Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
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www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | MAY 2019 | 23 I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H currently on the customer to register for addi onal support with mul ple companies. It also showed that data sharing helps companies go further to help vulnerable customers. "The sector is moving towards the industry-wide exchange of data and Priority Services registers for the benefi t of customers," says Manfredi. "It is encouraging to see that the [UU and ENW] trial has been extended as part of the industry-wide 'One Priority Services Register by 2020' ini a ve. With a con nued push to inform consumers about the benefi ts of the data sharing process as an industry, we will be able to boost consent rates and deliver a na onal data share for Priority Services across the water and energy sector by 2020." WATER OUTLOOK The water sector has historically trailed the energy market in terms of progress, admits Manfredi. However, there is signifi cant ongoing work to reduce this gap. Manfredi believes the standardisa on, pushed by Water UK, to streamline adop ons, as well as the Sewers Adop on v8 which lays out the process for adop ng sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), are signifi cant drivers for transi on across the sector. Addi onally, the launch of the New Appointments and Varia on (Nav) scheme heralds an encouraging step-change for water u li es. "Leep has seen posi ve changes as a result of Ofwat's work in the Nav market, resul ng in insets becoming a more commercially viable proposi on," she explains. Leep has witnessed growth in both the independent distribu on network operator (IDNO) and water markets in recent years, with it becoming increasingly important for the company to set itself apart from compe tors. "We provide a fl exible and straigh orward service and are willing to work with ICPs or developers directly. Leep is commi ed to providing transparency for the asset payments, which will be paid in return for the adop on of the networks," says Manfredi. "Diversifi ca on is key to the business' ongoing success; we believe there is a requirement to provide a full mul -adop on off ering to developers. Similarly, with changes in the Nav market making insets more viable, we have expanded in this sector with the acquisi on of SSE Water." The addi on of SSE Water to Leep's por olio means it can provide a mul -u lity off ering, which is par cularly a rac ve for -This is an abridged version of the research. For a full copy of this report and to register for U lity Week Live, which takes place on May 21-22 in Birmingham, visit: www.u lityweeklive. co.uk REACTIONARIES, REFORMERS AND REVOLUTIONARIES U li es are displaying some interes ng divergence in response to compe ve pressures. According to Laura Sandys, CEO of consultancy Challenging Ideas, businesses can be broadly defi ned as either "reac onaries", "reformers" or "revolu onaries". Sandys describes reac onaries as fi rms that have dug their heels in, maintaining a "my way or the highway" a tude when it comes to the prospect of business transi on. "They will no doubt fi nd that their margins, their customer base and their ability to compete into the future will be diminished," she warns. Reformers are u li es that are working to change their business models from the tradi onal supplier model to a more modern approach to delivering customer benefi ts. "The challenge for these 'reformers' is that tradi on might s ll be in their DNA and that the 'revolu onaries' are moving too quick to enable these reformers the me to re-shape their business models," explains Sandys. The signifi cant advantage that revolu onaries have is a new vision, without the restraint of incumbent thinking or systems, having designed their business models with a fresh approach based around technology. Sandys adds: "These companies have marke ng advantage, systems advantage, technology driven and while some smaller players might not survive, the leaders in this group will shape the energy company of the future." the landscape housing market – a sector in which the company is keen to expand. "As part of the acquisi on we have been able to leverage the knowledge, experience and exper se of the team, which has been most welcome as we se le into our new role as the largest operator in the UK Nav sector," adds Manfredi. The company prides itself on a fl exible business model and a commitment to delivering "straigh orward connec ons" for clients. The challenges of embracing new technologies, mee ng ambi ous sustainability targets, improving effi ciencies and lowering costs for consumers will certainly require u li es across the UK to embed fl exibility at the very core of their business and the solu ons they deliver for customers. � This is an abridged version of the research. For a full copy of this report and to register for U lity Week Live, which takes place on May 21-22 in Birmingham, visit: www.u lityweeklive.co.uk It is a complicated environment in which to transform your service, but this is what needs to happen, and fast II