Kia ora! The ESP team have been kept busy in the run up to the end of the year. We have some major releases planned and I’m looking forward to what we have in store for users – watch this space for more news closer to the end of the year, especially if you are a UtilityHUB user.
Firstly, some good news about integrations. We’ve been working on several supplier integrations to facilitate the exchange of data between third party systems and our software. Novel ways to exchange data are increasingly important, especially as companies expand into Scope 3 reporting or look to increase the granularity of their utility and performance data.
It’s important to put “integrations” such as API’s in context. Streamlined data flow is always desirable, but this must be balanced against technical considerations and factors such as security.
As an example, for information to be auditable, there must be transparency around data custody. In our experience, auditors prefer Invoices over other forms of data as these are non-fungible. We’ve kept this context in mind when developing our own integrations. Other challenges include the varying maturity of suppliers and their range of technical capabilities.
Our solution is to provide customers (and their suppliers) with a range of data collection and integration options. That way, we can cover various scenarios all with the aim of streamlining data exchange, eliminating transcription errors, increasing data granularity and timeliness, while maintaining auditability and quality.
As always I’d love to hear your feedback on what we’ve built.
Regards,
Jeremy Allen, CPO
Secure data exchange with SFTP
Secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) is a mature industry standard for exchanging data through secure protocols. Our software has used this standard for some time, but only upon request due to its tailored nature. We’ve made the decision to change that, taking extra steps to allow every customer to use this streamlined, secured process.
Through SFTP, you can now load files directly into CSR. Any files received will be matched to a corresponding process and the relevant task will be marked off as complete. There is the option with SFTP for incoming data to go through review or to bypass quarantine.
This will greatly streamline data exchange for some customers. It does require some technical setup but is ideal for large volumes of consistent data that don’t require quarantine and review.
We will be launching this new SFTP service with a major energy utility and their feedback has been instrumental in the design and development. We greatly appreciate their support in turning this capability into a new feature.
Users can access SFTP through the Data Collection tab in CSR. This does require establishing a connection with our SFTP server, so we recommend speaking with our support team or account manager for more information and assistance.
Supplier integrations
Supplier-specific APIs:
Through an API or application programming interface, two software applications can “talk” to each other and share information. You are using an API every time you send a mobile payment or control a smart device from your phone.
APIs require development and ongoing support, so they aren’t the “magic bullet” some make them out to be. We are partnering with select vendors with mature IT systems. We see APIs as one data collection method within a broader toolbox of options.
- Vector Connect: We have developed an API connection to the Clariti offering from Vector Metering. Through the Vector Connect solution, customers can pull smart meter data through to UtilityHub. This not only greatly reduces the time and cost of setting of new accounts, but also gives customers near real-time access to high-quality electricity data.
- Auckland Water Data: Watercare is in the process of replacing its aging water meter infrastructure with Smart Meters. By the end of 2023, Watercare is targeting 44,000 smart meters to be installed. (source: https://www.watercare.co.nz/About-us/News-media/Smart-water-meter-rollout-begins). We are actively working with Watercare to make this data accessible to customers in our platform. Ready access to high-quality water data put Users on the front foot to identify leaks and spot wastage.
Other supplier integrations:
- Ecotricity: We have an increasing number of customers who procure Toitu Climate Positive certified 100% renewable electricity from Ecotricity. In response to customer requests, we have worked with the Ecotricity team on a streamlined daily upload of electricity usage for UtilityHub customers. This enables mutual customers to take advantage of the UtililtyHUB analytics and spot opportunities for efficiency improvements.
Image description: With the prevalence of smart meters capturing electricity and water consumption, customers now have increasing access to high frequency interval data.
Users can leverage the analysis tools in UtilityHub to turn this quality data into actionable insights.
Other enhancements
UtilityHUB email CSV uploads
UtilityHUB currently works with bill data or meter data channels, but we understand that customers want the ability to add more data sources. Good news; it’s doable through our email CSV upload functionality.
One of Australasia’s leading manufacturers of pulp, paper and wood-fibre-based packaging solutions are making use of this to upload a daily import of production data. Once in UtilityHUB, this data can be compared with trends in utility consumption to spot trends, identify outliers, benchmark sites and facilities, and other types of analysis.
CSR file mapping
We have made some changes to how incoming data is mapped to streamline the process of loading files into CSR. We’ve moved the mapping and verification steps into a background process. This frees up the load screen so that users can enter comments or load additional evidence. Once the mapping is complete, the user can still preview the data and approve for release to quarantine.
This new workflow is more user-friendly and faster without compromising data quality or auditability.
Want to know more?
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