A critical crossroads

Critical infrastructure is essential to our society, yet it remains one of the sectors we take for granted the most. When you turn on the lights, wash your hands or do the laundry, there's an expectation that it will simply work.

Many of us don't think twice about what actually goes into making that happen. Utility providers across the world are facing a variety of challenges, and how we address them directly impacts their ability to deliver the essential services many of us take for granted.

There is, however, technology available that's helping form an operational framework from which providers can base and scale their workflow, while also empowering them to streamline processes and be better positioned to respond to the diverse situations that arise every day.

One of the most pressing challenges facing the utility industry is workforce transition. As a large portion of experienced employees retire, they take with them critical operational knowledge that has not always been formally documented or passed on. In its place, many organizations are left relying on informal, stop-gap processes that may have worked in the past but are neither consistent nor scalable.

Coupled with that is the aging nature of the utility facilities themselves. Since many cities or regions have had only one or perhaps a couple of utility providers for a long time, there hasn't been much competition and therefore a need to constantly upgrade facilities.