UTILITY WEEK | 1ST - 7TH DECEMBER 2017 |
19
Operations &Assets
Views from
the speakers:
1. There are many
different "types" of
customer, and this
should be reflected
in the way utility
companies engage
with them.
2. Data is invaluable,
but it is only useful
if it is translated into
information that can
be used.
3. Skills retention
is harder than skills
recruitment. While
it is relatively easy
to recruit graduates
with digital skills,
keeping them is
often more difficult.
4. Bundled services
are increasingly
important to cus-
tomers, over a set of
separate services.
5. A "fast follower"
position is right for
a utility company,
which needs to be
risk-appropriate
in its approach to
innovation and
technology adoption.
Key themes
Neil Pennington, ID2020
"Our everyday reality
is that people don't
think of us as a
"sector"; they want
seamless service
across all aspects
of their lives. It's
our job to make
sure our regulators
understand, and our
people and our tech-
nology deliver that."
Research note:
Download the Technology
and Innovation Council's
2017 research, The Future of
Utilities:
utilityweek.com/downloads
Andy Wysocki, head of IT,
Bristol Energy
"Building technical
teams in the energy
industry is not an
easy task. We ask for
Mark Smith, chief executive, WRc
"Until utilities can put
forward more chal-
lenge to incoming tal-
ent, they will struggle
to retain it. Upcoming
digital talent leaves
the sector for lack of
interest, not lack of
money."
Barry Carruthers, head of
innovation, Scottish Power
"While it's true that
many services today
can become attrac-
tive when wrapped
together, it is worth
remembering the
digitally hungry
generation who could
thrive on energy data
gamification."
a lot – strong techni-
cal skills, energy
experience, flexibility
regarding duties,
often long, unsociable
hours, etc. There is
a huge amount of
competition in our
job market, so finding
people with all the
necessary attributes
isn't always possible
– particularly when
working within tight
budget constraints."
Sponsored
by
Sarat Chand, general manager
Utilities, Wipro
"It is heartening to
see the innovation
council evolve into a
pan-utility leadership
forum championing
the creation of strong
innovation cultures
and the uptake of key
technologies in the
utilities sectors. We
believe the constant
knowledge exchange
and insights will help
the industry become
more customer-
focused and trigger
widespread transfor-
mation."
