Page 17 - Gi Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

he utilities sector has
famously lagged behind
others in adopting new
technology. Uptake of
T technology trends such
as AI has traditionally been
slow. Meanwhile, infrastructure
underlying the industry as a whole
has been comprised of slow and
clunky legacy systems.
This year, things have changed
enormously. Covid-19 has
highlighted the need for greater
agility, customer intimacy and
efficiency – it matters more than
ever. The utilities sector has
subsequently had to face change
on an unprecedented scale; either
digitally transform, or face the
prospect of perishing.
From chatbot creation to
software innovation, having a
digital strategy in place to reduce
costs and better serve customers
has been key to business survival.
But how far has the industry come
over the past months exactly,
and what factors are affecting
the sector’s digitalisation as the
pandemic continues to roll on?
DRIVING CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
Even before Covid-19, the need
for traditional players to switch up
their operating models was clear.
Smaller, digitally savvy suppliers
like Octopus and Ovo were already
grabbing a significant proportion
of market share due to their
engagement with different digital
channels. Leaving behind customer
call centres and moving online
uncovered a whole host of benefits,
from reducing costs and serving
customers better, to capturing
customer insights much faster.
While it was previously difficult
for leaders to make a solid business
case for investment in customer-
facing technology, Covid-19 has
been a catalyst for greater change
in this area. The need for high
customer engagement levels has
never been more crucial. Over
lockdown, we saw demand for
power falling as much as 20 per
cent, and while it has slowly crept
up towards pre-Covid levels, the
balance in supply and demand
has shifted considerably. Now,
we’re seeing domestic customers
using more energy due to working
from home, and industrial and
commerce using less energy.

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DigitalTransformation.indd 2 19/11/2020 13:39