Will Johnson says his award nomination shows growing awareness of software solutions within gas industry
Will Johnson, technical applications director and co-founder of ControlPoint, the supplier of quality assurance and data management systems for utilities and gas and water pipelines, has been shortlisted for Engineer of the Year at the Gas Industry Awards 2021. The announcement follows the acquisition of ControlPoint by Ovarro, the remote telemetry monitoring specialist. Run by the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM), the awards will take place as a virtual event on Wednesday, 18 May 2021.
Johnson’s nomination follows more than 10 years spent in developing mobile applications, integrated control technology and databases for the gas industry. These systems allow customers to perform remote monitoring, inspections and data capture in real-time, and reduce or prevent risks of failures — like leaks — in networks.
As a degree-qualified computer scientist who co-founded ControlPoint in 2010, Johnson was involved in developing such industry-firsts as the BlueBox mobile app and the Bead Diagnostic Instrument (BDI) on-site tool and associated mobile software. Johnson’s nomination recognises his central role in developing and integrating Bluetooth technologies into electrofusion welding boxes, particularly for the joining of polyethylene (PE) pipe.
“I’m proud to have been shortlisted for Engineer of the Year at this year’s IGEM awards,” said Johnson. “The nomination shows the gas industry increasingly understands the importance of software in solving gas network problems, alongside more commonly-recognised technological or mechanical achievements. Bringing change with software services is integral to what we do at ControlPoint — and now Ovarro — especially our work with artificial intelligence and quality assurance.
“Our technologies like the BlueBox, as used with the JointManager cloud software platform, have helped shape the way networks are constructed and eliminate risks, like leaks, in the welded joints of PE pipe,” he added.
Gas network operators previously relied on time-inefficient stored data records, like spreadsheets, to assess network risks or faults. Instead, with innovations like BlueBox, operators can capture critical welding and preparation data in real-time using phones or tablets as mobile human machine interfaces (HMIs). All data analysis and quality assurance systems are supported by Ovarro and ControlPoint’s own engineers, around the clock.
“This nomination is not only a recognition of ControlPoint’s technology and software solutions — but also its people,” said David Frost, CEO of Ovarro.
“Innovations developed by Will and his team, like the BlueBox, have changed how utility organisations record field operations and capture quality assurance data. Their connectivity through Bluetooth to devices like leak detection loggers helps guarantee networks are constructed safely and to the required standards.
Last year’s Gas Industry Awards were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All 2020 nominations have been carried over to the 2021 virtual event being held on 18 May.
