When a complex, hidden process can be displayed visually on a computer screen in real time, it streamlines not only the user experience, but also maintenance, sales and marketing.
Challenge
Owatec is a cleantech growth company based in Oulu that produces water treatment solutions for the needs of the food, mining and fibre industries, among others. Owatec’s main product is a modular water treatment system designed according to the principles of the circular economy. But how to stand out from competitors in an industry where the product itself, water treatment, is a highly complex process?
“We offer turnkey solutions built into shipping containers for industrial wastewater and sludge management. We want to develop our customer path, and one solution for this is an online user interface, from which our customers can follow the process in real time,” says Jenni Rossi, Marketing Communications Manager at Owatec.
Solution
With IoT-TICKET, Owatec can gather real-time data and key indicators of the water treatment process into an illustrative form on a computer or mobile device screen. Data views, or dashboards, can be easily modified without coding skills to suit the needs of different users. This way, a number of problems can be solved simultaneously. The customer and Owatec’s experts can check what is happening in the process at any time, and maintenance measures can be planned on a timely basis. In addition, Owatec’s sales and marketing can present the whole process in a visually appealing, illustrative package.
“Our own experts can use the same system and monitor how the process works. Typical indicators include, for example, pH values and output water quality. We are able to see even small changes and respond to them on a timely basis. The process can be kept optimised, and no major maintenance or repairs are needed. In addition, the consumption of chemicals can be reduced,” says Arttu Kulusjärvi, Process Specialist at Owatec.
Owatec also appreciates the system’s handy customisability. Companies’ top management are interested in different things than, for example, the people who are responsible for the process. With IoT-TICKET, it’s easy to create dedicated dashboards and views for people in different roles showing the information that is relevant to them. Those in charge can follow the process without needing to go next to the purification system.
Results
According to Owatec, one of the strengths of IoT-TICKET is that it makes it easier to stand out from competitors.
“IoT-TICKET provides us with competitive advantage. There are already many hardware and solution vendors on the market. Our strengths are modularity, automation, remote access and monitoring. When these can be brought to a computer screen easily and in real time, it streamlines the user experience. You don’t have to be an industry expert to understand what’s going on, and you can check the situation at any time. IoT-TICKET packages our services in a stylish, understandable package. Selling is not only about making promises, as we can concretely show what is happening,” says Arttu Kulusjärvi, system administrator at Owatec.
The intuitive user interface combines scattered data into an easy-to-understand whole and frees up working time for other tasks.
“IoT-TICKET directly saves working time in monitoring. It makes checking the status of the site really easy. All you need do is to open a web browser and log in, and you’ll have the KPIs right in front of you, and if you want to dig deeper, it’s just a few clicks away,” Kulusjärvi praises.
Another strength of IoT-TICKET is the quick modifiability of the system.
“If we have an idea, we can test it right away. If we want to add or change something, I can do that myself. We were given such a good training during deployment that we got a really good head start. Now we have built our own tools there. We can, for example, monitor chemical consumption, which is really handy. If consumption has increased, we can immediately start looking at the KPIs and find out the reason why,” Kulusjärvi explains.
Cooperation
Owatec praises IoT-TICKET’s sure-handed project management.
“I must say that IoT-TICKET’s onboarding process was exemplary. Creating a customer relationship begins with getting to know one other, after which we map out what we can do together. Who is responsible for what is kept clear at all times. When a person is finished with his task, it is clearly stated who will continue. At meetings, notes and to-do lists were always clearly handed over, and they were kept up to date. The process was good, and things were not left hanging in the air,” praises Owatec’s Jenni Rossi.
Owatec Group is a cleantech company that implements business in line with the circular economy, specialising in the treatment of industrial wastewater and sludges and the recovery of valuable components from side streams using turnkey solutions built in shipping containers. We provide our customers with the necessary technology and turnkey service packages. Our operations have a wide-ranging impact on the environmental burden of many industrial sectors, so their ripple effects on promoting biodiversity are significant.
Additional information
IoT-TICKET
Matti Järvi
Project Manager
matti.jarvi(at)wapice.com
Owatec Group Oy
Arttu Kulusjärvi
Process Specialist
arttu.kulusjarvi(at)owatec.fi
