Xylem and Transcend: Transforming Wastewater Treatment Proposals through Generative AI
With the help of the Trial Reservoir, Transcend’s generative AI software has halved turnaround time for Xylem engineers.
End-to-end engineering design of new wastewater treatment works is carried out using many different tools throughout the process. From spreadsheets to manual design packages, design engineers have never had a unified software tool enabling automated design.
The Transcend Design Generator (TDG), Transcend’s innovative wastewater treatment works (WWTW) design technology, sought to overcome this challenge. The TDG brings engineering disciplines together through its cloud-based software, aiming to achieve the best outcome for water utilities. Operated as a software as a service (SaaS) solution, the TDG automates conceptual engineering and proposal processes.
Supported by the Advanced Industrial Trial Reservoir, TDG partnered with water tech company Xylem to test the TDG. Focusing on Xylem’s ICEAS Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) wastewater treatment technology, the pilot sought to establish whether the TDG could automate proposal generation for sales teams and engineers.
The team wanted to establish whether it could reduce time required to create designs and free up valuable engineer time.
During the trial, turnaround time for ICEAS tenders dropped from 3 weeks to 1-2 weeks using the TDG software. This cut design-to-proposal time by 50%, with potential further reductions possible through additional refinements of the TDG. The TDG has transformed how engineers create designs for end-to-end WWTW by allowing companies to evaluate different options. Engineers can quickly generate designs that prioritize reducing a treatment works’ carbon footprint, minimizing land use, or optimizing CAPEX/OPEX.
Benefits of Approach/Innovation
- Reduced turnaround time: The TDG halved turnaround time for creating wastewater treatment proposals.
- Increased productivity: Automation frees up design engineers from budgetary proposals to focus on more impactful project work.
- Unified software solution: The TDG integrates multiple disciplines into one powerful tool. This streamlines the design process, reducing the need for multiple tools.
- Design optimisation: The TDG’s design tool makes it easy to assess different options. Engineers can quickly generate designs that prioritize specific goals, like reducing carbon emissions, reducing land usage, or optimizing CAPEX/OPEX.
- Improved environmental sustainability: By allowing engineers to prioritize carbon reduction, the TDG helps water companies achieve targets and meet regulatory requirements.
Specialist Services Involved:
- Trial Design Support: We evaluate technology trial plans based on users’ innovation frames. The Trial Reservoir specifically addresses key questions that the trial must answer.
- Trial Validation: We receive and assess the trial end report from the technology vendor. We offer a neutral professional opinion on whether the conclusions that have been drawn are well supported by the data generated.
- Due Diligence: Isle has a robust process for helping stakeholders adopt innovative technologies and ensuring they are fit for purpose.
- Loan Funding: Isle facilitates negotiation with technology developers and end users to agree upon the trials’ critical success factors and key performance indicators (KPIs). Loans are then released to the technology developers.
- Zero Risk Trial: Should a trial not meet its KPIs, there is no obligation for the tech company to pay back the loan. Similarly, there is no obligation for the end user to make a purchase order; the Trial Reservoir assumes the risk.
- Investor Introductions: Isle uses its extensive worldwide network to provide introductions to potential investors.
Outcomes:
- Faster delivery: The trial found that the TGD cut the turnaround time for design engineers by 50%. By using the TDG, turnaround time for ICEAS tenders was reduced from 3 weeks to 1-2 weeks. There is potential to reduce this further by refining the tool.
- Standardized approach: The trial enabled Xylem to standardize its design approach within regions.
- Optimized design: The trial allowed Xylem engineers to WWTW design, allowing for multiple goals to be achieved through the process.
Key Contacts:
For enquiries and further information, please contact Jo Burgess, Head of Trial Reservoir at Isle Utilities.