Digital Transformation of a Local Waterworks: A Case Study of Rong Wua Dang Village, Thailand

Local waterworks authorities in rural Thailand rely on pen-and-paper methods for meter reading and billing, which require writing each invoice manually and are susceptible to human errors or even loopholes. Budget is a concern for adopting new technologies to overcome these problems. This paper introduces an affordable way to apply a digital transformation to the accounting process so that meter readings are accurate and verifiable, invoice issuance becomes automatic, and both customers and waterworks have proofs of payments. Guided by the community rather than policies, the revised workflow results in a lightweight web application for smartphones and desktops that requires no installation. Our transformation was carried out in a pilot village in Chiang Mai, Thailand, demonstrating that the community does embrace the technology, working hours are reduced by 38%, data redundancy becomes minimal, and transparency and accuracy of billing are attained.