2022 was a year filled with milestones and achievements thanks to the dedication our associates at Utegration have shown to the #OneTeam mantra. Here at Utegration, we have so much to be grateful for that we gathered a list of the 22 highlights, achievements, and moments we feel overwhelmingly appreciative of.
1. Our team members
We can't say enough about our wonderful associates here at Utegration. They are among the best in our industry from a technical perspective and also fabulous people personally, sharing a strong commitment to serve our customers, the industry, our communities, and their fellow team members.
2. Our customers
Utility and energy companies across North America trust Utegration with their critical transformation projects. In 2022, we are honored to say we were able to bring the Utegration difference to more customers than ever before.
3. Utegration becoming a Cognizant company!
Just two weeks ago, we announced Cognizant's acquisition of Utegration.
"Combining our strengths with Cognizant is a win for our clients and our colleagues," said Bart Thielbar, President and CEO, Utegration. "Utegration has grown with a singular focus on the needs of energy and utilities businesses, and becoming part of Cognizant expands the scope and scale we have to deliver for clients, including beyond the energy sector. We could not be more pleased to be joining a team that shares our values and commitment to innovation, client service, and providing a great culture for our people to grow their careers."
4. In-person events with customers and colleagues
After a long break from in-person events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the pleasure of reconnecting with our colleagues across the industry at conferences and events including: SAP for Utilities, CS Week, Smart Water Summit, SAP Sapphire, Northwest Utilities Day, Nebraska Utilities Day, and more.
5. #UDoGood: giving back to our communities
At Utegration, we believe in giving back and making a difference in our communities. In 2022, our associates contributed both time and resources to causes and passions that are close to their hearts.
- June #UDoGood Month: North American associates were encouraged to take a half day to volunteer with a local organization whose mission resonates with them. Our Houston office partnered with Cheeriodicals to host a Houston, in-office event where 20 associates created Cheer Up Bags for the Ronald McDonald House.
- St. Patrick's Day Food Drive Raffle: our team donated a large box full of food to the Houston Food Bank.
- #UDoGood Company Meeting build-a-bike challenge: we worked in teams to build over 20 bikes for children in need in coordination with the local police department of the Dallas / Grapevine area.
- Holiday donation: Utegration donated to St. Jude on behalf of our colleagues.
6. Top Workplaces USA and Top Workplaces Houston
Hot off the press — for the third year in a row, Utegration has been named a Top Workplaces USA winner 2023, building on our wins in 2021 and 2022.
Utegration was also named a Top Workplace in Houston Chronicle Top Workplaces for the third year in a row in 2022. We are thrilled to receive recognition for the culture we are so proud to have cultivated.
7. Annual company meeting
After a two-year hiatus, we were able to come together as #ONETEAM once more! Associates and their families from our US, Canada, and Global Delivery Center in India enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect and celebrate our achievements as a team.
8. New clients
Utegration welcomed six new clients this year. We look forward to bringing value and expertise to these new relationships in 2023.
9. MeterData4U® received a US patent
In November, we announced our MeterData4U solution received a US patent for its progressive design in processing and leveraging utility smart meter data to drive utility operations. We are excited to see MeterData4U gaining momentum at a time when utilities that have implemented AMI are looking for ways to reduce complexity and realize more strategic benefits from the technology.
10. A major milestone for our India office
This year, our India office celebrated a major milestone: 10 years of operation!
Bart Thielbar, Utegration's President & CEO, visited the India office in Bangalore to celebrate this special milestone.
11. Collaborating with utilities via our AMI 2.0 Innovation Council
In 2022, Utegration launched an AMI 2.0 Innovation Council to collaborate with utilities of all types on top use cases that will drive value for their customers and organizations. This group is growing fast and we are grateful for the engagement of our 10 member utilities and are excited about the use cases and documentation we'll produce together.
12. UHack 2022
In May, Utegration invited our experts to give their innovative side free reign in a Hackathon event. We were blown away by the global collaboration and creativity each team brought to the table. Find out more about each of the innovations and the winners of our UHack event here.
13. The first Utility4U™ go-live
Utegration celebrated a huge milestone this year — the first go-live of Utegration's Utility4U cloud platform built on SAP S/4HANA!
Summit Utilities implemented the end-to-end, pre-configured solution with CIS, ERP, Work and Asset Management, SAP Field Service Management (FSM) and included both Extended Asset Accounting and Regulatory Accounting and Reporting from the Utegration Finance4U portfolio.
Utility4U provides Summit Utilities with the agility, affordability, and scalability to remain competitive during growth while successfully serving their customers.
14. Maureen Bolen's Women Who SPARK Award win
Maureen Bolen, Chief Growth Officer, was honored with winning Utility 2030 Collaborative's Women Who SPARK Award, recognizing the work of exceptional female utility innovators who are spearheading, building, launching, or enabling the creation of utility products, services, and experiences that are inventive and commercially successful.
15. First to implement SAP FSM in a North American utility
In the fall of 2022, Utegration celebrated the first implementation of SAP Field Service Management (FSM) in North America for Summit Utilities.
As many companies find themselves at a crossroads related to the use of technology to support enhanced field capabilities, Utegration is proud to lead the way for utilities seeking the next-generation solution(s) for scheduling, dispatch and mobility.
16. Associate certifications
With a focus on learning and development, approximately 30% of our consulting and delivery teams are now certified. Congratulations to each and every team member for their hard work and dedication to developing their skills!
17. Hall of Fame achievement at alma mater
Earlier this year, we celebrated Henry Bailey's, Chief Strategy Officer, induction into East Tennessee State University's Hall of Fame. Henry received the "Excellence Award," demonstrating the College of Business and Technology’s appreciation for commitment to the university and for professional achievements.
18. Energage Culture Badges win
Top Workplaces USA awarded Utegration culture badges for innovation, leadership, and purpose / values. The Energage culture badges are awarded by a third party that surveys our associates anonymously. We are proud Utegration associates rate us a great place to work!
19. Partners
Our partners share our ambition to serve this important industry with a high degree of professionalism / integrity. For that, we are grateful.
20. Products launched on SAP Store
This year, Utegration celebrated the launch of MeterData4U, Finance4U® Extended Asset Accounting, and the Backflow Device Inspection App on the SAP Store.
21. Industry and regulators
To our industry and regulators: we are grateful to you for keeping the energy and water flowing and for making sure we operate in a fair environment that protects our mutual interests.
22. Core values
Finally, we are grateful for the core values our people embody every day that have contributed to our success in 2022 and forged the exciting momentum we are experiencing as we look ahead to 2023.