What Do Technology Solutions Look Like in a Post-COVID World?

Undeniably, remote monitoring capa­bil­i­ties have become more important than ever. Digital water solutions that keep service running and provide insights into the abrupt changes in a utility’s system have officially moved from the ‘nice to have’ category to ‘essential to operations.’ This shift in digital dependency—while accentuated by the global COVID-19 pandemic—has been top-of-mind for water utilities for years. Now as utility leaders look to improve their remote capa­bil­i­ties in a post-COVID world, they need tools capable of trans­form­ing much more than just daily operations.  

The virus has permanently upped the ante for utility management; technology solutions must meet a new set of criteria. CDM Smith’s engineering and modeling experts have risen to the occasion by creating PipeCAST, a unique web-based platform that uses digital twin technology and remote monitoring capa­bil­i­ties to help utilities stay nimble during trying times. Although there isn’t much certainty in these trying times, technology systems in this post-COVID era must provide for the following:  
 

The ability to handle monumental behavioral changes, seemingly overnight.

Many utilities experienced system backups and infra­struc­ture strains when stay at home orders were put into effect, simply by the uptick in daily use. This sudden change in flow, coupled with a surge of blockages from ‘non-flushable’ items resulting from the toilet paper shortage, caused coast-to-coast disruptions in sewer lines and collection systems. Looking forward, utilities can use PipeCAST to help them understand what’s happening in their systems with the click of a button. That way, they’ll be better informed to answer customers’ questions, better prepared for future public health crises, and better equipped to combat infra­struc­ture challenges as they arise.

The flexibility to enable all business departments to work from home.

COVID-19 has tested the flexibility of workers on the frontline; formerly crowded control rooms won’t be running at full scale for some time, so pivoting to web-based operations is crucial to maintaining business continuity. It’s also becoming increas­ingly important to implement technology that does more than just monitor equipment and manage in-house operations; it should advance an orga­ni­za­tion’s ability to be proactive. Post-COVID technology solutions like PipeCAST can integrate all aspects of a utility’s orga­ni­za­tion, allowing you to quickly visualize real-time system performance, monitor response, predict future problems, and provide unin­ter­rupted service—from any device, at any time.

The capacity to shift to digi­taliza­tion.

Everything that utilities were dependent on (people- or paper-based) must now be accessible online. Any hesitation that utilities experienced with ‘going digital’ prior to the outbreak now pales in comparison to the value of having remote operations in the current climate. More technology-based adoption strategies will likely be built into orga­ni­za­tions’ resiliency plans, signaling a pivot point in the way critical infra­struc­ture is monitored and maintained. With new standards being set in virtually every aspect of a utility’s orga­ni­za­tion, it may seem difficult to keep up with all the necessary changes. But that’s where PipeCAST can help: remote monitoring, proactive maintenance, data management and data visu­al­iza­tion, all in one secure platform.  

Find out how you can transform your collection system operations, access actionable insights, and future-proof your orga­ni­za­tion from the ground up. Chat with the PipeCAST team.