Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 8TH - 14TH NOVEMBER 2019 | 23 Operations & Assets Operations & Assets bles active control of asset integrity and operations. ESB has entered into pilot projects with five international energy start- ups, all finalists in this year's Free Electrons Accelerator Programme, of which ESB is a founding member. The programme supports start-ups that are working to transform the energy mar- ket with next-generation ideas. Akselos, which has headquarters in Switzerland, licences technology from MIT that lets operators monitor an asset's condition in real time and helps them make decisions based on predictive analytics. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, please send pictures and details to: paulnewton@fav-house.com Market view Meeting high expectations Chris Proctor explains how the latest field service management technology can help utilities meet their customers' needs. C ustomer expectation of utilities providers has always been high, and providers, more o…en than not, have struggled to deliver. With new competitive providers emerging and regula- tors implementing measures to halt poor customer ser- vice, the sector is entering a new era. Companies must change their approach or risk irrevocable damage to their reputations, and to customer loyalty. Consumers now value experience over price and prod- uct, and the utilities industry must re-focus its priorities to keep up with changing needs and expectations. Next- generation technology will optimise service delivery and generate insights for future improvement. Without this, customer service will remain stuck at a subpar level. Field service management (FSM) technology can unite office teams, mobile workers and customers, improving efficiency and overall service. However, many utilities providers still rely on legacy FSM so…ware and manual processes. This makes it harder for teams to work pro- ductively which has a direct impact on the customer experience. Capitalising on new developments enables compa- nies to lower the costs of their field operations by up to 40 per cent while improving productivity by up to 30 per cent. This efficiency ultimately improves the customer experience. For instance, optimised job scheduling will ensure a suitably qualified engineer is sent to the cus- tomer the first time, reducing return visits. Automation helps companies send SMS messages when the engineer is on the way, giving customers greater confidence in the service they receive. Service faults such as burst pipes and faulty tel- ephone lines are one of the sector's biggest challenges and a common cause of customer complaints. Predictive maintenance so…ware constantly monitors and reports on assets, so engineers can pre-empt and remedy faults before customers experience any disruption. Consumers want consistency and clear communica- tion from their providers. New developments in FSM help field operatives efficiently complete jobs, share informa- tion with office teams in real time and keep the customer up-to-date. With cloud-based FSM so…ware, providers can further change the so…ware themselves to ensure they continually meet customer demand. Embracing the future of customer experience in utili- ties requires future-facing technology. This will improve operational efficiencies and transform customer service levels, for good. Chris Proctor, CEO, Oneserve

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