Unlocking Efficiency: The Power of Information
Management for UK Water Companies
In an era where technology is transforming industries at an unprecedented pace, the importance of efficient project management cannot be overstated. For UK water companies, capital projects are essential for infrastructure development, maintaining service quality, and protecting the environment. However, the path to success is often hindered by complex challenges, resulting in delays, cost overruns, and suboptimal outcomes. A game-changing solution lies in better information management, which has the potential to revolutionise project delivery.
The Information Conundrum
Water companies handle vast amounts of data, from customer information to lifecycle data of their assets. This includes feasibility studies, design and construction data, performance monitoring, and ongoing maintenance data. Unfortunately, this wealth of information often remains scattered across various platforms, departments, and external stakeholders. This disjointed approach introduces unnecessary complexities, leading to communication gaps, data redundancy, and missed opportunities for synergy.
The Impact of Inefficient Information Management
Delays and Cost Overruns: Incomplete or outdated information hampers decision-making and increases the risk of errors and rework. This results in project delays and cost overruns, detrimental to water companies, contractors, and customers.
Lack of Collaboration: Effective collaboration is crucial for delivering successful projects. However, when information is not readily accessible or shared in a standardised manner, it becomes challenging for teams to collaborate seamlessly. Siloed information hinders knowledge sharing, slows progress, and limits innovation.
Missed Opportunities for Optimisation: Water companies strive to improve efficiency, minimise environmental impact, and enhance customer satisfaction. Incomplete data makes it difficult to identify opportunities for design optimisation.
Health, Safety, and Environmental Impact: A lack of reliable site information and robust information management protocols increases risk when interfacing with assets. For example, non-documented modifications to electrical assets and improperly decommissioned redundant assets can lead to serious safety hazards.
Sustainability: Incomplete or inaccurate data hinders predictability around asset lifecycles, compromising predictive maintenance and accurate reporting of asset efficiency. This can have significant consequences, such as impaired catchment monitoring of pollution events and inaccurate tracking of carbon output, which directly influences efforts towards achieving Net Zero by 2030.
The Role of Information Management
By leveraging robust information management systems and technologies, UK water companies can transform their project delivery. Here’s how:
Implementing a centralised data repository consolidates project information, ensuring a single source of truth for all stakeholders. This improves data integrity, eliminates redundancy, and facilitates efficient data retrieval. Cloud-based platforms and mobile applications enable project teams to access real-time project data anytime, anywhere. This empowers decision-makers to make informed choices promptly, driving progress while mitigating risks.
Effective information management promotes seamless collaboration among project teams, contractors, subcontractors, and consultants. By breaking down silos and facilitating knowledge sharing, water companies can leverage collective expertise, minimise communication gaps, and foster innovation.
Advanced data analytics tools enable water companies to derive actionable insights from asset information. By harnessing this potential, companies can identify patterns, optimise resource allocation, predict maintenance needs, and proactively address challenges, improving project efficiency.
Clare Taylor, Chair of BIM4Water, comments: “With an ever-growing spotlight on the Water Sector, it is time for Owner Operators to unite, both with each other and with other Utility Sectors (Energy, Telecoms, etc). This will require greater governing and security frameworks, clear ontologies, and agreement on the common language that will be applicable trans-utility and establishing the clear foundations of information management, but once that investment is done, there will be fantastic possibilities and opportunities for the customer, infrastructure, the environment, and for the future.”
The Way Forward
To realise the benefits of better information management, UK water companies must embrace a holistic approach that combines technology, processes, and people. The following steps can pave the way for success:
1. Review Internal Processes: Review processes for handling, maintaining, and updating data for existing and new assets, ensuring robust documentation that can be shared with delivery partners.
2. Maximise Existing Systems: Invest in technology that integrates with current system architectures to enable a smooth migration from capital projects through to operations.
3. Develop Data Governance Frameworks: Establish standards for data collection, storage, and sharing, ensuring consistency and accuracy.
4. Foster a Culture of Collaboration: Encourage teams to leverage information management systems effectively, promoting knowledge sharing.
5. Prioritise Training and Upskilling: Ensure employees are equipped with the necessary skills to use information management tools and technologies effectively.
Andy Pritchard, Strategic Account Director – Water, Tilbury Douglas, adds:
“Digitalisation of water companies' asset base is a necessary first step in their digital journey that will culminate eventually in being able to fully build, operate, and maintain assets in a digital world. It’s acknowledged that this will be a marathon rather than a sprint and therefore needs to be part of a digitalisation journey covering perhaps two AMPs. Even this first step provides significant efficiency opportunities for designers and constructors.”
Conclusion
The water industry is at a critical juncture, facing numerous challenges as it strives to deliver capital projects efficiently. By embracing better information management, UK water companies can unlock new opportunities for success. Streamlined data accessibility, enhanced collaboration, actionable insights, and improved compliance are just a few benefits that await those who harness the power of information. Efficient project delivery starts with effective asset management, paving the way for a data-rich and brighter future for the UK water sector.
