How to evaluate water data solutions
WATER
During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers had to find ways to track the disease. They quickly turned their attention to water. This valuable resource touches all levels of society; using modern data analytics, the researchers could build accurate models around the disease’s spread and behaviour. This approach isn’t new: researchers have been using water data to track diseases, pollution, and even food and drug consumption. Water carries a lot of valuable information, and this is particularly true for managing water itself. Municipal and private sector experts can use modern analytics with historical and current data to manage water and wastewater systems, enhancing strategic visibility and creating 360 Performance. Data is radically improving water management without removing or invalidating established systems. To help inform water and wastewater managers’ decisions, Xylem Africa recommends the following questions to evaluate water data analytics and management solutions: • What are the administration features? • What are the integration options? • How quick is the user training? • Are there consolidated and customisable dashboards? • Does the service consolidate data? • Can the service offer customised alerts? • Does the system support predictive analytics? • Is the solution cloud-based? • Is the solution secure?
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Pipes, Pumps and Valves Africa - Nov/Dec 2023
What are the administration features? Modern administration systems should provide granular, role-based user access and privilege controls, and grouping of devices and billing cycles. Their management tools must offer a menu of continuously updated reports that instantly summarise information for improved productivity, visibility and decision-making. What are the integration options? The best data solutions do not rip and replace existing systems. They integrate into established equipment such as SCADA software, Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Automated Meter Reading. They should also support established and future sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and incorporate historical data. How quick is the user training? If it takes months of training before staff and partners can use the data systems, you are wasting your time. Training should happen within weeks, based on an operations-aligned change management strategy and backed by additional information sources and self-learning opportunities. Are there consolidated and customisable dashboards? Generic dashboards won’t cut it; the system must offer