How SEW’s Digital Customer Experience Platforms Help Utilities Keep Up with AI, CX, and Innovative Imperatives

Originally published on ASUG.com

Deepak Garg, Founder & Co-CEO of Smart Energy Water (SEW), is at the forefront of the digital revolution transforming the energy and utilities sector. With over two decades of experience in product development and a passion for leveraging technology to drive sustainability, Garg has positioned SEW as a global leader in AI-powered platforms that connect utilities with their customers and workforce. 

Under Garg’s direction, SEW has served over 400 energy providers across over 45 geographies and 1.5 billion people. SEW’s platforms, which harness next-gen technologies like AI, machine learning, and IoT, have not only streamlined operations and enhanced efficiency for utilities but also empowered customers to make informed decisions about their energy and water consumption. From North America to Southeast Asia, SEW’s solutions enable utilities to adapt to new energy paradigms, build meaningful customer relationships, and drive sustainability.

For instance, in India, SEW platforms are powering the development of electric vehicles and rooftop solar ecosystems. Meanwhile, three of the top four utilities in the United States use SEW platforms to educate and connect with millions of customers. 

Garg’s vision is deeply rooted in a commitment to sustainability and a belief in the transformative potential of technology to create a more resilient, connected world. As a thought leader in the industry, Garg actively contributes to the Forbes Technology Council and has spearheaded the WE3 platform, a space that brings together utility and tech leaders to facilitate conversations around the future of energy and water. 

His efforts have not gone unnoticed, with SEW being recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in America by Inc. 5000 and Garg himself receiving numerous accolades, including the EY Entrepreneurship of the Year and Innovator of the Year awards. 

In a recent discussion with ASUG, Garg shared insights on critical innovation imperatives for utilities, evolving customer expectations, and the transformative potential of AI. 

This interview, which you can also download, has been edited and condensed.

Q: You founded SEW a decade ago to “save every drop of water and every electron.” What characteristics distinguish a digital technology platform built with this mission in mind?

Energy and water are the most precious commodities on our planet, yet they are often overlooked. This industry is witnessing the biggest transformation anywhere across any sector, akin to the start of the internet era or even the industrial revolution. But the sector desperately needs tech to drive this change on a massive scale. Take, for instance, grid modernization: the grid is under immense pressure today with escalating demand and the shift to clean energy, but infrastructure modernization will take massive investments and several years to implement. This is where external catalysts come in, and this is the opportunity that technology provides, especially with AI.

“As the utility industry faces the most significant transformation in its history, the next 5-10 years will be crucial in determining how utilities evolve to meet growing challenges.”

The characteristics that distinguish our platforms start with our unwavering commitment to sustainability. Every feature, every line of code, is designed to engage, empower, and educate billions of people to save energy and water and build a sustainable future.

Over the years, we have mastered Vertical AI, which powers all our platforms. By building specialized use cases and leveraging AI technology, we have created a connected operating platform, laying the foundation for the entire utility ecosystem — from customers, field workers, grid and customer assets, to grid management. This enables us to create a seamless, end-to-end environment that optimizes the energy and water experience.

Scalability is another cornerstone of our approach. We’ve already connected over a billion people with their utilities. Our adaptable and far-reaching platforms ensure that our mission of conservation can be scaled across the globe.

And, finally, innovation is at the heart of everything we do. By using technology to create groundbreaking platforms, we’re not just modernizing utilities; we’re revolutionizing how they operate, driving digital transformation and business evolution across the industry.

Q: What critical innovation imperatives should energy and utilities focus on over the next 5-10 years, and how is SEW supporting investment in these areas?

As the utility industry faces the most significant transformation in its history, the next 5-10 years will be crucial in determining how utilities evolve to meet growing challenges. The focus must be on transformative innovations that address energy transformation, energy efficiency, water conservation, net zero, ESG goals, and the rise of eMobility. These imperatives are about adapting to current demands and future-proofing the industry for the demands of tomorrow. 

SEW’s AI platform breaks barriers by offering the industry’s only fully integrated platform that connects customer experience, field workforce experience, and business experience. This enables seamless data integration, simplifies operations, and ensures utilities can deliver consistent and efficient experiences. 

Our platform is designed to be scalable, modular, and future-ready, meeting the evolving needs of the industry and driving continuous innovation. Our vertical-specific AI technology tackles the unique challenges utilities face, offering a range of use cases across customer engagement, workforce management, and business operations. This adaptability ensures faster time to market, enabling utilities to quickly respond to changing market dynamics, regulatory requirements, and technological advancements, all while maintaining operational excellence. 

