Innovating with 'water as a service'

Ekopak has completed the shift to a "Water as a Service" business model. In its mission to make industrial water management sustainable, this innovative model guarantees not only continuous water supply at a fixed price, but also insight into quality and rates. Through real-time collection of operational data, Ekopak remotely monitors its plants, promotes longevity and efficiency, and fully aligns production with ambitious sustainability goals. To make this transformation, the Tielt-based water treatment company counts on the open data management platform Historian from Ghent-based Factry.

In addition to the standard construction and sale of water treatment plants, Ekopak has been operating the "Water as a Service" (WaaS) business model for several years, providing sustainable water to industrial companies through advanced filtration technologies. With WaaS, the customer pays monthly based on the amount of recycled water taken. The innovative model offers customers complete peace of mind in terms of both technology management and water quality. "With our WaaS model, customers are guaranteed water supply through Service Level Agreements," said Brecht Porrez, Digital Transformation Manager at Ekopak. "In addition, we get insight into water quality, availability and the volume of water taken through customized dashboards. Trust and transparency are central to our long-term relationships."

Real-time data collection

To support this transformation, data and visual insights are crucial. In addition to the design, construction and financing of the water treatment plants, the company with its roots in Tielt also manages the entire operational aspect. In this, Factry proves to be the ideal partner. Thanks to real-time data collection via the open data management platform Historian, Ekopak is able to remotely monitor its installations, schedule maintenance in a timely manner and extend the lifespan. "Without direct interaction between the system and the people at Ekopak, this would not be possible," states Frederik Van Leeckwyck, co-founder and Business Development Director of Factry. "Collected sensor data, from water quality parameters to pressure levels, are sent in real time to the cloud via our OPC-UA collectors. They are then securely stored and visualized in easy-to-use Grafana dashboards. As soon as certain parameters show anomalies, employees at Ekopak are immediately alerted. The centralized nature of Historian allows Ekopak to monitor technical problems remotely. If a filter gets stuck in a plant, the situation can be analyzed quickly and in detail, facilitating a smooth and efficient solution."

Sustainability Goals

In addition to monitoring operational data, Factry with Historian also supports Ekopak in its sustainability goals. This is because the platform allows not only water consumption, but also electricity consumption, wastewater and chemical use to be tracked and aligned with the sustainability goals described in the annual report. "It is inspiring to see how our technology is being used by Ekopak to positively impact the environment. We are more than proud to work together," Van Leeckwyck said.

Complete management

Ekopak has further optimized its data collection by aggregating the information so that different departments, from aftersales to R&D, have easy access to relevant insights. "Our aftersales manager gets a global overview of the performance of all sites. Not only does this allow us to efficiently manage operations, but also to accurately prepare monthly billing and related financial data. In other words, Historian is today woven into our entire operations. From process engineers, to maintenance personnel, to sales managers, the platform makes everyone's job easier and enables them to make better decisions. Not on intuition or experience but on crystal clear data," says Porrez.

Innovative collaboration

In addition, the data collected are used to develop innovative AI models within the R&D department, enabling Ekopak to constantly improve and innovate its technologies. Because the data is stored for a long time, the evolution of the plants over the years becomes visible. The collaboration between Ekopak and Factry is therefore a success, with both companies benefiting from each other's dynamic approach. "It is pleasant working with Factry. Like Ekopak, it is a young and flexible company that thinks with us and responds quickly to our needs. We can discuss anything with them and they constantly adapt to support us," concludes Porrez.