Apparatus features a controller having a signal processor or processing module configured to: receive signaling containing information about a power profile that is specific to a pumping system having N parallel pumps and based upon data related to one or more of pumping system power, losses and wire-to-water efficiency in real time for the N parallel pumps configured to run in the pumping system to generate a head H and a flow F with an efficiency E, and at least one calculation/prediction of at least one corresponding efficiency of at least one combination/number of N−1 and/or N+1 parallel pumps to achieve a corresponding/same head H and flow F with a corresponding efficiency; and determine corresponding signaling containing information to control the operation of the pumping system that depends on a comparison of the efficiency E and the at least one corresponding efficiency, based upon the signaling received, including staging/destaging a pump to or from the pumping system.