An app developed by Scottish Water and digital partner Capgemini has been awarded Best Small Scale Digital Application at the prestigious Public Sector Paperless Awards 2019.

The new digital app cuts the inspection request time to connect customers to the water network from five days to four hours. The hi-tech mobile process means developers no longer face time consuming delays for on-site inspections to provide connections for their customers.

The award was presented at the prestigious Public Sector Paperless Awards 2019.

All new developments – including housing, schools, offices or hospitals – which need a connection to the water network must undergo an inspection for quality assurance. With over 22,000 inspections a year, the old process was inefficient and took at least five working days to get authorisation. This meant that developers, contractors, Scottish Water, and ultimately homebuyers in Scotland, faced delays and higher costs.

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Using an innovative digital approach we worked with Capgemini to create a paperless process using a mobile app – the first Scottish Water app available to customers.

It took just ten weeks to create and following trials, it has already been endorsed by developers such as Barratt Homes and Persimmon homes for the huge benefits it offers.

The paperless solution improves efficiency, cuts costs and time for both developers and Scottish Water, and avoids delays for customers. It has also reduced CO2 emissions from travelling to inspections by almost two thirds.

Rob Mustard, Director of Digital, Scottish Water said: "We're absolutely delighted that the app has been recognised for the way new technology has been used to address and overcome a real challenge.

"The approach taken here is just the tip of the iceberg and we're actively exploring how the benefits being realised through digital transformation and innovation can be introduced across other areas of Scottish Water activity."

Karen Thompson, Head of Water, Utilities and Operations Transformation at Capgemini Invent, added: "We are delighted to win the Best Small Scale Digital Application award in partnership with Scottish Water.

"This app delivers incredible results to the building developers of Scotland, and ultimately their customers, and is part of Scottish Water's wider digital transformation vision delivered in partnership with Capgemini.

"I am immensely proud of the joint team and look forward to the launch of the complete industry leading service platform for developer services which will be rolled out in late 2019.

Gary Heaney, Engineering Manager, Persimmon Homes, concluded: "It has been a pleasure to work with Scottish Water to produce such an innovative product, that has made such a big improvement for the Persimmon teams and our Customers moving into their new homes – an winner for everybody."

(MH/CM)