Intelligent water management with a smart product: Shayp offers the solution

When talking about smart products offering great digital solutions for everyday problems, the story of Shayp is one that should be told. That's why last year, we invited Zineddine Wakrim, CTO at scale-up company Shayp, to talk about Shayps smart solution in one of our webinars. An inspiring case we'd like to share once again.

Why make a smart product for water management, anyway?

As a start-up, Shayp started from the observation that water leaks in buildings have been overlooked for too long as a cause of waste, costs and damage. Conventional water meters are suitable for the correct billing of water consumption, but not for detecting leaks. So they worked out a water management solution consisting of a dedicated wireless data logger and cloud-based software to monitor consumption, detect leaks and track interventions. Insurance companies wanted to buy the product even before it was developed. This was enough confirmation of the need for Shayp to start building the first version of its product.

Integrating digital technology stepwise into product development

As Shayp was starting its business from the ground up, it was crucial to develop its product step by step. Regarding the electronics, Shayp first used off-the-shelf hardware for prototypes and only for the first product version made its own basic electronics design that was then further optimised along with a dedicated housing for the final data logger. Those who would think of a smart product in terms of digital technology only, might underestimate the development cost for the mechanical aspects, such as the housing.

Even more than the hardware, the software is the result of a step-by-step development and expansion, which is still continuing today. Shayp’s solution includes dashboards for various stakeholders, such as building managers, maintainers, insurers and end-users, but it also provides seamless integration into existing building management software. To keep all these developments manageable, it was important for the company to make clear choices and not start building software features for a single customer. Above all, the final product that ends up in the hands of the customer simply had to be easy to install and use.

For the specific software that analyses water usage and detects leaks, Shayp is making use of machine learning. The data coming from the smart water meters in the field provides insight not only into the occurrence of leaks but also into optimising water consumption. Through software updates, such new functionalities and services can be further validated and deployed.?

From startup to scale-up

Shayp offers its solution 'as a service' through a subscription model for the hardware and software combined. In addition to various recognitions for the societal impact of its innovation, this has also brought the company rapid growth and the necessary investments to further roll out its solution in the European real estate sector.

Want more inspiring stories? In the webinar 'Successfully making your products smarter' on 7 February 2022, AVR and Mealhero will explain what innovating with smart products means for their company. Interested to join us? More information and the possibility to register for the webinar can be found?here.