Systems and Technology
to improve Customer
Management
2Content
Background
Eskom’s experience with regard to the use of:
▬ Prepayment Metering Technology
▬ Online Vending Technology
▬ Contact Centre Technology
▬ Customer interface Channels
▬ Integrated Billing System
▬ Data Management Tools
3
Background
In order to sustain good service delivery, it is imperative
for Eskom to proactively provide solutions that deals with
the current, evolving and future ‘customer needs’ and
‘service challenges’…
This presentation highlights the Systems and Information
Technology
used
by
Eskom
to
improve
Customer
Management and Service…
It also highlights an inherent culture to lead in the
provision of electricity services and customer satisfaction
through operational efficiencies,
innovative technology
and
financial controls
..4
Standardization of Prepaid Meters
Proprietary Meters
• Different meters from different suppliers • Different tokens – proprietary tokens • Each supplier had own vending system • Different meter sizes
• When meter fails, same product used to replace product that failed.
• Strong possibility of being locked into one supplier
Standard Transfer Specification (STS) Meters
• Standard Common Base • Standard tokens
• Standard vending systems from different suppliers. • Faulty meters can be interchanged
• Eliminated the possibility of being locked into one supplier
5
Common Base STS Meters
Common Base for all Meters Meters from Different Manufacturers
Different meters fit onto the ‘Common Base’
STS : Standard Transfer Specification
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Smart Meters
Two-way Wireless Communication
Remote Electricity / Water Meter Reading and load management
Administer Free Basic Services
Remote Disconnect & Reconnect
Prepayment or Credit meter
Detection of Tampering and Load Shed
Bypassing
Dynamic customer messaging
Load Limiting (Limits supply capacity size)
Load Reduction
Time-of-Use enabled
Outage & Fault Notification
Power Quality (Voltage) Monitoring
7
Migration to Online Vending
Retail Chain Stores ATM’s
Increased ‘National Vending Footprint & Accessibility’ through deployment of various point of sale devices / channels Contact Centres
+/ 1600 Off-line Vending Agents
Merchants
Eskom Walk-In Centres
+
R e a l ti m e N o t re a l ti m e InternetPrepaid Electricity Tokens used be sold from Eskom Walk-In Centres before +/- 1600 Offline Vending Agents were appointed in the communities that Eskom is supplying directly. EasyPay pay points and vending outlets (Retail Stores, Service Stations Banks etc) were later added to increase the options and expand the national footprint. The current phase is that of implementing Online Vending and thus deploying multitudes of new virtual channels
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 8
CONTACT CENTRE
&
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Information Sharing: Contact Centres
Web development and design is moving to facilitated communication, secure information sharing, and collaboration.
It is creating a new, global community of customers, prospects, CSRs, SMEs, and people who like to “help.”
A single person can communicate with the masses – their friends, or the public – real-time, through a variety of channels, with positive or negative spin.
Others may proactively receive (whether they consume the content or not)
If content begets content, votes, subscriptions, or commentary through secondary contributions (“boost”), it gains value in the community.
Source: NACC (National Association of Call Centers “In Queue” Volume 4, Issue 6 - March 20, 2009
“U s e rs c o n tr ib u te c o n te n t th ro u g h a v a ri e ty o f m e d ia ” 10
What are the Opportunities?
Opportunities exist within the company for internal communication (agents, supervisors, subject matter experts, other departments) to collaborate and share with each other as well as respond to your customers’ or prospects’ questions
Opportunities exist outside the company for external communication (customers, prospects, analysts, competitors, and others who want to respond to your customers’ or prospects’ questions).
It will force cross-departmental collaboration and get others across the company engaged in customer care.
We need marketing and communication. This is the “seize the moment” opportunity to work together to address enterprise communications in support of your customers.
