If there’s one thing the utilities sector doesn’t lack right now, it’s urgency.
The demands of AMP8, rising service expectations, supply chain pressures, and workforce shortages are all happening at once. Everyone’s looking for the way forward, whether that’s with AI and automation or smarter networks – the race is on to transform and scale operations.
But here’s the not-so-comfortable truth: transformation without foundations doesn’t really work. You can’t automate what you don’t understand. You can’t optimise something that is already broken. And right now, it can be easy for organisations to skip the basics in the rush to modernise service delivery.
The basics aren’t boring – they’re the foundations
In utilities and infrastructure, operational complexity is a given. Legacy systems, disjointed data, and stretched field teams make the day-to-day hard enough. But before we start talking about machine learning or predictive asset strategies, the first thing to look at is your core workflows – are they fit for purpose?
Can you track job completion in real-time? Are cost centres clear and visible? Are your field staff empowered to do the job right the first time? Do they have the tools they need to get the job done, or are they working around broken processes?
In our experience, the businesses that win are the ones that focus first on getting these foundations right. That is a mix of people and process where it is imperative the leadership demonstrate the clear “Why” before the “How”. Once the “Why” is clearly communicated, the “How” resides in enabling core capabilities, specifically easy to use mobile tools, efficient real time scheduling, asset visibility and reliable risk management.
These are not nice-to-haves, these fundamentals have to be embedded first.
A report by the Institute for Government put it plainly: “Infrastructure investment fails when delivery capability is weak. The UK must invest in people and processes as much as concrete and code.” That’s the challenge in a nutshell.
Scarcity is the new normal
The workforce crunch is already biting. Skilled engineers and experienced planners are hard to come by, and everyone’s chasing the same pool. One of our clients described it best: “It’s like everyone’s drinking from the same trough.” That presents not just a recruitment and retention problem, but a huge opportunity in optimising the resources available to meet demand. It means every hour on the ground has to count.
Yet many organisations still rely on siloed systems, manual processes, and duplicated data entry. That is not only inefficient, but also simply unsustainable.
Research from the National Infrastructure Commission highlights that without better digital coordination, utilities and contractors risk falling short of AMP8 targets, particularly where resource restrictions are most critical.
Start with visibility. Then, progress will follow.
There’s a temptation to move fast in the pursuit to “go digital” in a headline-grabbing way. However, the more effective approach is often quieter: make the invisible visible first.
That means digitising field operations, giving planners accurate real-time data, and creating a single version of the truth across departments. It means simplifying job workflows before optimising them. Only when those basics are stable, should you look at scale. Not because ambition is bad, but because ambition without control will burn time and money.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Construction report says that organisations with mature digital foundations see up to 20% better productivity, but those that scale prematurely often see returns stall or reverse. It’s a cautionary tale worth paying attention to.
But where to go from here
This doesn’t mean slowing down progress. It’s the opposite. But it does mean making smarter, more informed choices. For utilities and infrastructure leaders, the question shouldn’t be, “How fast can we transform?” but “How well are we set up to succeed?”
My advice? Go back to the field. Talk to the engineers, the planners, and the people working around the issues daily. Find out what’s actually slowing them down. Fix that. Then, and only then, start introducing the digital tools that will take you to the next level.
Because transformation isn’t about adding more. It’s about working better with what you’ve got.
Rob Gilbert, Commercial and Infrastructure Managing Director, Totalmobile