Sword CTSpace, a global provider of document management and collaboration workflow applications for the construction and engineering industry, has interviewed representatives from some of the world’s leading Hydropower companies at the HYDRO 2009 event in Lyon, France, in October 2009.
The interviews revealed a consensus among representatives of companies including SNC Lavalin, EDF, Atkins Ltd. and ABB: Although hydropower has shortcomings in terms of cost and length of projects, the industry expects to gain the most from the extraordinary rise in demand for green energy sources as the safest and most proven form of renewable energy.
Improving communication
Many interviewees stressed that the primary challenge for the industry is the necessity to strengthen the lines of communication on its projects in order to reduce project cost and length, thereby making its projects more attractive to investors.
“Communication is the key to a successful project,” said Ulli Wiedenmann, a senior project manager at Bauer Spezialtiefbau. Many industry representatives also exhorted the use of project management tools to achieve greater communication efficiency. Suzanne Leblanc, vice president of hydro and power systems at SNC Lavalin, was very positive about project management tools, saying: “We use management tools that allow us to have access to a common database. As we often have partners in different countries, we need to have a common language and this tool becomes the common language, so we have a schedule online for everyone to consult, and it becomes easier to share the information.”
The interviews also touched upon topics such as signal importance to the hydropower industry as environmental protection and risk management.
As a policy Sword CTSpace keeps in close contact with the market and its related issues and challenges in order to remain at the cutting edge of engineering and project content management.
Document management and workflow collaboration
Sword CTSpace provides document management and collaboration workflow applications for the construction and engineering industry to increase the efficiency and reduce the risks in managing a built asset during its entire lifecycle. Sword CTSpace’s solutions are used by market leading companies in industries including oil, gas, energy, transportation, utilities, commercial property and government organisations.
Multi-language solutions are available as software as a service or as extensions to leading ECM platforms such as IBM FileNet™ or Microsoft SharePoint™. Sword CTSpace’s strategic solutions are helping more than 145,000 professionals on 13,000 projects in 56 countries through improved business processes, enabling their companies to improve internal and external communications and demonstrate
measurable business benefits. Asset owners and owners of critical engineering and construction programmes and projects realise faster turnaround, increased accountability, reduced risk and tangible cost savings. Sword CTSpace is part of the Sword Group of companies.
Sword Group (NYSE Euronext: FR0004180578 SWP) delivers high value business applications to the world’s largest companies globally. With operations in 37 countries, Sword employs over 2000 people and generates more than €200m in consolidated revenue. An international leader in the delivery of business process improvement solutions, Sword’s skills, infrastructure and experience help our customers across regulated industries to optimise performance, increase efficiencies and maximise return on investment.
With flexible delivery options, including on demand and on premises, combined with our extensive industry expertise, Sword provides comprehensive support to customers across sectors such as insurance and healthcare, energy, banking and finance, telecoms, utilities, engineering and construction, as well as the public sector.