Too Many Tasks, Too Little Time?

Streamline Customer Service & Reduce Truck Rolls

This guest post is brought to you by SmartWorks.

Utilities are under increasing pressure to do more with less.  In finding opportunities, we look for repetitive processes that can be automated, where better than customer service to find such opportunities.

There is a constant stream of customers moving in, applying for service, moving out and closing their accounts, and several non-pay customers. “Historically, it has been difficult to automate many parts of these processes because they cross multiple utility systems, all using different technologies,” says Tim Berson, Director of Products & Research at SmartWorks. “As a Harris Utilities sister division, we work closely with our partners, including NorthStar, to develop solutions that use industry-standard integration approaches to tie systems together and execute these actions without the intervention of utility personnel.”

The Automated Move-In/Move-Out module coupled with the Automated Disconnect / Reconnect module from SmartWorks streamlines gathering final reads and start reads reliably, including automating disconnect and reconnect operations for Move-In/Move-Out or non-pay transactions while saving time for the customer service representatives.

You Define the Rules

Move-In/Move-Out processes can be aligned with existing business processes, such as obtaining a start / final read with or without a corresponding connect / disconnect.

Credit disconnect and reconnect processes are flexible and can accommodate your own rules that define how disconnects are performed, with the option of further streamlining.  For instance, a disconnect can be throttled or staged to occur over an extended period for a group of customers. This reduces challenges for Customer Service when large numbers of disconnected customers call the customer service desk around the same time. Disconnect operations can also be deferred for weather reasons – SmartWorks can monitor for temperatures above or below a specific threshold – or for safety, e.g., where there is life support or health monitoring equipment at a location.

Self-Monitoring

All command signals to AMI meters for on-request reads or to connect or disconnect power are confirmed at execution. The system can be configured for multiple retries if a command fails. After that, a notification is generated for utility personnel to investigate. An optional Task Manager can be used to initiate field investigation to prioritize, delegate or annotate tasks and modify their status.

Integration and Automation

Move-in, move-out, and shut-off for non-pay requests are gathered by Customer Service and any appropriate service orders created in the usual way. SmartWorks checks for these service orders regularly, determines the appropriate meters, initiates the required actions, returns the correct billing determinants, and automatically populates the service orders. Final bills and Start bills can then be generated promptly with the correct billing information. Billing determinants may be as simple as a register read from the meter or can include blocks, tiers, time-of-use, and demand.

Handling Exceptions

If the optimum meter read is unavailable, say in the case of a missing register read, the SmartWorks solution can use estimated reads or the next closest read, all based on configurable logic. It’s easy to automate processes that always go according to plan. SmartWorks goes the extra distance to handle exceptions and anomalies efficiently and seamlessly.

Saving Time

With SmartWorks handling this repetitive task and dealing with anomalies, your customer service department can focus on more value-added activities. This solution empowers you to serve your customers better and do it more efficiently.

For years, SmartWorks has been solving challenges like this. We’ve become masters of process design, integration, and automation – enabling us to streamline processes, save time and make the complex simple.

Our Process Automation engine allows us to configure a massive range of processes without the need for custom code or scripting. This means that we can solve problems and streamline processes in solutions that are easy to deploy, operate, and maintain.

For more information on how we can automate MIMO, shut-off for non-pay, and other processes for you, please email Marianne Pelletier at: MPelletier@harriscomputer.com or call direct: +1 613-706-7251.