Sopra Steria, in partnership with SmartValve™, have put together a technology support package for all UK water companies to help with the delivery of front-line services even when skilled resources and key workers are compromised by infection or self-isolation.

The need to keep delivering clean and wastewater services with a reduced workforce is creating strategic, operational and tactical challenges for the water companies.

European leader in digital transformation Sopra Steria and SmartValve™ are now offering a 3 month managed service trial to support their key workers during the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic.

SmartValve is a cross platform application which helps the operation of manual valves which control the flow of water through the network. SmartValve is already in operation in parts of the network but in response to the current pressures on the industry, the technology is now being made available as a packaged managed service and can be operational within days.

Training for water company employees can be carried out remotely and support is offered for the duration of the implementation period.

The innovative SmartValve™ app manages and monitors all manual valve operations on a water distribution network, enabling the water utilities to focus and prioritise their front-line activities whilst ensuring the water distribution network remains calm.

Deployment of SmartValve™ can be achieved in very little time and with a minimum input required from the water company.

The immediate benefits of SmartValve include:

• The ability to distribute valve operations from operational control (or any location with web access) to any worker using the SmartValve App
• Ensure valve operations take place in a timely manner and to the correct standard even when faced with skilled technical resourcing issues
• Valve operations are delivered with step by step instructions to ensure a valve is turned in line with calm network standard by any operative
• Instant feedback to the user of the app if the valve is being turned incorrectly
• Immediate visibility in operational control that the valve has been operated and the status of the valve (open, closed or throttled)
• Valve operations are delivered quickly and efficiently and carried out without any further communications required with operational control

The app is freely available to download from the App Store or Google Play and new water company clients can be set-up on Sopra Steria’s highly secure web app platform in less than a day. To achieve this all the technology provider requires is a valve asset list and the named users who will be accessing the app and web app.

Together with providing a licence for up to 250 users for the SmartValve™ App and Web App for an initial 3 month period, as part of the offer, Sopra Steria’s experienced team will manage the entire set-up process.

The team will set up the water company business, users and assets on the secure, Cloud Hosted, SmartValve Web App and train its operational control team on how to access it, set up valve operations and monitor the results.

Once provided with a user account any operational employees, contractors or other partners will be able to use the App to manage and monitor valve operations.

Sopra Steria are making SmartValve™ available for a trial period of three months. The firm will also provide ongoing support for the business during the three month period and be on hand for any technical or operational issues which occur. At the end of the trial there will be a further option to extend based on the UK coronavirus position and the scale of ongoing issues and challenges at that time.

Water companies who want to discuss how to take up the offer should contact:

Andrew Talkes: E. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   T. +44 7961 507279

Caroline Hurford-Jones: E. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  T. +44 7720 899164