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subcategories: compliance- and asset management-based applications. While all three categories are well-suited for their original intent, they are not sufficiently intuitive from a process-based perspective. A new class of applications is now entering the mar- ket. This new class is based on newer technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3, but still incorporates solid process engineering principles, providing the user with greater flex- ibility to address all business-critical operational reporting needs. For small and midsize utilities, this new design pres- ents two benefits: affordability and configurability. With this new class of software, small-to-midsize utilities will be able to access all key functions under one interface, while preserving any investments they have already made. The table above compares these four categories of applications. Future Impact As a result of the ongoing technical evolution, utilities and operators will need to adjust to this new paradigm, leading to organizational and functional changes impacting core business practices. If managed cor- rectly, there are potential benefits for the utility in operational costs savings, as well as establishing a consistent and reliable reporting framework. Change Is Coming — In order to achieve these savings, utilities will need to adjust their existing processes, pro- cedures, and policies. However, care should be taken so that changes will not impact the primary purpose of any water/wastewater utility, which is to protect the health and wellbeing of both the environment and the public. Additionally, the changes should not negatively impact the operators' capacity to act correctly and swiftly in times of crisis. Taking into account these basic principles, here are some examples of changes and adjust- ments utilities will need to make moving forward. Staffing Changes: New positions will be created, and new skills will be required to integrate these technolo- gies. Here are two examples: • Business Analysis: The role of a business analyst (BA) will be to assess the operational efficiency of a plant or system based on near-real-time assess- ment of the data. A BA will work in tandem with operators to see how operating conditions can be enhanced but also work with other key players within the organization such as report- ing, finance, and executive leadership to incorporate their needs into a single, consistent vision. • Operational IT: IT managers today are responsible for managing servers and providing direct hardware/soft- ware support across the enterprise. Moving forward, specialized Operational IT positions will be created to support operators in their specific IT and reporting needs. These positions have to be filled by candidates who are grounded in engineering but have an interest in technology and the capability to mix the two with meaningful impact. This service could also be fulfilled by third-party contractors. Organizational Changes: In addition to bringing on board new skills, the organization will need to develop new procedures around the use of data. • Data Quality: As infor- mation footprint increases, utilities will have to devel- op data-related procedures and policies to ensure data quality. Emphasis will be on structure, storage, and organization of various streams of data, integrity checks during any data transformation, and audit- ing capability. This can be a new opportunity for engi- neering and consulting firms to assist the utility manager and can lead to other products and services to improve and sustain operational performance. Data Management wateronline.com ■ Water Online The Magazine 34 Categories Description Example GIS Base All data is linked by latitude and longitude coordinates. These applications have been shown to be extremely successful in tracking well-defined data sets on "horizontal" assets, such as networks or collection systems. TakaDu Form Base: Asset Management Originated from other vertical markets, asset management applications have been shown to be extremely powerful tools in the case of large systems. Most applications issue work orders and provide tracking and planning tools. Maximo Form Base: Compliance Focus Compliance focus tools fall under two categories: strict compliance reporting applications and laboratory information management systems. Both have been shown to be extremely successful in large systems or enterprise-specific applications. WIMS Process-Driven These applications focus first and foremost on the operator, providing the user the ability to drill down to individual systems or processes at the plant or network level, with a powerful ability to roll up data at the enterprise level. These systems will serve as data integrator with data feeds coming from the fields or existing data loggers. FLOWatch As a result of the ongoing technical evolution, utilities and operators will need to adjust to this new paradigm, leading to organizational and functional changes impacting core business practices. 3 2 _ V E R T _ 0 2 1 4 E Z i n e _ F L O W a t c h _ D G . i n d d 3 32_VERT_0214 EZine_FLOWatch_DG.indd 3 2 / 3 / 2 0 1 4 4 : 2 4 : 0 9 P M 2/3/2014 4:24:09 PM