Equipment Manufacturers Evolve To Meet the Demands of a New Age

Sept. 1, 2000
The waterfront has changed dramatically in the last few years. We have a "new economy," a growing federal surplus, an exploding population, and expanding suburbs.

By Robert Williams

The waterfront has changed dramatically in the last few years. We have a "new economy," a growing federal surplus, an exploding population, and expanding suburbs. That growth, unfortunately, is accompanied by an aging and inadequate water and wastewater infrastructure, dwindling governmental funding, and increasingly tough regulations. This could accurately be referred to as the age of tight budgets, tight regulations, and even tighter time-lines.

Today's combined challenge of growth and austerity has put the mettle of America's municipalities and industry manufacturers to the test — and this test has been met, with focus and innovation.

Municipalities have, necessarily, focused on results — and have sought out innovation and change. This has, not surprisingly, stimulated an ongoing evolution within the ranks of water and wastewater equipment manufacturers everywhere. Today, the industry's manufacturers are abandoning age-old paradigms for fresh solutions that do more and cost less. These "fresh solutions" include new approaches to process design, engineering, sourcing, manufacturing, communications and customer service.

In process design, the focus has turned to customization and system specific optimization. The "one-size-fits-all" mentality is simply too inefficient to meet tough regulations, and too costly to be accommodated in current budgets. Today, systems and components are structured and scaled to perform specific tasks — there's no room for overkill in one part of a system and inadequacy in another. Also, the industry has learned that the best solution begins with the most precise definition of the problem. This approach is much more analytical, and, in the best cases, includes advanced computer modeling to ensure outcomes — even in the most complex of process systems.

In engineering, current technology allows quick adjustment of parts and components to the specific scales and attributes defined in the more precise and specific process design phase. Plus, the continuous electronic referencing of massive historical databases virtually eliminates errors, and drives out unnecessary costs.

In manufacturing, better, more effective sourcing methods are in general use, which effectively reduces raw material costs. Plus, new and better (i.e. more appropriate) materials are being specified in the design and engineering phases. Many of these "more appropriate" choices improve the real costs of manufacture and assembly.

Automation, robotics and Total Quality Management programs have dramatically reduced the labor component of today's equipment, even as quality is improving exponentially. In addition, advancements in JIT (Just-In-Time) information technologies, and communication levels with and between suppliers have served to minimize manufacturing overheads - all to the ultimate benefit of the customer.

But, perhaps of even more importance to the water and waste industry, is the rapidly growing trend toward factory modular manufacturing and the dramatic reduction of costly on-site construction. This single item has probably done more in the past several years to reduce process equipment costs than any other single approach. This modularization and prefabrication trend has proven to be the most effective method to get new capability and capacity on-line, almost overnight, in countless municipalities — regardless of size and locale — all across the nation.

Finally, in customer service, today's challenges have been met with instant communications and greater transparency throughout the entire problem/solution process. From the first contact, there is markedly more communication and involvement between customer and manufacturer — thanks in part to modern communication options. There is also much more real-time information available to the customer. Pricing, part availabilities, schedules, and shipping details are instantly at hand. This allows for better planning on the part of everyone involved and substantial savings for all, in both time and money.

The new and challenging demands of this age of tight budgets, tight regulations, and even tighter time-lines are, in fact, being met daily by the industry's manufacturers, thanks to advanced technologies, an evolution in methods and approaches, and the solid support of America's municipal leadership. However, as it is probably clear to everyone — manufacturers and municipal officials, alike — we are probably only looking at the beginning of exceptionally challenging times, not the end.

About the Author:

Robert Williams is President of Ashbrook Corporation (Houston, Texas) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association.

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