Why the Utilities Sector Needs Conversational AI Technology

The utilities sector is almost unrecognisable compared to what it was like even just 10 years ago. Advances in technology and digitisation of operations have transformed the sector, however continuous pressure such as increase in competition, pricing and customer expectations mean the disruption is far from over.

The sector is quickly looking to become more data-driven and automated. From offering better understanding of the needs of customers to powerful forecasting, tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are being increasingly sought after by businesses to produce high-quality analytics and actionable insights to help with decision making. 

How Conversational AI is helping utilities

Often Conversational AI is deemed as just a customer experience tool, often used as a chatbot, however, smart voice-based technology is capable of much more than this. Tools like Wluper allow businesses to add advanced natural language capabilities to their existing applications, whether that’s submitting site diaries, logging daily operations or raising issues. 

Plus, with figures showing that only 4% of utilities companies have not deployed any AI technology or do not plan to in the near future, it’s critical now more than ever to recognise the impact AI will have on the sector and what the future of the industry will look like. 

Take a look at some of the benefits that Conversational AI technology can offer the utilities sector below. 

Speeding up processes‍

The utilities sector has complex supply chains, with distributors, producers, stakeholders and more that need to be coordinated. By adding voice capabilities to your operations, jobs such as enquiring about the availability of certain products or getting live traffic data, will be far speedier than stopping the job at hand in order to find out this information. Instead, workers can get the information they need while they’re working. 

Reducing equipment downtime‍

Unplanned downtime can be extremely inconvenient and costly for businesses. Conversational AI technology can capture detailed assets and maintenance information quickly and accurately, reducing the amount of unexpected equipment failures and increasing asset lifetime.

Constant connectivity ‍

Connectivity is often an issue during offshore operations, as if there is no signal it can affect the ability to use reporting software that requires mobile data or internet access. Our technology is the first of its kind that works fully offline, meaning you never have to worry about downtime. 

Better data collection and data capture quality‍

Conversational AI can help transform how data is accessed and communicated on site. One of the biggest issues for field work operations is that the workforce is required to be wearing gloves. This makes it virtually impossible to fill in forms on tablets during site work without taking the gloves off, meaning field personnel would then sometimes have to wait until they are back in the office to fill in those forms. 

Being able to speak into a device means the gloves can stay on and forms can be completed whilst doing the job. Talking is also much faster than typing, meaning more information is usually given in one go. Since the data is being captured whilst on the job, a lot more detail is normally given too, improving data quality and minimising the need for further information or clarification further down the line.

Looking ahead

As more utilities businesses look to integrate AI tools into their business models, one thing is clear: innovation and disruption is very much at the forefront of the sector.  

At Wluper, we are working on ​​unique voice-based Conversational AI technology, giving you access to a powerful voice and language understanding solution on any device. Using advanced NLU, we allow users to speak more naturally than ever before. No scripts or patterns, simply speak as you normally would and our voice-based technology will understand. 

Learn more about our TrueUnderstanding™ API or book a live demo to see Wluper in action.

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