Another critical advantage of our platform is that it is designed to unlock new revenue opportunities for utilities. For example, our smart payment platform empowers customers with multichannel payment methods, real-time notifications on upcoming bills, and AI-led recommendation engines that provide personalized suggestions to help customers save on their bills and reduce usage.

Q: How have customer expectations evolved in response to these imperatives, and how can digital platforms help utilities keep up? 

As customers become more environmentally conscious and technologically savvy, they demand personalized, proactive, and seamless interactions with their utility providers. These changing expectations are reshaping how utilities operate, pushing them to adopt digital platforms that meet these new demands. 

We have often been called the "Amazon of the Energy & Utility Industry," as SEW Platform delivers over 1,500 deep vertical integrated industry-specific use cases to customers, workforce, and assets — all from a single, pre-integrated AI platform. Our platform caters to multiple customer personas, not just residential users but also enterprises, landlords, property managers, agencies, and builders. Additionally, our AI-led features provide connected customer experiences across multiple channels and touchpoints, ensuring that every customer across diverse segments receives a personalized experience that meets their needs. 

In addition to meeting individual customer needs, our platforms help utilities address broader environmental imperatives, such as contributing to climate action and achieving net zero targets. By building effective customer partnerships, our platform provides utilities to drive participation in demand response programs and even empower customers to generate their own renewable energy. 

Q: How can digital platforms help utilities integrate data to ensure a seamless experience for utility customers? What data governance capabilities can they unlock? 

Effective data integration and management are crucial for delivering personalized experiences and driving operational efficiency. However, merely adopting digital platforms is insufficient. Utilities that rely on fragmented digital solutions often face issues such as data inconsistencies, increased security threats, disjointed user experiences, and inefficient resource utilization. To truly harness the power of digital transformation, utilities need more than just any platform. They need an integrated, connected digital platform that ensures comprehensive data integration and seamless experiences. 

Our platform offers a comprehensive solution for seamless data integration. It integrates effortlessly with utility backend systems and third-party applications, ensuring a unified flow of data across all touchpoints, from customers, field workers, and customer service agents to back-office teams. 

Utilities have a massive pool of data at their disposal. From customer usage patterns to grid supply, a connected digital platform can provide comprehensive, actionable insights and seamless data integration through pre-built integrations and cohesive data transfer protocols by deploying advanced AI algorithms and data analytics. 

In today’s digital age, security is a significant concern for utility leaders. Using multiple applications can increase the risk of security breaches. Our platform addresses this by centralizing data management, which reduces the attack surface and enhances overall security protocols. 

Compliance is another challenge with generic platforms. Many struggle to meet the specific regulatory requirements of the utility industry. Our vertically integrated platform is designed exclusively for the utility sector, ensuring rigorous adherence to industry standards and regulatory requirements. 

Our platform has specialized, built-in features that maintain data quality, reducing the need for extensive manual oversight. This not only cuts down operational and maintenance costs but also eliminates cumbersome, lengthy processes.

Connect with Deepak Garg on LinkedIn.

Q: How are digital platforms transforming the utilities sector, and what role do you see SEW playing in this industry’s overall transformation? 

It is important to understand that transformation is not just about technology but about what it enables — empowering people and building a connected and sustainable future. 

The utility sector is at a critical juncture where the external stimulus of digital platforms is a strategic necessity. These platforms are reshaping the very fabric of how utilities operate, making it possible to connect vast amounts of data across previously siloed systems, thereby unlocking new levels of innovation. 

Over a decade ago, we set out to build an end-to-end integrated ecosystem for the industry through a technology platform that caters to all industry needs, current or future. And today, this connected platform approach, built on AI technology, is driving transformative impact for utilities across the globe. 

For utilities, this connected digital platform approach is more than just a technological solution — it’s a catalyst for transformation. By connecting utilities to their customers in meaningful ways, we are helping to build a future where AI, sustainability, and people are interconnected.

Q: How is SEW leveraging AI to enhance utilities’ operational efficiency? Can you provide specific examples of AI applications within your platform? 

For utilities, operational efficiency entails many things: optimizing the grid, moving beyond static transactions, advancing reliability and resilience, anticipating future demand, making informed decisions, and delivering cost and energy savings. We understand that achieving this efficiency requires the use of advanced AI technology. However, the industry faces complex and diverse operational demands that generic AI solutions cannot fully address. It requires a cohesive, vertically integrated AI model designed for the industry. 

