Ecolab unveils the Ecolab Global Intelligence Center

The EGIC aims to improve visibility and help customers achieve sustainability and productivity objectives

Companies are adopting digital technologies to better manage performance and advance their productivity and sustainability goals. However, as businesses modernize operations with IoT-connected devices, they are producing a large amount of data. The most crucial data — that which provides insights to help boost efficiency, profitability and sustainability — is at risk of becoming lost in a flood of information.

Ecolab has transformed its System Assurance Center, a single remote monitoring location, into the Ecolab Global Intelligence Center (EGIC), an international network of remote intelligence facilities that specialize in analyzing data from a variety of connected chemistries and technologies. The EGIC works with Ecolab’s global network of 25,000 field sales-and-service associates to provide customer-centric support so companies can quickly act on the information that matters most.

Customer-centric service at global scale

The EGIC operates globally through six locations around the world, with its global base in Pune, India, and additional intelligence centers in Brazil, China, North America, Saudi Arabia and The Netherlands. Each location features multi-disciplinary experts that support a variety of industries, including power, energy, manufacturing, data centers, food and beverage, and more.

Associates provide multi-lingual, 24 / 7 / 365 service for a range of digital technologies, including more than 30,000 connected 3D TRASAR™ systems across the globe. These systems connect to solutions built on the ECOLAB3D™ analytics platform, such as Water Flow Intelligence, Water Quality Intelligence and OMNI™, among others. When combined with the presence of Ecolab’s on-site service personnel and technical consultants, these insights help enable measurable outcomes, including:

Water and energy savings

Asset protection, efficiency and performance

Regulatory compliance

Improved product quality

Lower total cost of operations

Increased productivity and profitability

The EGIC is already making a significant impact for customers. In one example, the team helped a chemical processing plant mitigate a critical issue that would have resulted in the loss of nearly 40,000 gallons of treated water. The EGIC worked with local Ecolab and plant personnel to identify a valve that was overflowing at an estimated rate of 55 gallons per minute. By quickly resolving the issue, the customer mitigated significant water loss and related treatment costs.

In another example, an EGIC support engineer helped an automotive manufacturer identify an issue that could have damaged a heat exchanger, a critical piece of plant equipment. As a result, the Ecolab associate helped the company mitigate $62,000 US in equipment replacement costs.

Emerging capabilities

The EGIC continues to expand its operations. In addition to industrial markets, Ecolab is developing emerging EGIC capabilities for pest elimination, life sciences and healthcare. Examples of the EGIC’s work in these industries include audit management support for hospitality and food service, as well as intelligent diagraming and monitoring solutions for pest elimination businesses.

“By combining digital solutions powered by ECOLAB3D with EGIC expertise, we deliver a connected solution that leads to deeper insights, faster action and greater value for customers across Ecolab,” said Mike Cerilli, vice president of Ecolab’s Digital Growth team. “We believe that data access and visibility allow companies to advance their business goals while taking concrete steps towards safer and more sustainable operations.”

Intelligence for impact

The push for greater data access and visibility is driven by the climate and water crisis, which has drastically escalated in the last decade. In the 2020 report, Achieving Abundance: Understanding the Cost of a Sustainable Water Future, the World Resources Institute predicts that freshwater demand may outstrip supply by 56% in 2030.

“Businesses face the pressures of producing more using less water and energy, and many organizations have responded with ambitious climate and water targets,” said Calvin Emanuel, vice president and general manager of Ecolab’s Net Zero Solutions team. “At Ecolab, we believe that data access and visibility enable companies to pursue their sustainability and business goals in tandem.”

By taking steps to digitize their operations, companies can make water and energy use more efficient. The EGIC is a part of Ecolab’s ambition to help companies make strides towards their sustainability goals without compromising their business performance.