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The utilities sector is one of the most “forward-thinking” for technology adoption, despite public opinion, according to recent research by Fujitsu.
The clear majority (94 per cent) of utility leaders agree technology is driving change within their organisation, while only 53 per cent of the public believe utilities have been “dramatically changed” by technology.
In its Technology in a transforming Britain report, Fujitsu revealed 70 per cent of industry leaders believe technology is key to helping Britain overcome socioeconomic issues. It also found 84 per cent are positive about the change technology is making directly in their organisations.
The top improvements technology has brought to the sector were operational efficiency (48 per cent) and boosting employee productivity (41 per cent).
Utilities leaders point to the Internet of Things (IoT) (42 per cent), wearables (40 per cent) and artificial intelligence (AI) (40 per cent) as technologies to be implemented within the next 12 months.
Despite the industry being considered a “leader” in technology adoption, only 17 per cent of the public listed utilities as the top sector they’d like to see technological advances in.
It came behind education, transport, central government, manufacturing banking and retail. The public also listed utilities as fourth (21 per cent), when asked which sectors are changing the most in the UK.
Graeme Wright, chief technology officer for manufacturing, utilities and services at Fujitsu UK, said: “Utilities companies must invest in technology and people to build a strong platform for long-term success.”
The research also highlighted that 75 per cent of utilities leaders believe their staff have the correct skills to take advantage of new technology.
Wright, added: “Utilities companies can completely streamline their businesses and build new capabilities. The Internet of Things (IoT) and sensors can share real-time information about the status of equipment and prevent the need to have a team of roaming engineers to monitor for instance.
“Not only does IoT reduce the burden on the engineers, but it enables predictive maintenance. This means addressing potential faults in systems, identified by the IoT sensors and improving quality and reliability of service as a result.”
The research carried out by Censuswide for Fujitsu in August 2017 surveyed 2,000 customers and 40 IT decision makers in central government.
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