The AI applications within our platforms can be described in three key dimensions. First is People AI, where customer and workforce experience is central to operational efficiency. Our People AI framework leverages advanced data analytics to deliver personalized experiences to customers. For field workers, AI applications include intelligent work order management, AR-VR integration with smart wearables, automatic scheduling, route optimization, asset management, and real-time data access on any device, whether online or offline. 

Next is Sustainability AI. Sustainability is a critical aspect of modern utility operations. Our Sustainability AI use cases focus on achieving carbon neutrality and net-zero targets, enhancing grid resiliency, and optimizing operational effectiveness. This includes tracking energy-water usage, providing customers with green scores, managing sustainable generation and DER integration, and supporting conservation efforts. 

Then we have Experience AI. To deliver exceptional customer service and operational efficiency, our Experience AI algorithms provide deep insights into power and water usage behaviors. It enables utilities to deliver targeted messages and educational content through any channel, at any time, personalized to their needs. This approach ensures that customers receive relevant, timely information that empowers them to make informed decisions about their energy and water use and foster resource-conscious behaviors.

Q: In what ways are predictive analytics driven by AI transforming the management of utility resources and infrastructure?

Infrastructure management lies at the core of utility operations, serving as the foundation for service reliability. This is where predictive analytics enabled by AI technology becomes vital. It enables utilities to move from reactive to proactive management, allowing them to anticipate issues before they arise, optimize asset performance, and make data-driven decisions that enhance overall efficiency. 

In my experience, AI has a significant role in four broad categories. As the electric grid undergoes a massive transformation, predictive analytics becomes a cornerstone in optimizing operations. AI models can forecast demand with unprecedented accuracy, enabling utilities to balance supply and demand better, integrate renewable energy sources, and manage grid loads in real-time. 

Predictive analytics also allows utilities to craft personalized saving plans for consumers. This capability is particularly crucial as utilities strive to offer tailored energy efficiency solutions while balancing the integration of variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind into the grid. 

Beyond operational efficiency, predictive analytics enables utilities to better align with environmental goals. AI can assess the environmental impact of different operational decisions, helping utilities make more sustainable choices that reduce carbon emissions and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

“With 8 billion people comes 8 billion opportunities that can be unlocked with the application of AI.”

Q: How does AI improve customer service in the utilities sector? Are there any particular AI-driven solutions that have significantly improved customer satisfaction? 

In an industry where the concept of the modern consumer is continuously evolving, AI becomes inevitable in delivering personalized customer service. This is the vision behind our vertical-specific AI model and connected platform approach: to deeply understand the complex industry ecosystem and advance customer satisfaction through AI innovation. With 8 billion people comes 8 billion opportunities that can be unlocked with the application of AI. 

This is the pathway to achieving higher CSAT scores, reducing call center volumes, increasing platform adoption, and delivering savings in energy and water usage. With the improving metrics, it’s also about transforming the way utilities engage with their customers, making interactions more meaningful, responsive, and personalized. 

Our team has had the privilege to lead some of the most impactful customer experience transformations across the globe. One such success story is our partnership with NiSource, one of the biggest utilities in the United States. 

We’re redefining how NiSource interacts with its customers by implementing the industry’s only AI-driven chatbot. This chatbot, capable of handling routine inquiries and providing instant, personalized responses, has significantly reduced call center volumes — allowing their teams to focus on more complex and value-driven customer interactions. 

AI is not just enhancing customer service; it’s redefining the entire utility-customer relationship. By focusing on vertical-specific AI and a connected platform approach, utility leaders can drive unprecedented levels of customer experience. As we continue to innovate and implement these AI-driven strategies, we have the power to build a future where utility services are not only reliable but also deeply attuned to the needs and expectations of every customer, empowering all people to conserve energy and water.

Visit the SEW website.

About SEW

SEW, with its innovative and industry-leading cloud platforms, delivers the best AI Powered Digital Customer Experiences (CX) and Workforce Experiences (WX), and IoT Analytics to the global energy, water, and gas providers. At SEW, the vision is to Engage, Empower, and Educate billions of people to save energy and water. We partner with businesses to deliver platforms that are easy-to-use, integrate seamlessly, and help build a strong technological foundation that allows them to become future ready.

About ASUG

ASUG is the world’s largest SAP user group. Originally founded by a group of visionary SAP customers in 1991, its mission is to help people and organizations get the most value from their investment in SAP technology. ASUG currently serves thousands of businesses via companywide memberships, connecting more than 130,000 professionals with networking and educational resources to help them master new challenges. Through in-person and virtual events, on-demand digital resources, and ongoing advocacy for its membership, ASUG helps SAP customers make more possible.