Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 27TH APRIL - 3RD MAY 2018 | 7 Event WHERE: WHOLESALE WATER THEATRE WHAT: Water companies are increasingly coming under pressure to deliver more for less. Keeping costs down and delivering excep onal service is no mean feat, which is why the sector needs to innovate and seek efficiencies wherever and whenever the opportuni es present themselves. With a tough price review just around the corner, water companies have been challenged by Ofwat to up their game on four central themes: customer service, long-term resilience, affordability, and innova on. The water sector has also found itself subject to greater poli cal and public scru ny and as companies are in the pro- cess of compiling their business plans for 2020-25, industry leaders will be looking for ways to ensure they are ahead of the curve. Seminars will cover a range of topics from tackling leakage and unflushables in the sewer network to data and disrup on and how to improve opera onal perfor- mance and efficiency. HIGHLIGHT: Leakage is high on the agenda for water companies and tops the bill on day one in the Wholesale Water Theatre. The Tackling Leakage seminar will explore how companies can innovate to reduce leakage in a more cost-efficient way, with best prac ce and case studies from industry leaders. James Brocke , editor of U lity Week's sister tle WWT will be joined by Jon Ashley, director of customer engagement and outcomes at Ofwat, along with rep- resenta ves from Severn Trent, Anglian Water and Bentley Systems. Meanwhile the Capital Delivery: Les- sons Learnt – Alliances And Partnerships session will examine the role of alliances in delivering efficiencies, with best prac ce from live case studies and alterna ve sup- ply chain models. It will feature speakers from Anglian Water and the @one alliance – a collabora ve organisa on delivering more than half Anglian Water's capex programme. The ini a ve won the Supply Chain Excellence Award at the 2017 U l- ity Week Awards (see p25). WHERE: CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS THEATRE WHAT: It is a landmark me for u li es, which face major technological, regulatory, organisa onal and cultural change. From smart metering and faster switch- ing in a constantly evolving energy retail landscape, to the opening of the water market, companies are opera ng amid major transforma on. The Customer Solu ons Theatre, in associa on with WNS, will explore the challenges ahead and the opportuni es this dynamic environment creates for u li es. HIGHLIGHT: Day one includes a look at the growth of home services and consumer engagement, which is transforming the shape of the compe ve energy sector. We will hear how companies are responding, diversify- ing and disrup ng the tradi onal market model. Against this background, op mis- ing data will be paramount if u li es are to gain customer approval and trust. Our first day's programme will also be picking up this key theme, in par cular GDPR, cyber-security and extrac ng value. With innova on allowing new tech- nologies and entrants to disrupt exis ng engagement and challenge tradi onal u li es, day two includes a look at who and what is driving the changes – as well as how those threats could be turned into opportuni es for exis ng market players. And as rising customer expecta ons, reg- ula on and the poli cal landscape force water companies to raise their game, we will look at new ways of transforming customer service and the challenges and opportuni es they present. WHERE: STREETWORKS THEATRE (in the heart of the Streetworks Village) WHAT: In recent years, streetworks have drama cally increased due to the government's drive to invest in infrastructure, reduce conges on and provide vital upgrades on roads. This has reinforced the need for u li es, contractors and highway authori es to work collabora vely to minimise road occupa on and disrup on. At U lity Week Live 2018, a series of seminars taking place across both days will bring together senior streetworks prac oners from across water, electric- ity and gas u li es, as well as contrac- tors and highway authori es to discuss the current and future pressures they're facing. HIGHLIGHT: On day one, a keynote address from Clive Bairsto, the new chief execu ve of Street Works UK, will discuss how metropolitan mayors have begun to use their new powers over transport to impact streetworks, and whether ci es could be the breeding ground for innova- ve approaches to works that will spread across the country. A session later that day will look at what new and innova ve approaches will be required to minimise the impact of streetworks, as the rate of infrastructure delivery accelerates. The session will explore the vision for the future of works looking at new approaches, models and technologies, and how regula on can support their implementa on. On day two, a panel discussion will look at how, with the rise of electric vehicles, superfast broadband, and the delivery of smart intelligent infrastruc- ture, streetworks will be cri cal to the UK's infrastructure ambi ons, and for the UK's wider economic growth. The session will explore the implica ons of the UK's changing infrastructure require- ments, examining the role of streetworks in the delivery process. In association with

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