Use cases of artificial intelligence applied to the Utilities sector

Through the use of artificial intelligence, we can address the problem of abnormal bills. Artificial intelligence tools can be used to make assessments of, for example, users' habitual behavior by combining elements such as the user's historical consumption data, consumption data from similar users, data from exceptional external factors (e.g., an abnormal dry spell), and other elements. The analysis of these factors, processed by an artificial intelligence engine, can instantly give us an answer on the expected measure, thereby identifying a level of plausibility for which the alleged anomalies can be detected.

Through the use of artificial intelligence, a tool can be given to the end user to interact with a chatbot, available 24 hours a day, which provides immediate answers to the questions asked, easing the work of the operators at the counter. Going a step further, a similar tool can be used to manage relationships between offices in the same company. This makes it possible to manage operational activities and database queries in parallel, the latter entrusted to the artificial intelligence engine, thus increasing the company's productivity.

The organization of field activities requires compliance with a number of internal constraints, such as working hours, leave, vacation time, and an operator's specific skills. These are compounded by external constraints, such as the geographical location of the operation, the hours to be respected, and the expected duration. A processor based on artificial intelligence can generate a task scheduling based on the department's objectives, optimizing work according to various parameters, such as the speed of interventions, the organization of teams with specific skills, or a fair distribution of work among operators. Activity scheduling can be integrated with mapping tools that also allow for consideration of travel time due to traffic.

By partnering with Arcoda, we can provide a virtual tool that enables an immediate exchange of information between the operator engaged in the field and the remote operator. In the case, for example, of an operator engaged in interventions on an underground network, he can use an augmented reality tool, via a tablet or viewer, to see the exact location of the pipes, thus avoiding the need to access the company portal. This tool also allows sharing with a remote operator what he or she is "seeing," so that he or she can receive troubleshooting help by entering the necessary information in a virtual, layer, dedicated space.