Japan by the Kaizen philosophy. Since then, industries have adopted it in different ways. Regarding the water industry, this kind of mentality should start with the monitoring of performance parameters generated by the sensorization of infrastructures. But this is just the first step. On top of this first layer it is necessary to build a smart decision system based on technologies capable of extracting the value of data, such as smart algorithms and Big Data.
Data and how we use it is key for improvement. In the words of business theorist Peter Drucker: “that which can’t be measured can’t be improved”. However, the ultimate leap is to move from data centric to smart by applying services and technological solutions that build an automatic decision system.
Mentality is about people. This means that digitalization starts and ends with the teams involved. Responsibility for continuous improvement rests on the shoulders of everyone at the organization, not just CEOs.
When new technologies for the water sector are implemented with this type of mentality, major improvements on efficiency are seen.
3. Data-driven processes play a key role in decision making
The fact is that a successful digitalization process allows water industries to base their decision-making processes on objective data and its exploitation. This is a much safer approach than that based on opinions or even beliefs, as smart algorithms and new technologies are designed to detect inefficiencies and improve processes automatically.
In GoAigua we have already experienced the benefits of digitalization for water industries. This has allowed us to accompany traditional water utilities in their leap towards a digitalized and performance based operational reality.
We lead organizations from a data centric to a smart approach for decision making. Our solutions are based on IoT & Big Data technologies and are designed to respond to the needs of the industry’s cornerstones: the commercial cycle, assets and work orders. In all this process, we have found that people management is key.
Our experience in the water industry has led us to discover that this is the most effective approach for driving innovation and efficiency within a water company, both in its infrastructures and processes.
GoAigua is a pioneer company in the digitalization of the water industry. We accompany water sector organizations in their digital transformation process and provide technological solutions for the commercial cycle, assets and work orders. We digitalize both infrastructures and processes to build a smart decision system in water organizations. From Water Experts to the Water Industry.
