On November 8, 2017, MPower, local retail electricity supplier (LRES) of Meralco, in cooperation with Meralco Power Academy, MServ and Indra, held a forum entitled, “Power Industry Outlook and Best Practices on Digital Transformation Forum” at the SMX Convention Center Aura, Taguig.
The forum is the third of MPower’s annual Executive Series, with this year’s edition aiming to give MPower partners insights and a better understanding of the global and the Philippine local economic outlook; directions, programs and technologies to ensure a more efficient and sustainable energy ecosystem for the future; and best practices on digital transformation.
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Dr. Bernardo Villegas, a multi-awarded economist and adviser to Philippine presidents, discussed a statistical overview and analysis of economic and development trends, in light of the plans and programs for the current administration. Quoting Dr. Villegas, “This is not about 2018 but about the next five years under Duterte. Whatever the political noise you may hear, whatever demonstrations from time to time you may witness... the Philippine economy, and you’ve been experiencing this because I’m sure you have been in business for a few years, will continue to grow at least at 6%, now we’re growing at 6.5% - 7%, but 6% is really the minimum that the growth will fall into for whatever uncertainties we will be facing in the future. But the upside… could be as high at 8%...there will be regions like Iloilo, Davao, Clark, and surrounding areas that can be growing at 10% or more, that’s the general outlook that you can expect.”
Mr. Giovanni Polizzi of Indra Australia discussed about being at the forefront of the changes in the power industry: the Australian case. Quoting Mr. Polizzi, it is important to “…be able to forecast events before they happen because the number of assets that we have to control is enormous… all this information is…to be analyzed in real time, and to produce effects in real time, this is where the internet of things counts upon, this is where we need to bring intelligence at the age of the grid.”
Mr. Jose Victor Emmanuel “Jocot” De Dios, President of General Electric (GE) Philippines gave an overview of best practices for digital transformation, including the insights, lessons learned, tools and techniques that GE acquired through its own digital industrial transformation experience. According to Jocot, “The growing years, we started going out in the market and hiring talent, we continue to do so. And it is an evolution and is continuous now. We needed data and connecting infrastructure. Typically, it would take about 12 months to figure out a new app based on experience and because you do repeat, rinse, clean, repeat, etc. By the time you’re out with a version, you’re probably not as relevant anymore. That’s probably true for the spaces that we work in, the industrial space…. Every so often we'll have a touchpoint. We sit down once a quarter and say, what's going on. I can change my priorities based on that, because we do recognize things change in the world we live in...”
55 representatives from 35 MPower partner companies attended the 2017 Executive Series Forum.
