Black & Veatch conducted three “rapid-fire roundtables” focused on the topic of “Economic Pressures: How are we adapting and leading in difficult times?” on 18 April 2011 during Global Water Intelligence’s Global Water Summit in Berlin, Germany. Approximately 30 participants from more than a dozen countries took part in the three 20-minute discussions addressing the challenges, as well as the opportunities, that the current economic conditions have presented.
Although those who chose to take part in one of the three groups came from a variety of backgrounds, some common themes emerged. Similar to the findings from roundtable sessions previously held in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., participants in these dialogues said that they now were being asked to “do a lot more with a lot less.” They also were adapting to the tougher economic times by:
“Being green isn’t cheap, but we’re trying to reuse the wastewater, clean it and use it for something that wouldn’t touch the consumer. This would help us be more economical in the plant.” GWS Participant- doing more with what they have
- finding new business opportunities
- changing their priorities
- keeping jobs local
- doing more with who’s on their team
- looking differently at risk
- emphasizing technological innovation as a way to reduce costs
- rethinking business planning and financial models
