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“The UK has a classic, ageing-infrastructure problem. Britain’s utility firms are caught on a treadmill. Despite their best efforts, there are simply too few skilled people to cover too much specialised work. And to compound the problem, there are not enough supervisors to check the quality of work. With companies increasingly reliant on third-party contractors, the stretch marks and the risks are all too clear.”
This comment comes from someone with a deep understanding of the utility and energy industries. Ancel Boucher is the VP & Head of Customer Transformation at Vyntelligence – a company that enjoys an unusually close relationship with this hard-pressed sector. For the last few years, Ancel has been helping some of the largest utility and energy brands to exploit a unique solution. A digital audit platform – powered by AI – capable of delivering answers that are nothing short of transformative.
To appreciate why this impact has been so profound, Robert Baldock – Clustre’s MD – recently interviewed Ancel. Laced with case studies, this discussion reveals how global companies are now deploying digital auditing to drive their safety, cost reduction, and sustainability imperatives. This is the inside story…
Robert Baldock:
“Crumbling infrastructures… critical skills shortages… quality control issues… the picture you have painted is bleak. How serious is the reputational risk to utility and energy firms?”
Ancel Boucher:
“Oh, it’s serious. The latest ‘YouGov’ poll reveals that 63% of Britons now have a negative view of utility companies. One-third have a ‘very negative view’. Only 10% of people think utilities are doing a decent job. And the tabloids are having a feeding frenzy. Sewage spills… river pollution…soaring electricity and gas prices… they seize every chance to crucify the sector. It’s remorseless.”
Robert Baldock:
“But is the criticism justified or cruelly unfair?”
Ancel Boucher:
“Well, it’s deeply destructive. Right across the industry, I work with dedicated people. Senior executives who take pride in their work. But they are facing an exponential crisis…
The UK’s population has grown by 20% in the last 50 years. That’s over 11 million more people. Our infrastructures were never designed to serve so many consumers.
In 1974, there were 17 million licensed vehicles. Now there are 34 million. The damaging impact on congestion and public safety has doubled.
Everyone demands the latest technology – such as high-speed, fibre optic cabling. But no-one wants their high street dug up to install it.
These are the realities. And the pressure’s relentless. In rural areas, one supervisor can inspect up to 6 sites in one day. With 40 – 60 miles of driving between locations, it is geographically impossible to manage more sites. But with well over 2.5 million holes being dug in roads every year, the scale of the challenge is enormous. And so are the safety and quality control risks. This is why remote auditing is so critical.”
Robert Baldock:
“I understand the issues – but tell me more about the solution. How does remote auditing work….and why is it so ‘critical’?”
Ancel Boucher:
“Imagine you could reduce field work inspections, safety checks and quality audits to a single, remote – but ultra-efficient – audit function. Imagine an AI-powered, smartphone app that collects and shares video and audio data on all your sites across the country. Let me give you a practical example…
Cadent Gas is the UK’s largest gas distribution network. It’s also one of our biggest clients. At any one time, Cadent has multiple contractors working across thousands of different sites. That’s a lot of holes in a lot of streets – not to mention a whole lot of diversions and disruption. So how do you minimise the chaos… and the risk of costly fines that local authorities are quick to impose? And, since you can’t be everywhere, how do you maximise safety, productivity and ‘right first-time’ quality?
Faced with these often conflicting priorities, Cadent quickly grasped the potential of remote audits. At the start and end of every working day, contractors record a short, guided video. In close focus, they show and describe the site conditions, hazards, and safety elements. Reviewed remotely – and in near real time – experts in the office are alerted by AI as to which sites pose the greatest risk. Engineers can then be rapidly deployed to resolve the issues before someone is hurt or fines are invoked.
In the first year of using our app, Cadent reduced their non-compliance fines by 68%. In the second year that increased to 82%. The cost saving on street inspections has been massive… plus there’s been a 20% productivity leap. In the truest sense of the word, remote audits have been a game-changer. “
Robert Baldock:
“I like those stats. But let’s shift focus away from the UK’s creaking infrastructures and look instead at the latest developments within the utility sector. Earlier you mentioned fibre optics… how much of a role does remote auditing play at the cutting edge of new tech?”
Ancel Boucher:
“Let me share two short – but very revealing – case studies…
Openreach are rolling out the most ambitious fibre optic installation programme in the country. But there are – or were – snags. Complex checklists, paper-based processes and multiple handoffs often led to quality snags and frustrating delays. On average, it would take 14 days to complete an audit… that’s tedious and very costly.
The Vyn app was deployed in just 6 weeks. And the benefits were immediate. Using the app to report at every stage of the work has raised the focus on quality and dramatically reduced issues. The number of totally snag-free projects has improved by 85%. Handover failures have been cut by 68%. And site acceptance times are now only 2 days – not 2 weeks!
The second case study focuses on renewable energy. A growth sector for energy self-sufficiency that is crucial to Britain’s future sustainability.
Our client – a global force in onshore wind farm construction – urgently needed to digitise and automate QA/QC inspection processes. Traditional checklists were totally failing to capture vital insights and trends. The priority was to build a remote quality assurance capability which a lean team of experts could use to monitor and approve major construction projects.
The Vyn app met every aspect of this brief. We created a searchable knowledge base with a common data history across all assets and sites. An AI-empowered solution that delivers real-time, data-driven intelligence. And to prove that point, let me leave you with this impartial evidence … the client’s personal verdict:
“Vyn’s AI allows you to start looking at what your recurring issues are and how you can fix them…It’s efficiency, it’s what every business is looking for. Additionally, Vyn enables us to upskill and multiskill our field teams in order to execute our lean team strategy and make smarter use of our limited human resources.”
Robert Baldock:
“That’s compelling. For my final question, I would like to look to the future… can you ever see Vyn expanding beyond the utility’s sector?
Ancel Boucher:
“Yes. We have already. Vyn is now active in every industry where safety and quality control are critical considerations. Let me share one last case study…
One of the world’s largest oil companies came to us with a challenge. How can they consistently set the highest vehicle inspection standards for probably the largest road tanker fleet on the planet?
Across more than 70 countries, they needed: an immutable history of auditable inspection data… a capability to shareinsights on recurring faults and issues… AI-enhanced identification of defects that inspectors might fail to notice… above all, they needed to ensure that every truck was fit for the road.
In the first 6 weeks of testing, the Vyn app identified five times more potentially fatal incidents than had previously been possible. It provided early KPI visibility and action-oriented dashboards. It gave AI-driven alerts of conformity issues as well as shared insights on common faults. But even more importantly, this app has delivered three vital imperatives:
First, this app is visible proof that our client sets – and stands by – the highest standards. Safety and quality assurance are global priorities, across the company.
Second, everyone strives for excellence because it is the only acceptable standard. AI-empowered audit technology will identify any failure or attempt to cut corners.
Third, there is a clear audit trail and a permanent record of quality and safety-first compliance. Clear evidence that the company cares.
The question is: in a risk-filled world, how compliant is your company?”
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Learn more about Vyntelligence and this unique remote auditing app. I can provide many more insights and personally introduce you to this remarkable company. Contact me: Robert Baldock on 07768 402131 or robert.baldock@clustre.net
