The world’s rapidly growing appetite for energy and water resources has left existing utility infrastructure inefficient, increasingly unreliable and costly to maintain. As demand for these commodities grow, the utility industry has seen enormous advances in smart infrastructure and associated technologies. As these technologies evolve, utilities are challenged to determine how to make best use of their associated data, introducing a mounting need for smart infrastructure solutions. SmartWorks, a division of N. Harris Computer Corporation, is filling the void left by traditional solutions. SmartWorks offers turnkey solutions that allow utilities to navigate change by unleashing the power of their smart infrastructure and the associated data.
Making the Complex Simple SmartWorks has over a decade of experience providing best-in-class data management and analytics solutions to more than 300 utilities throughout North America and the Caribbean.
SmartWorks provides powerful, feature-rich solutions that analyze a utility’s operational data. These data-focused solutions help streamline utility processes across a range of environments. SmartWorks’ solutions are simple to deploy, easy to operate, and painless to upgrade. As a result, utility providers get a cost-effective way to maximize the return on their smart infrastructure investments.
The SmartWorks portfolio is designed to make the complex simple. SmartWorks’ robust utility decision management solution, SmartWorks Compass, seamlessly converts volumes of data from disparate sources within the utility into powerful insights and automated actions.
SmartWorks’ broad range of solutions also includes:
- MeterSense, a scalable and configurable meter data
- HomeConnect, a sophisticated web-based customer engagement solution.
- BizConnect, an online portal for Commercial & Industrial energy and water users.
- SmartWorks VODA, designed to assist water utilities with water conservation metrics, meter data management, leak detection, and lost revenue.
Driving Innovation
Shifting regulatory requirements, fluctuating demand and dwindling natural resources exert extraordinary pressure on electric, water, and gas utilities. To cope with these dynamic changes, utilities are heavily investing in intelligent technology, infrastructure upgrades, renewable energies, consumer engagement tools, and social media applications. However, utilities are unique, meaning one single solution does not fit all needs.
SmartWorks helps utilities to adapt to new technologies quickly and effectively. SmartWorks develops easy-to-use solutions based on the needs of customers within the utility market. Through their interaction with Customers, SmartWorks has come to understand that the smart grid is not only about smart meters, it involves the integration of all existing systems and connected devices including Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) and sensors in the emerging Internet of Things (IoT). The insights collected from the combination of existing systems, smart infrastructure and IoT sensors allow the utility to serve its consumers better. SmartWorks acts as bridge between engineers, software experts, and product specialists to innovate and extract new applications for their utility data.
A Brilliant Mind
Brad Atchison, Senior Executive Vice President of SmartWorks, is the strategic leader responsible for overseeing SmartWorks’ Product Development, Business Development, Professional Services and Support teams.
Brad has over 20 years of experience in the utility sector and is intimately familiar with all realms of the utility industry. Brad began his experience working in the utility industry at BC Hydro, serving as a Financial Analyst with the Corporate Finance group and later as the Manager of Market Information & Analysis in the industry leading Power Smart business unit. Brad then worked in the Harris Utilities Group as a Senior Application Consultant and later as Director of Development Services. Brad’s tenure has given him an intimate knowledge of smart grid technologies and strong familiarity with data analytics.
Brad ensures that SmartWorks is focused on the delivery of superior business solutions that meet the evolving needs of utility providers and leverage the tremendous opportunities that exist within the space. Brad strives to understand the true challenges of the utility industry and develop solutions on which utilities can rely to overcome business and operational changes. Brad is also the driving force behind SmartWorks’ Business Development initiatives. He was a key player in the company’s acquisition of DataVoice International Inc. and Partner Software. Brad is currently concentrating on creating and introducing new integrations that correlate across multiple systems to transform the way the world relates to energy and water.
Future Insights
SmartWorks has joined forces with Partner Software and dataVoice International Inc. to collectively offer a comprehensive suite of utility solutions in the areas of data analysis, data management, interactive voice response, outage management, and field services. Together, these three highly compatible organizations will expand their integrations into multiple new product lines, bringing integration to a new level to offer superior products across the board. SmartWorks is focused on developing agnostic solutions that tie together multiple utility systems to streamline utility processes and convert volumes of data into powerful insights.
The company is aiming to maintain its prime focus on the cooperative and municipal utility space. SmartWorks focuses on data in both energy and water conservation management, as the benefits in this area have the potential to change the way people everywhere use the world’s finite resources of energy and water.
Source :-The 10 Best-In-Class SMART GRID Tech Solution Providers 2018
