April 2016 - Water Market Insights 185

Flow Control and Treatment Companies will benefit from a Digital Crystal Ball

The digital age has created the ability to make fortune telling a reality. The real life version of a crystal ball is the wealth of information available to predict markets, projects and identify decision makers. This information can be used to change the way flow control and treatment products are marketed.

Long range purchasing plans can be determined by an organized analysis of information which can be obtained directly from available documents or through individuals who have specific insights.

The local salesman can make a call on a municipal wastewater treatment plant but would be unlikely to provide the same value gained from the directors meeting minutes which outline the failure of the competitor’s equipment and his proposal to fix it.

The power plant modification permit request which details the cost and performance of various options provides the needed insights on product and timing for a potential supplier.

One way suppliers take advantage of the availability of information is to purchase sales leads. Typically the company spends lots of money on these leads and not on market research. In one sense, the leads are the market research. In fact, published studies purport to link the number of sales leads to the size of future markets.

1. The large expenditure for sales leads draws funds away from critical market research.

2. Sales leads are not qualified. High margins and order conversion result from picking and choosing projects.

3. Since the sales lead is also being viewed by the competitors, there will be pricing pressure and lower success rates.

4. The timing of sales leads is often right if you are selling a commodity, but if you are selling based on your product differentiation, you are too late.

5. Many companies have distributors and representatives who are being paid to uncover leads. Sales lead expense is justified based on evaluating distributor performance rather than on boosting sales.

If you are selling a commodity, product and price is the basis of success then the sales lead route is probably still the best option. But, if you sell a product based on lowest cost of ownership and not initial price, then you should consider a whole new route using the digital crystal ball.

1. Forecasts can be provided for the precise product at the State and province level.

2. Project alerts provide the time to convince the customer to consider total cost of ownership and to issue bid specifications accordingly.

3. The large end users, OEMs, and AEs are identified. Since they purchase more than 50 percent of the flow control and treatment equipment, the focus on them is critical.

4. The opportunity to connect with the end user through white papers and webinars improves the margin and success potential.

5. The ability to demonstrate lowest cost of ownership is the secret to success in the global market.

Utility E-Alert Tracks Billions of Dollars of New Coal-fired Power Plants on a Weekly Basis

§ Hearing underway on OG&E Application for Coal Scrubbers at Sooner Power Plant

§ Public Forum held by EPA and Volta River Authority on Coal-fired Power Plant at Ekumfi, Ghana

§ Two Turbines for Coal-fired Power Plant in Punta Catalina, Bina, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The 41F Utility E-Alert is issued weekly and covers the coal-fired projects, regulations and other information important to the suppliers. It is $950/yr. but is included in the $3020 42EI Utility Tracking System which has data on every plant and project plus networking directories and many other features.

McIlvaine conducts periodic webinars which are in a discussion format and are free of charge to all participants. The displayed material and recordings are free to purchasers of the products and services and by subscription to others.

Format: 50-90 minute recorded discussion using McIlvaine display material. The session will be free of charge to all participants but registration is required.

Approach: There are two types of webinars. One is focused on Markets and directed to suppliers. The other is focused on aiding purchasers make the best Decisions relative to purchases of flow control and treatment equipment and services.

Markets HTH
The general overviews of the market including size and major variables will be discussed with heavy emphasis on technology and regulatory drivers. The presentation will be based on the latest information appearing in McIlvaine multi-client reports. Questions and views from both subscribers and non-subscribers are encouraged.

Decisions HTH
McIlvaine has been publishing information systems on pollution control since 1974. Each subject is organized by the pollutant control technology e.g. fabric filter, scrubber, etc. There are search capabilities to retrieve information on any application. The newest addition has been slide deck systems displaying the issues and options relative to a specific applications. Coal-fired power, cement, steel and waste combustion decision slide decks are continually updated.

The continually updated slide decks are displayed on the applicable decision system. It is recommended that participants view the slide deck in advance of the session and be prepared with questions and views.

Value to purchasers and specifiers: Your questions and interests will be prioritized in the discussion. You will get a monthly newsletter and have continuing access to the system and multiple ways to interface in the future along with a networking directory of suppliers.

Value to Suppliers: You have the opportunity to provide data to be considered at no charge. If you are also a subscriber you will see the summaries in advance and be able to shed light on issues and options not properly covered in the slide deck. If you are a subscriber you will receive the monthly newsletter and continuing yearly access to the system including networking directories.

44I Power Plant Air Quality Decisions includes 1ABC, 3ABC, 4ABC, 9ABC decision services but not 2ABC. So those with multiple technologies and at least partial focus on power will find this combination most cost effective.

Applicable Services for Hot Topic Hours**
Pollutant	Industry	Fabric Filter (1ABC)	Scrubber (2ABC)	Precipitator (4ABC)	FGD & DeNOx (3ABC)	Air Pollution Monitoring (9ABC)	Gas Turbine Decisions
Mercury February 11, 2016	Coal				X	X
	WTE	X	X			X
	Sewage		X	X		X
	Cement	X				X
	Natural Gas*
DeNOx March 24, 2016	Coal				X	X
	Incineration				X	X
	Steel				X	X
	Cement				X	X
	Diesel*
	Gas Turbine				X		X
Hot Gas Filtration	Coal	X	X	X		X
	WTE	X	X	X		X
	Cement	X	X	X		X
	Steel	X	X	X		X
	Incineration	X	X	X		X
	Coal Gas	X	X			X
	GT Intake						X
FGD and Acid Gas June 16, 2016	Coal				X	X
	Sewage		X			X
	WTE		X			X
	Cement		X			X
	Steel		X			X

Dates for the next 6 meetings are firm; the others will be held in sequence at approximately two week intervals. Unforeseen developments could dictate the insertion of new subjects.

DATE	SUBJECT
April 21, 2016 *Decisions*	Hot Gas Filtration - Issue and Option for particulate capture. in coal fired power, cement, steel, and waste incineration. Click Here to Register
June 16, 2016 *Decisions*	FGD and Acid Gas Separation - Issue and options for SO2 and other acid gas separation from coal fired power, cement, steel, and waste incineration plants. Click Here to Register
TBA *Markets*	Desalination - Thermal vs. Membrane; energy recovery, pump, valve, compressor and chemicals options; power/desalination combinations.
TBA *Markets*	Oil, Gas, Refining - Supply and demand; impact on flow control and treatment products; regional impacts e.g. subsea in North Atlantic vs. shale in the US vs. Oil Sands in Canada.
TBA *Markets*	Food - Analysis of 12 separate applications within food and beverage with analysis of valve, pump, compressor, filter, analyzer and chemical options; impact of new technologies such as forward osmosis.
TBA *Markets*	Municipal Wastewater - Quality of pumps, valves, filters, and analyzers in Chinese and Asian plants; new pollutant challenges; water purification for reuse.
TBA *Markets*	Mobile Emissions - Reduction in CO, VOCs, and particulate in fuels, oils, and air used in on and off road vehicles; impact of RDE and failure of NO_x traps and the crisis in Europe created by the focus on diesels.