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INTEGRATED INFORMATION
SYSTEM ARCHICTECTURE
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I-BUS System Architecture
Customer Contact Centre Work Mgt Centre CDX GTX SAP HR ASSET CATALOGUE SEEBEYOND SMALL WORLD SAP FI EDC
XAI SERVICES BAPI MX SERVER
MX SERVER BAPI MX SERVER
MAXIMO PIC MDT FMS NEPS CC&B GTX SAP HR ASSET CATALOGUE SEEBEYOND SEEBEYOND SMALL
WORLD SAP FI EDC
XAI SERVICES BAPI MX SERVER
MX SERVER BAPI MX SERVER
MAXIMO FMS NEPS
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Integrated System Architecture
CBI Natural Adabas OS/390 'SUN' Solaris SunSparc SAP HP-UX/ABAP/Oracle HP Maximo Oracle Unix BDS Oracle Unix
Customer Payment Detail
Customer Payment Detail
Xerox Bills to Print Bank External System Bank Statement PCP ID Sales Transaction Information GL Entries for Charges, Payments, Deposits etc. Sales Transaction Information Customer Detail, Tariff POD Changes RouteMaster (HHU) Win/DOS PC Meter Readings External System Transactions failing ACB validation 1) CBI Validation of: Branch Code,Account Number,Account Type
2) AutoPay Data EasyPay/ Smartech External System ACB External System SMS Win/DOS PC CDU Win/DOS PC PCP Win/DOS PC PIC Oracle Unix EBM Win/MS-Access PC Data Transfer Technology (Arrows) Physical Media Movement Replication Technologies Electronic File Transfers Manual (*=Automation in Progress) Other/Unknown
NB: Application Block Colours denote platform
CC&B Sun Solaris/Oracle Sun E10000 Ac quir e C u sto m er Bill in g Measure Usage Protect Revenue CSWeb Oracle Unix KCD Natural/Adabas OS/390 SAPO External System Topline Windows NT EssBase BPS Oracle Unix EFI Oracle Unix Smallworld (GDC, FMS2, MDT, TIPS) Oracle Unix SARS External System MV90 DOS/Btrieve PC Profile Meter Readings Consumption data P ro file M e te r R e ad s C on sum ptio n D ata
KC Data, Customer Data, Account, Premise and Consumption Data To p 5 00 C us to m ers C us to m e r D a ta To CDx - Meter Readings Out CDx - Schedules Dates Consumption Data Location Data Location Data Customer Info Customer Data C usto m er D ata Location Data IP 3 C ert ic ic ate s D ata P ay m en ts a nd A c cou nts McPower (Documentum) Win/MS Access PC Customer Applications From CDx - Customer Info Out CDx - Changes to Details
Debt Collection Data
Data Warehouse
Meter Reads, Premise and SP Details W ork R e que sts Work Order Status PC P ID S a les T ra ns ac tion D e ta ils
SMS ID, Customer Detail, Tariff, POD Changes SMS ID, Sales Transaction Info
Oracle Database - Maximo - PIC - QA - KPI - MM - FMS/OMS - FM Trace
(See next page for details)
Customer and Location Data Cu sto m er a nd Lo cati on D ata Data Comparison and Upload Tool
Windows PC Debt Collection System Win/MS Access PC GL Entries for Direct Deposits.
Bill Print Extracts (x5) and Complex Statement Extract
Vending Point Data Tool Windows PC Vending Diagnostic Tool Windows PC Customer, Acc,
Premise etc Data Customer, Acc, Premise etc Data MR Routes, Cycles,
Dates, SP Meter History
CDU IDs and Status Active CDUs, Unallocated Values, Zero Consumption and Vending Customers
Pricing Spreadsheets Spreadsheets TOU Maps ListClean Oracle Unix HTML Manual Correction Interface HTML Ad dre s s D a ta Address Data Address Data
SP and Meter Number
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Summary
Eskom has seen significant improvement in service
delivery due to implementation of various systems and
technologies over the years, however each system or
technology has its own challenges…
Any system or technology requires a proper support
structure based on a particular business philosophy or
strategic intent…
Common challenges are usually around the following:
▬ Data input
▬ Training
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