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NETWORK / 5 / JUNE 2017 L E A D E R C O M M E N T Engineering excellence and customer service aren't always natural bedfellows. At Utility Week Live in Birmingham last month, one panel of industry speakers at the streetworks conference argued that public frustration at streetworks stemmed from a lack of understanding of the scope and complexity of civil engineering projects, that public expectations around the speed of streetworks were unachievable, and that greater education of the public would lead to more realistic expectations. That's one view. Another view is that taken by Western Power Distribution, whose operations director Phil Swi- explains to Network this month how the DNO has achieved industry-leading reliability „ gures. Its Target 60 initiative involves sending three engineers to „ x faults, ensuring customers are back on power as soonˆas possible. This is a manifestation of the company's philosophy that "while engineering is important, our business is about serving customers". It's a radical shi- from the traditional mentality. However WPD's approach shows that, even for a complex engineering business, it is possible to reshape the business to focus on customer service. Similar initiatives are underway at other networks as the industry realises that in today's world, customer expectations cannot be dismissed. Not only does this please the regulator, it also makes a far more palatable message for the public and those politicians currently using energy as a political football. • Imagine a future where electrical a ppliances are turned on and oŒ automatically according to the availability and price of power, where electric vehicles charge overnight and act as mobile batteries, where major energy consumers see the rewards of providing demand-side response as a signi„ cant revenue stream. This future, according to current policy thinking, should be just 13 years away. There is no doubt about the need to transition to a ' exible energy system by 2030. Key to the transition will be the widespread adoption of demand-side ' exibility (DSF), incorporating demand-side response and demand-side storage. In the second piece of a major series of research reports delving into industry's views on and experience of this transition, Utility Week and CGI have established the scale of the challenge ahead. This research reveals a DSF market in its infancy. While energy market participants are enthusiastic about DSF, and already engaged where possible; the policy, regulatory and market barriers it faces are signi„ cant. See highlights from the research, p26-28. C OMING SO ON ∙ Automation, protection and control • FPSA2 • Asset management YOUR NET W ORK Give the people what they want Let us know what projects, technologies and topics you want us to cover Have your say Express your opinions and respond to content by blogging or writing for the magazine A social Network Follow us on Twitter: @Network_mag Email the editor: ellenbennett@fav-house.com established the scale of the challenge ahead. This research reveals a DSF market in its infancy. While energy market participants are enthusiastic about DSF, and already engaged where possible; the policy, regulatory and market barriers it faces are signi„ cant. See highlights from Ellen Bennett ellenbennett@fav-house.com