Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1043468
year is a very, very strong indica- tion of that, and I think rightly so really – the water companies and others need to look at their respon- s i b i l i t i e s a s e nv i r o n m e n t a l stewards. "I think long-term, sustainable and resilient solutions will almost certainly need to harness the envi- ronment, so it's not just about building our way out of problems in the future. It needs a much more holistic approach and I think that's essential for the water com- panies to embrace." She believes the majority are now embracing that concept, even if there is more to be done. "They're all on slightly differ- ent parts of that journey, but what I've noticed is that all the water companies I've dealt with are hav- ing those conversations about NEED TO KNOW • SNC-Lavalin acquired Atkins in 2017 • Atkins is a design, engineering and project management consultancy and employs more than 18,000 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe • SNC-Lavalin is a global, fully integrated professional services and project management company and a major player in the ownership of infrastructure and works across oil and gas, mining and metallurgy, infrastructure, clean power, nuclear and EDPM THE VERDICT "I think the demands and problems the water companies have are so complex that it wouldn't be sensible to think we could find the solutions independently. Working with the water companies and clients to help develop those answers is my aim." Daressa Frodsham, Atkins catchment management and inte- grated planning now," she says. "The Water Resource Plans that have gone in recently are recognis- ing that things are changing, that there are huge impacts potentially on climate change – the drought issues we've had, the flooding, extreme weather events. All of that adds to the imperative for the water companies to sit up and tackle this." Ofwat is seeking a greater focus on customer service in AMP7, with the C-MeX (customer measure of experience) being introduced as the new mechanism to incentivise water companies to provide an excellent customer experience for residential customers. Frodsham sees technology as central to the customer experi- ence, and highlights the rise of wwtonline.co.uk | NOVEMBER 2018 WET NEWS 9 At Atkins and beyond, there is a growing emphasis on the digital arena social media and its impact on the dynamics of the relationship between the customer and their water company. "It's no longer about queuing to get through to a telephone call centre or writing a letter – it's instant," she says. "I think that will have an implication for water companies. I also think the pres- sure to add value and to make sure customers see the value that's being delivered by the water com- panies is equally important." She highlights 'Nudge' tech- nology as another area that is gaining ground, particularly with its potential to alert metered cus- tomers over water use and influ- ence per capita consumption. "I think we'll see more and more of those sorts of interactions, with technology and customer behaviour aligning," she says. "The industry's getting much bet- ter at the direct customer focus but I think there's a long way to go still. Ultimately, solutions need to meet a customer need, and we've got quite a bit of expertise in that area." Innovation is another area in which Ofwat is targeting a "step change" and Frodsham suggests that, if the industry is to make strides, it needs to widen its perspective. "I think the water industry needs to look externally," she says. "I think it has been quite insular in the way it's looked at things, so I would say: look externally, look at other sectors, look internation- ally, but also utilise the universi- ties and academic research insti- tutes that are world-leading." She says Ofwat could also potentially look elsewhere for inspiration as it seeks to encour- age innovative thinking. "Ofwat's had a very different approach to Ofgem, who have incentivised and allowed compen- sation for the energy companies and promoted UK innovation schemes that the energy compa- nies all participate in," she says. "That's been missing from the water industry." With so many different issues to contend with across so many areas, Frodsham believes a col- laborative approach is the only way forward and, as such, she will be looking to gain an in-depth understanding of all Atkins' cli- ents before attempting to deter- mine how best to approach the challenges they face. "Everybody's got slightly dif- f e r e n t e x p e c t a t i o n s a n d demands," she says. "What I'd really like to do is to focus on try- ing to really understand what our clients need to do, what their unmet needs are, because many of them will be in different places with regard to which of those demands they have answers to and which they haven't. "I think we all agree we've got to find new ways of doing things in the water industry, and my aim would be to help to identify some of those new ideas. I do think it's about working with our clients to find the solutions. The days of just coming up with a solution and selling it are long gone."