Four Transformational Water Utilities Trends to Guide the Industry Through the Digital Water Journey: New Report From Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech explains in a new industry report how digital transformation plays a crucial role in bolstering the operational capacity and resilience of water utilities.

TORONTO, June 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - A worldwide water crisis is becoming increasingly clear, from record-breaking droughts to destructive floods. In response to this critical global situation, Info-Tech Research Group, a global IT research and advisory firm, has recently published its Water Utilities Trends Report. This research report provides water utilities leaders and their IT teams with strategic foresight to identify relevant trends and the opportunities and challenges ahead for building the utilities of the future.  By leveraging foundational IT capabilities, this report identifies four transformational trends, as well as drivers and the impact on water utility organizations. Info-Tech's report also includes data-backed recommendations for what utilities should be preparing to do next.

"The world has witnessed a spate of water-related disasters. Record-breaking droughts in the western United States are one of the many wake-up calls that we have been getting. Nature is giving us no choice but to change. Water utilities, providing one of the most essential services to societies and communities, have a crucial role to play in changing the trajectory of the water crisis," says Jing Wu, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "In the face of these challenges, water utilities must embrace collaboration and innovation. Technology leaders must become strategic partners with business leaders to proactively plan and transform their operations to ensure future resilience."

Info-Tech's latest research highlights the overwhelming nature of changes and disruptions faced by water utilities. Leadership teams often struggle to navigate these rapid transformations and identify the most critical trends in the industry, while the constant fast-paced advancement and adoption of new technologies further contribute to a sense of uncertainty surrounding digital business transformation in the water utilities sector.

To drive sustainability and navigate the evolving landscape of the water utilities industry, Info-Tech's report emphasizes the need to embrace a more holistic approach, which includes conducting a comprehensive review process to identify and prioritize critical trends that significantly impact water utilities.

In the report, the firm highlights four transformational trends within the sector:

1. Sustainability Commitment: Water utilities play a role in contributing to the net-zero target. An achievable sustainability plan is becoming a top priority for water utilities and smart cities.
   
   
2. Network Transformation: Water stress caused by extreme weather patterns, expanding urbanization, and growing populations require water utilities to optimize their investment in maintaining the aging physical infrastructure and building up its digital twin to provide further insights.
   
   
3. Edge Connection: Evolving from the pervasiveness of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, edge devices allow decentralized computing to complement conventionally centralized decision making.
   
   
4. Innovation Courage: The challenges utilities face are complex in nature and require collaboration across nations and borders. It is necessary to rethink innovation in utilities during the utility transformation period to realize the potential benefits of efficiency, cost savings, and client satisfaction.

By understanding the opportunities and risks associated with these trends, water utilities leaders and their IT teams can make informed decisions to shape the future of the industry.

According to the report, digital transformation has also emerged as a key driver in enhancing operational capacity and resilience within water utilities and strengthening business capabilities. Those who seize the opportunities to embrace the paradigm shift will set the stage for the future of water utilities.  To capitalize on these transformative opportunities, Info-Tech advises considering the digital water journey through the following lenses:

• Customer: A customer-centric approach to improving customer services and engagement while providing reliable, equitable, and affordable services.
  
  
• Water Utilities: A business model shift that supports sustainability, resilience, efficiency, and a digitally native workforce.
  
  
• Digital Team: Accelerated adoption of data-driven decision making, enterprise governance, and service agility.

The firm also recommends that water utilities engage business leaders to craft community-focused digital platforms for monitoring, measuring, and achieving sustainability objectives. The report emphasizes that meeting the net-zero target requires community-wide efforts, not just those from water utilities. This approach includes integrating mobile devices and applications to support frontline and back-office staff. By equipping these teams with mobile tools, they gain access to near-real-time data, leading to significantly streamlined daily operations and maximizing the benefits of digital transformation.

Info-Tech's new report demonstrates how industry leaders can capitalize on emerging water utilities tech trends and provides practical recommendations on the approaches to the necessary people, process, and technology transitions to help create a sustainable future.

To learn more about the research and how water utilities can strengthen core business capabilities, download the complete Water Utilities Trends Report. For media and interview queries on the topic, please contact [email protected]. 

For more information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com.

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group