The utilities sector in the UK, encompassing essential services such as electricity, natural gas, water, and telecommunications, is currently navigating a period of unprecedented change and challenge. From balancing growing energy demands with ambitious decarbonisation goals to managing an ageing infrastructure and ensuring customer satisfaction, the path forward requires innovative access solutions for utilities sector companies. This is where modern digital platforms, such as BORIS, are proving to be game-changers.
The Pressures on the Utilities Sector
Power and utilities companies are facing a complex landscape. Demand for electricity is growing for the first time in decades, driven by factors like manufacturing onshoring, increased electrification, and a surge in data centre demand. This growth comes at a time when utilities must also strive to quickly finance and build additional energy infrastructure, all while maintaining reliable energy delivery, keeping customer rates affordable, and meeting stringent decarbonisation targets.
Key challenges include:
• Regulatory Compliance: The industry operates under strict regulations concerning safety, environmental impact, and local laws. Schemes like GIRS (Gas Industry Registration Scheme), WIRS (Water Industry Registration Scheme), NERS (National Electricity Registration Scheme), and MURS (Multi-Utility Registration Scheme) exist to ensure contractors meet safety, quality, and technical standards.
• Workforce Efficiency: Managing field teams, equipment, and resources efficiently is a constant hurdle, particularly when many jobs in utilities sector involve complex fieldwork.
• Data Accuracy & Paperwork Overload: Traditional, manual processes often lead to data loss, errors, and significant delays, creating an administrative burden.
• Safety Risks: Ensuring safety in hazardous environments is paramount, given the nature of utility work.
• Customer Expectations: Consumers are demanding better service and affordability, with EY research showing that two-thirds of UK consumers feel squeezed by higher energy costs.
• Technology Adoption: While the energy utilities sector has historically been slow to embrace new technologies, there’s now a significant ramp-up in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for demand forecasting, customer service, and grid management. PwC also highlights digitisation as a key transformation driver.
Introducing BORIS: Your Digital Partner in the Utilities Sector
BORIS (Business Operations & Reporting Information System) is a software platform specifically tailored for utility contractors and businesses seeking to streamline their operations. It is designed to tackle many of the common pain points experienced within the sector, promising to cut through the chaos, save over 10 hours a week in manual processes, and reduce costs by more than 20%. BORIS is accessible on iOS, Android, and web browsers, offering seamless use anytime, anywhere.
How BORIS Provides Crucial Access Solutions for Utilities Sector Challenges
BORIS offers a suite of features that directly address the challenges facing the utilities sector:
• Enhanced Compliance Management: This is where BORIS truly shines as an access solution for utilities sector compliance needs. It helps automate compliance checks for schemes like GIRS, WIRS, NERS, and MURS. By providing a centralised database, it makes it easier to manage audits, certifications, and renewals, ensuring businesses meet industry regulations and are always audit-ready. The ability to capture photos and digital signatures further strengthens safety standards.
• Streamlined Workforce & Operations Management: For the many jobs in utilities sector that are field-based, BORIS simplifies job scheduling, resource allocation, and deployment. Field workers can complete and submit digital job sheets electronically, speeding up processes and providing real-time progress tracking for management. It also helps manage timesheets, expenses, holidays, and clock-ins effortlessly.
• Improved Data Accuracy & Real-Time Reporting: By digitising processes, BORIS significantly reduces human error and streamlines data entry. Field workers can instantly report data, enabling faster decision-making, while all data, permits, and safety reports are kept in one centralised digital platform. This eliminates the paperwork overload that often plagues traditional systems.
• Robust Health & Safety Management: BORIS provides real-time tracking of safety measures and incident reporting, helping to flag potential risks and ensure teams follow safety protocols. Its GPS tracking and fleet management tools also enhance team safety and support lone workers.
• Efficient Permit Management: A key part of access solutions for utilities sector operations, BORIS automates the process of applying for permits, reducing errors and delays. It provides instant notifications of permit approvals and allows easy tracking of permit statuses for all ongoing projects, ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Optimised Asset Management: Digitalising assets with barcodes, QR codes, or NFC tags allows for efficient tracking and control, contributing to overall operational efficiency.
As the energy utilities sector continues its journey of decarbonisation, decentralisation, and digitisation, embracing technologies like BORIS is not just an option but a necessity. It’s about building a smarter, more efficient, and compliant future for the entire utilities sector. By putting your business in the palm of your hand, BORIS empowers companies to confidently navigate the complexities of today’s utility landscape.
