Overview

Veolia CHP is a £2billion company delivering combined heat and power for hotels, supermarkets and hospitals. Veolia CHP acquired Cogenco, who asked Red River to control a nationwide fieet of 420 gas engines or ‘units’ in their customers’ buildings.

The technology managing these units was becoming obsolete. We collaborated with Veolia CHP to develop a cloud-based reporting system which merged usability and technical complexity in one consistent interface.

The Challenge

Previously relying on individual software developers, Veolia CHP was trying to make do with software that had been written in the 1990s, was based on dial-up modems, and about to become obsolete. There was no customer portal, and no easy way to give data back to their customers. Their struggles with the software not only prevented the company from expanding but also meant they were behind the curve with their competitors as well.

The Process

Red River adopted a leadership role, embedding ourselves with the business to get to know it completely and thoroughly analysed the problem from front to back end. We produced a series of scopes, plus wireframes and designs. Vitally, we worked with Veolia CHP as a team through collaborative workshops to build confidence that we have the customer-centric perspective and technological knowledge to address the challenge.

The Solution

We invented a new, cheaper cloud-based service for the helpdesk operatives sitting at a control panel. Now they could receive vital information easily from each of the 420 units, send it on to their end customers, and react quickly to any alerts. Our solution is an ‘Internet of Things’ (IOT) process using ‘modem as a service’. Its future proofed to such an extent that it takes the company’s technology from the 1990s to 2025 and beyond in one leap.