Johannesburg, 30 Jun 2017
As water assumes the mantle of a critical resource, a groundbreaking tablet-based solution that uses cloud technology is making real-time decision-making possible for municipalities and sectors in which water management is critical.
Called Adisa, the project is attracting global attention and is a finalist in the 2016/2017 NSTF-South32 Awards. Created by Chillisoft, a software development house headquartered in KwaZulu-Natal, it is transforming water management from a top down paper-based process to one that begins with the plant operator.
CEO Anujah Bosman elaborates: "I was motivated by global water scarcity and the fact that there were not enough systems to collect meaningful data.
"Internationally, there were not enough practical solutions to make a difference.
"Although there was a lot of hi-tech monitoring and business intelligence and systems for lab analysis, there was no timeous, meaningful data. Without valid data, you cannot analyse or understand the problems.
"Most importantly, our solution is a very practical first step to enable electronic recording and auditing in the water sector. It is also showcasing how software should be designed for the public sector." Bosman, who has a BSc Engineering and is an Executive MBA graduate from the University of Cape Town, is as proud of the empowerment factor as she is of the technology.
"By designing systems for plant operators, plant operators are empowered and have a voice in the organisation. Adisa is groundbreaking because it provides real-time management information and shifts the conversation from monitoring and enforcement to process control and accountability.
"If, for example, plant operators are running out of chlorine or other stock, they have a means of communicating this and logging the information, so that there is a valid audit trail. Operators' observations and measurements become a meaningful metric that allows managers to see trends, ask legitimate questions about plant efficiency, management and improvements."
Adisa is groundbreaking because we have designed systems, considering the technological constraints and psychological profile of a typical plant operator, and then used the best technology to devolve responsibility to plant level.
We chose to make a difference at the ground level because we want to change the paradigm of a disengaged, voiceless government employee. In order to have an effective government, we need government employees to care, to be accountable and to influence and improve process and systems.
This starts with designing enabling systems, driving responsibility as well as creating a sense of pride and ownership. For example, as part of our broader campaign, we will run campaigns in the local newspaper to showcase the 'best operators', and to tell the community about the impact they are making.
Chillisoft, she added, goes a step further in the empowerment stakes by providing bursaries for people within the water plant community so they can acquire the skills to be process controllers.
"There is a huge lack of technical water-related skills among black South Africans and not enough is being done to encourage a knowledge of water quality.
"Against this backdrop, if a municipality buys 50 water operating licences, Adisa fulfils its commitment to instil pride in the workers.
"We believe technology is an enabler and that software and technology companies must be innovative in their models and implementation.
"It is our role to develop systems that consider community engagement and the impact that we can make on wicked social problems. Systems in government must prioritise citizen and employee engagement, where we're making jobs more meaningful, ensuring that South Africa is part of the knowledge economy."
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