Leveraging Data to Create a Paradigm Shift from Reactive to Proactive Utility Management

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Leveraging Data to Create a Paradigm Shift from
Reactive to Proactive Utility Management Chuck
Scholpp Director, Integrated Information
Management Hach Company Brent Fewell VP,
Environmental Compliance United Water
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Words of Wisdom
The goal is to transform data into information
and information into insight - Carley Fiorina,
Former CEO, Hewlett-Packard
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DATA what is it?

• Individual facts, terms, numbers
• It is meaningless without CONTEXT
• Requires CONTEXT for conversion

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CONTEXT what is it?

• Drawing data from various sources provides
  context
• Includes data about data (metadata)
• Context provides meaning to data
• Appropriate metrics help convert data into
  information
• Calculations
• Charts
• Statistical Analysis
• Summary Reports

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Excel for information management?
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Change Paradigms!

• Management Programs with Proven Track Records
• Lean Water Operations
• Six Sigma
• ISO14001
• Effective Utility Management
• Focus workforce on analyzing and acting on data
  not on collecting it
• Remove barriers that hinder paradigm shifts and
  hide waste

Definition of Insanity doing the same thing over
and over again and expecting different
resultsAlbert Einstein
How is Your Utility Changing Paradigms?
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Paradigm Shift Barriers

• Lack clear goals, metrics, and visual management
• Lack Effective Utility Management training
  experience
• Staff too busy gathering data to have time to
  analyze it
• Lack of secure, easily accessible, long term
  storage (ie. data stored in Excel vs. database)
• Perspective that auditors will not allow
  electronic records

With changing workforce, experience-driven
approaches must morph into data-driven approaches
How is Your Utility Removing Barriers?
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Examples of Waste at Utilities

• Transportation Manual (vs. electronic) transfer
  of data travel to view, collect, verify,
  validate, and troubleshoot snail mail
• Inventory Sample backlog excess consumables
  instruments unnecessary capital maintenance
  and energy expenditures excess people due to
  inefficiencies
• Motion handwritten logs computer entry typing
  onto forms printing and copying
• Waiting waiting on samples, analysis results,
  data approvals, reports, and guidance
• Over-Processing data touched many times more
  QC than necessary data transformed many times
  without adding value reports with duplicate
  information
• Over-Production - excessive sampling and analysis
  for process control and regulatory reporting
  mistrust readings non-optimized production
  (chemical costs, energy, water)
• Defects transcription missing data invalid
  samples wrong calculations instrumentation not
  calibrated and/or maintained properly fines
• Unused Creativity lack of understanding of how
  existing data could be leveraged data is not
  being shared with interested stakeholders no
  time for thinking only doing

How Could e-Records Help Eliminate Waste?
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New Proactive Paradigm

• Less Data Gathering Spend less time gathering
  and more time analyzing and acting
• More Data Use Process mapping, data mining,
  statistics. Apply focus where it belongs
• Customer service
• Training and tools for utilities
• Transparency and public outreach
• Funding for infrastructure, storm water,
  nutrients, etc.
• Better Reporting Use dashboards, KPIs and
  reports to achieve sustainability, prevent future
  issues from occurring, and meet federal
  regulations
• Lean Culture Culture that embraces metrics,
  data, and cross-functional problem solving to
  drive results

How Can You Enable a New Proactive Paradigm?
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United Water Case Study
United Waters Mission We provide innovative
water and waste management solutions that improve
the quality of life in the communities we serve

• Americas water challenge
• EPA estimates TRILLION-PLUS dollars required
  over the next 20 years to restore the countrys
  crumbling water systems
• EPA lists 89 contaminants that could affect
  peoples health
• American Society of Civil Engineers gives US
  water infrastructure a D grade
• Unprecedented issues extreme weather, new
  contaminants

We believe Americas future will be defined by
its ability to maintain clean, sustainable water
supplies
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United Water expertise

• Providing Water and Wastewater services for more
  than140 years
• In addition to owning and operating 20 water
  utilities, we operate 100 municipal and
  industrial water and wastewater systems, serving
  5.7 million people in the US
• Facility sizes vary from very small to some of
  the largest in the world

Meeting Americas water challenge will require
expertise developed from experience and
innovative solutions
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From United Waters perspective, data management
is critical

• Risks for inaccuracy
• Environmental or public health impact
• Reputation critical for all current and future
  contracts
• Fines / regulator scrutiny
• Citizen complaints
• Inefficient operations higher costs
• Compliance is critical to business success
• Trust of communities and municipalities
• Strong, productive relations with regulators
• Maintaining compliance with ISO standards

Top Down Directive to Improve Data Management
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From the customers viewpoint we can offer more
innovative solutions
BIG
DATA
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United Waters previous data management
situation

• Waste Manual data entry into spreadsheets
• Waste Time spent inputting data for reporting
• Waste Managers/auditors couldnt use the data

Data was gathered but not converted into
actionable information
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Our change objectives

• 1. Increase Efficiency
• Automatic data inputs
• One central location for data storage
• Data consistency across entire organization
• Manage unique data requirements
• 2. Increase Confidence in Data
• Ensure data accuracy
• Provide accurate compliance reporting
• Anticipate compliance issues before they occur
• 3. Reduce Costs

Enable Lean Water Operations
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We created Lean Operations

• Took Holistic Approach Networked, centralized
  database
• Automated Manual Processes e-interfaces and
  electronic entry forms
• Ensured Data Accuracy Auto incoming data checks
  and audit trails
• Turned Data into Information Graphing,
  statistics, alerting reporting
• Achieved Sustainability Dashboards highlighting
  key information

Implemented Networked Data Mgmt Solution
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Results Objective 1 Increase Efficiency

• Achieved data consistency with common database
• Provided easy access to accurate, organized data
• Provided tools to monitor sustainable
  improvements

Freed Up Time for More Value-Added Work
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Results Objective 1 Increase Efficiency
Dashboards provide transparency and focus
Division Compliance Report
Reference Documents Dashboard
Changed Focus from Data Collection to Analysis
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Results Objective 2 Confidence in Data

• Improved incoming data accuracy
• Improved report timeliness and accuracy
• One source of truth

Enabled Data Driven Lean Culture
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Results Objective 2 Confidence in Data
NPDES report easily generated with data
transposition
Enterprise-wide data is organized and accessible
Data turned to meaningful information
Enabled Easy Visual Management
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Results Objective 3 Reduce Costs

• Savings in excess of 6 figures
• Took advantage of time freed from data collection
• Improved process for cost analysis and budgeting

Progress made at managerial and operational
levels is significant and continues to advance
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With smarter water we can better serve clients,
meet Americas water challenge
Data without meaning
Innovative solutions
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Contact Information

•  
• Chuck Scholpp
• Director, Integrated Information Management BU
• w.970.663.1377 ext 2547 c.970.443.1637
• Hach Company
• cscholpp_at_hach.com
• Brent Fewell
• VP, Environmental Compliance
• w.201.767.9300
• United Water
• brent.fewell_at_unitedwater.com

Download a white paper on Lean Water Operations
and learn more about Hach WIMS by visiting
www.hachwims.com