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30 | 28th November - 4th December 2014 | UtILItY WeeK Community COMPANY LINK DON'T MISS To advertise here call Hayley Cronin on 01342 332077 or email hayley.cronin@fav-house.com Lowri Beck Services Ltd Mayors Quay, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan, WN3 5BB Tel: 01942 771700 Lowri beck is a leading independent service provider of metering Systems, Data capture, Data management and Field management services, offering innovative solutions to utilities and busi- ness throughout Great britain. We support the electricity, gas and water markets with manual and Automated meter reading, Data collection and Aggregation, meter Asset Provision, Installation and maintenance services as well as providing a full suite of dual fuel Smart metering ser- vices. our dual-site contact centre provides a wide range of professional outsourcing contact centre services, including overflow call handling and appointment management. Our mobile field management system, Com- panion, supports a range of operations with mobile handheld solutions ensuring improved data communications between office and field activi- ties. Lowri beck was established in 1996 and is experienced in offering tailored services and committed to delivering excellent service at realistic prices. For further information contact lbenquiries@lowribeck.co.uk Wheatley Broad Road, Bacton, Suffolk IP14 4HN Tel: 01449 781001 Website: www.wheatleysolutions.co.uk Wheatley is a UK software development company. We specialise in providing utility industry solutions for asset, data and workforce management. If you are looking to improve your customer service or increase your efficiency in data management or mobile service delivery we would be delighted to talk to you. With our vast experience of the UK metering business Wheatley provide mentorship to companies wishing to enter the meter operation and me- ter asset management markets. We are also heavily engaged in the UK's Smart meter programme with software ready to support Smart meter installations. the key solutions supplied are: • JUMBO – performs MAM operations for electricity and gas whilst hold- ing information for all the metering systems managed by the host com- pany. A key feature is the automated processing of DTC and RGMA flows. • Amethyst – As we move towards large scale Smart Meter deployments Amethyst is the ideal tool for the management of assets including hAN, WAN and IhDs alongside meters and is an essential tool to manage inventory and minimise cash tied up in stock. • Assign – a browser-based workforce scheduling solution enabling busi- nesses to increase the productivity of their mobile field operatives. • Smart Roll-out Optimiser – focuses on the critical areas of Smart Meter installation planning, customer engagement and workforce utilisation. Water Industry Conference 21 January, Holiday Inn, Birmingham the 3rd annual Utility Week Water customer conference will drive forward the paradigm shift towards placing customers at the heart of the business. It will bring together senior direc- tors from water companies, solution providers, suppliers and regulatory bodies to share their expertise on the most important consumer strategy issues of communication, engage- ment, SIm and customer insight among other critical issues. More information at: www.uw-watercustomer.net. Utility Week Live incorporating IWEX 2015 21-23 April, NEC, Birmingham the new exhibition dedicated to the UK's water, electricity and gas utilities. Utility Week Live incorporating IWeX is the UK's first and only exhibition dedicated to the business, operational and technical needs of the UK's water, electricity and gas utilities. Building on the rich heritage of IWEX – Faver- sham house's long-standing exhibition aimed at the UK water companies, their contractors and manufacturing and process industries with onsite effluent treatment needs – Utility Week Live will provide an important information exchange and marketplace for the UK's multi- billion pound utilities industry and an ideal environment for exhibitors to do business. More information: www.utilityweeklive.co.uk Reader of the week Gary Jones, principal, Energy Coast University Technical College "My grandmother's crinkle chip cutter made potatoes interesting again and triggers a lot of happy memories" What was your first job? Peeling potatoes, age 12, in my parents' restaurant. It took a while for me to enjoy Sunday lunches aer that. What are the best and worst parts of your job? Best: Facilitating opportunities for students to develop as valuable members of their communities and watching them flourish. Worst: not being able to do it for more people. What's your dream job and why? I consider myself exceptionally lucky… I'm in my dream job. It has given me the opportunity to build from scratch an institution that would have engaged and inspired me at 14. What's your most treasured possession? My grandmother's crinkle chip cutter. It made potatoes interesting again and triggers a lot of happy memories. In the Hollywood film of your life, who would play you? I expect it would be an actor nobody's heard of, because I can't imagine it would be a blockbuster. What album is currently in your car CD player? I don't have a specific album, just a playlist of songs I like from a mix of artists and genres. What's your favourite film and TV programme? Film: Pulp Fiction. TV: Band of Brothers. What quote or saying do you most overuse? "KISS – Keep it simple, stupid." If you ruled the world, what would you do first? Establish a technocracy. What's your favourite joke? To the optimist, the glass is half- full. To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.