5 ways to navigate the AMP8 challenge with success

As the sun sets on AMP7, the water industry stands at the threshold of a transformative era: Asset Management Period 8 (AMP8). Scheduled to begin in April 2025, AMP8 represents more than just another regulatory cycle – it’s a crucial moment for all water companies across the UK.

The AMP8 challenge

As the last cycle before the industry’s Net Zero goal in 2030, AMP8 poses significant challenges. As a water utility, you will have to manage unprecedented workloads while striving for operational excellence and compensating for investment costs. In particular, you will need to cut leakage to stay on track for the 50% reduction target by 2050 (compared to 2017/18 levels), reduce energy costs significantly, and streamline operations. The need for innovation is greater than ever, especially considering the constantly evolving customer demands and the low levels of trust in water companies due to media coverage about sewer discharges and similar issues.

Leveraging smart technology to address the challenge

In the face of these significant challenges, it’s clear that as a water utility, you need to invest in smart technology for increased efficiency and automation. Below are five ways in which leveraging technology with advanced data analytics and AI can help you tackle the AMP8 challenges:

1. Leveraging predictive maintenance

By leveraging historical and real-time data with advanced data analytics and AI, you can predict equipment failures before they occur, enabling proactive maintenance. This will minimise downtime and optimise asset performance. This approach not only reduces operational disruptions but also enhances the overall reliability and efficiency of water infrastructure.

2. Streamlining operations

From detecting leaks using advanced algorithms to monitoring water quality in real-time, advanced data analytics and AI empower water utilities to proactively address issues and allocate resources more efficiently. By optimising workflows and reducing manual intervention, you can enhance service reliability and customer satisfaction while simultaneously driving down operational costs.

3. Optimising meter-to-cash processes

Efficient meter-to-cash processes are critical for delivering accurate bills and maintaining positive customer experiences. Smart technology featuring automated systems with configurable exception management enable your teams to focus their efforts effectively, thereby enhancing overall efficiency.

4. Meeting customer demands

Customer expectations are constantly evolving. Smart technology enables you to deliver the right service at the right time through the most suitable medium, achieving hyper-personalisation. It also allows you to manage and support vulnerable customers effectively.

5. Cultivating innovation and adoption

Advanced data analytics give companies deeper insights into their operations, enabling informed decisions that prioritise sustainability and long-term asset management, all in line with evolving regulatory requirements. Moreover, the Ofwat Innovation Fund supports innovative water projects, helping you stay at the forefront of efficient and sustainable water management practices. In 2023, Ofwat awarded a share of £4.5 million to 10 innovative solutions addressing the biggest challenges in the water sector.

How we can support you in this journey

UMAX empowers your utility with robust, AI-powered data management capabilities, enabling you to efficiently collect, analyze, and act upon vast amounts of customer data. This includes data from smart meters, insights gained during the sales journey, payment behavior of customer groups, and feedback from customer service interactions such as sentiment. Moreover, thanks to its flexible nature, UMAX seamlessly integrates with third-party solutions.

At Itineris, we understand the immense challenges that AMP8 presents to you as a water utility. Our flexible and highly configurable software solution, UMAX, is designed to help you efficiently navigate these challenges. Built on the powerful Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform, UMAX enables you to proactively manage assets, detect and address issues in real-time, and respond to evolving customer needs with highly personalised interactions.

With its open architecture, UMAX allows you to integrate data and functionality from other applications easily. All data in UMAX is available for external consumption and is natively integrated with our market-leading Opinum Data Hub. This cloud-based data analytics and visualisation platform for utilities provides advanced analytics and AI-driven insights. It can be used to visualise smart meter data from a multitude of sources including smart water meters, SCADA systems and IoT, giving actionable insights and the ability to proactively detect, for example, water leaks, or for demand prediction.

By partnering with Itineris, you can navigate the complexities of AMP8 with increased confidence.

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