WATERNET: Amsterdam’s Drinking Water Company and Its Cloud Journey
Waternet has always been at the forefront of delivering reliable drinking water to Amsterdam and its surrounding municipalities. After a decade-long partnership with Ferranti, Waternet transitioned from its legacy on-premises MECOMS solution to the MECOMS 365 platform end 2020, marking its definitive leap into the cloud.
Today, by harnessing the robust capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft’s Common Data Model, Waternet not only streamlines billing but also improves data management across its operations.
MECOMS 365 seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Azure, delivering a unified, cloud-based solution that reimagines core business processes, particularly the entire meter-to-cash cycle. Waternet played a critical role in co-developing the platform, working closely with Ferranti to retain the most valuable features of its legacy system while introducing forward-looking enhancements.
For instance, improving the features for new customer onboarding on behalf of a call center agent, to cater to the specific needs of water utilities. From the very beginning, the collaboration between Waternet and Ferranti was marked by deep mutual trust and a shared commitment to success. As the very first organization to adopt MECOMS 365, Waternet took a pioneering step and Ferranti responded by going above and beyond to ensure the platform would meet and exceed expectations. Both teams were highly invested in the journey, aligning on vision, co-creating solutions and maintaining open communication throughout the entire process.
A major milestone during the implementation was the successful migration of seven years of customer data, covering 600,000 accounts. This enabled Waternet to shift from monthly bulk billing to daily operations, improving responsiveness and operational flow. By migrating only essential data and archiving the rest, the organization also streamlined its data architecture. Ferranti’s developers were embedded within Waternet’s IT team, forming a single, agile unit. This collaborative DevOps approach enabled faster development, testing, and deployment of new features, while fostering strong interpersonal relationships and a culture of continuous improvement.
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As with any major digital transformation, challenges were part of the journey. Although business units like marketing and customer experience supported the change, it was the IT department that truly drove the initiative. Throughout the transformation, the trust between Waternet and Ferranti proved to be a cornerstone of success. When unforeseen complexities emerged, both parties showed a willingness to step up, adapt and problem-solve together. Always keeping long-term goals in sight.
This spirit of partnership ensured that even the toughest hurdles were met with a united front. Targeted and in-depth training proved essential for system adoption. Co-developed training programs played a key role in building user confidence. Looking back, dedicating more time to interface development might have made the transition even smoother.
Six months post go-live in 2021, Waternet proactively upgraded to modern web services, eliminating manual file exchanges and significantly improving integration workflows. This phase also surfaced new insights into data quality and management, opening up further optimization opportunities.
It’s a milestone not just for us, but for the entire industry.
The migration to MECOMS 365 has yielded remarkable benefits. By eliminating many of the customizations inherent in its legacy system, Waternet now enjoys the advantages of seamless, regular updates, scalable architecture and an ever expanding suite of innovative features in 3-weekly releases.
Ultimately, Waternet is now equipped to launch streamlined processes that will liberate valuable employee resources and will empower the team to focus on strategic initiatives that will propel Waternet’s future operations.