At the Flemish integrated water company Farys, the CIO is responsible for both the IT and OT environments. A focus on security, regulation, and now sovereignty determine the direction.
Farys is the organization that ensures water comes out of the tap in large parts of the provinces of West and East Flanders and Flemish Brabant. As a manager of critical infrastructure, IT and security play a critical role in the organization’s operations, while sovereignty is also becoming increasingly prominent. Inge Opreel, active at Farys since 2018, oversees not only the IT environment but also the OT environment as ICT Executive Manager.
ITdaily: What does the IT environment you are responsible for look like at the moment?
Opreel: “The Farys IT department handles the operational management of water infrastructure as well as IT infrastructure, applications, security management, and warehouses. We rely heavily on partners and integrators to help manage this. For the operational side, we work closely with Siemens, while HP is a key partner for general infrastructure. In terms of business software, we rely on SAP, ESRI for geographic applications, and OpenText for document management.”
What are the main priorities right now?
Opreel: “One of the biggest priorities is investing in data products and digital innovation. We have collected a lot of data over the years and now want to utilize it optimally. At the same time, we face the replacement or upgrading of key products that will be ‘end of life’ by 2030. An example is the replacement of maintenance handling within the SAP environment.”
“We are also in full preparation for NIS2 certification. Because Farys manages critical processes, we already had to comply with NIS1 legislation. Now, as a critical entity, we must comply with NIS2 legislation company-wide. In light of growing news reports regarding digital sovereignty, we are currently working on an inventory of applications and their criticality, as well as a plan of action. We suspect that any potential future legislation will apply to us. Therefore, we are looking at which applications can be replaced, what alternatives exist, and which data is relevant. This won’t be an either-or story, but an ‘and-and’ one.”
Does the business sufficiently understand the IT challenges? Is everyone within the organization on the same page?
Opreel: “Many IT employees come from a business background and made the switch out of personal interest. We meet regularly to align strategic objectives, discuss which business and IT projects are underway, and decide where we need to invest, from procurement to security. This results in a shared roadmap where we support each other.”
“We start from strategic objectives to get everyone moving in the same direction. A major focus point right now is determining our AI strategy—what is and isn’t allowed. It is important to answer the questions coming from the business side.”
Do you have access to enough people and resources to successfully complete all the requested work?
Opreel: “In recent years, we have been able to attract enough external profiles or move people internally. To support large projects and peak periods, we rely on external partners, such as Capgemini for security and business software, and Accenture for geographic tools. These collaborations are crucial, especially since our infrastructure is largely underground and therefore invisible.”
“We have grown both internally and through partners, allowing us to rely on a broad base of capacity. Additionally, we collaborate with other public sector organizations, such as PIDPA and De Watergroep, to manage the digital water meter platform and achieve economies of scale, but also in synergy with other utility companies and the Roads and Traffic Agency to limit the disruption of public works for citizens.”
Is the future of the IT environment in the cloud, on-premises, or a combination?
Opreel: “We work in a hybrid environment. Core applications like SAP are on-premise. That will remain the case until we have more clarity on developments regarding digital sovereignty. We are anticipating potential legislation so that if it arrives, our homework is already done. This approach is also a useful exercise for NIS2, which we fall under as a critical organization. It makes us think carefully about where we place our data.”
“We also have a broad cloud environment for ‘niche activities.’ For example, our procurement and service center for public authorities runs in the cloud, as do standard processes like recruiting.”
What impact will upcoming regulations like NIS2 have on IT policy and your relationship with the business?
Opreel: “The transition to NIS2 is less drastic for water infrastructure because we are already NIS1 compliant. With NIS2, however, we must implement new processes and educate and train everyone. Regardless of regulations, we continue to invest in security; that’s nothing new. We must be able to guarantee the supply of drinking water. We have our own SOC and collaborate with Cylab, the security unit of the Royal Military Academy.”
We manage and secure infrastructure that is largely located underground.
How are you handling the AI hype? How is AI being integrated into daily operations?
Opreel: “First, we are mapping out everything within the organization that falls under the heading of ‘AI.’ The term is very broad, so it’s important to be able to name the different types, from deep learning to generative AI. We have set up an ‘innovation board’ to handle pilot projects. We want to involve employees and inform them about what is and isn’t allowed. Publicly available AI tools are permitted, but not for processing company data, for example.”
“Those proof of values should demonstrate how AI can support further business development. The initial findings are positive, especially in supporting the work of juniors. One example is a model we developed for customer service using Claude to classify emails with complex information. We also use AI for risk analysis. With AI, you can quickly develop an attractive user interface to sit down with the business and get a product into production faster.”
“We had already put algorithms into production before the AI hype. Digital water meters can proactively warn customers about abnormal peaks in their consumption, which could indicate a leak.”
What are the most important trends you are following with an eye on the coming years?
Opreel: “Digital sovereignty will be a major trend. The introduction of Anthropic Claude Mythos also makes developments in AI and cybersecurity extra interesting to follow. A strategic plan has been drawn up for the next six years, covering what we have now and what we need in the future.”
“Farys is an organization that is constantly changing. When I started, we had 300 employees. Now we have more than a thousand and have started providing broader services alongside drinking water. Collaborating with other utility players has brought extra synergy and economies of scale. We have a good relationship with the business at all levels and an excellent team that embraces change and supports innovation.”