the leading software platform for billing and...

50 EnErgyBiz magazinE March/April 2006

The Leading Software Platform for Billing andCustomer Care in Competitive Retail Power/Gas Markets

1.781.372.5000 [email protected]

Whether you supply energy to C&I or mass-market customers, managing the customer revenue cycle can take a big bite out of your bottom line. That’s why more of today’s leading retail marketers choose Excelergy® as their billing and customer care solution.

Excelergy offers a comprehensive platform for fast, efficient customer acquisition, care and structured pricing – with a versatile billing engine that can handle your most challenging mass market requirements to your most complex interval billing for C&I customers. Full integration of all applications provides straight-through processing for superior accuracy, auditing and compliance. And Excelergy’s financial strength and customer-centric focus mean we will be there to help you achieve both short-term goals and long-term success!

ONLINE AT THE ENERGY CENTRALTOPIC CENTER

Sponsored Exclusively by MasterCard International

www.energycentral.com EnErgyBiz magazinE 51

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billing & customer

care

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Tracking an overnight package is a technical marvel.

Any one of the three major overnight shipping companies can quickly

and accurately tell you where the package is, when it was delivered,

and who signed for it. Talk about leveraging information technology

for improved customer service—these guys have nailed it.

This glaring example of how integrated technologies are deployed

to run a business and make quantum leaps ahead in customer service

are living, breathing proof that it can be done. It is encouraging to see

that many utilities are also moving along this track.

At the heart of this discussion is the use of Customer Information

Systems, particularly as CIS is deployed and integrated with other

applications that can improve customer service, effectiveness and

efficiency of utility crews, and ultimately the bottom line.

The Drive to UpdateNow that Y2K is a memory and the subject of an occasional IT profes-

sional’s joke, what is driving utilities to upgrade and replace their CIS?

The chart below provides some insight into this question.

Utility management does not view CIS as a static system, but one

that is interfaced to ERP/EAM systems and needs to be Web-enabled.

CIS plays a pivotal role in utilities’ efforts to make continuous oper-

ational, customer, and financial improvements. For instance, utility

managers indicate that their CIS is interfaced to as many as 200 other

systems, with an average of 32 interfaces to the CIS across the entire

survey group. This is difficult to manage. Different data formats, orga-

nizational priorities, and a myriad of other considerations can compli-

cate such an intertwining of applications and data. This is another data

point telling us that the world of CIS is dynamic, with plenty of opportu-

nities for change and improvement in how to deploy this technology.

BEYOND CISThe fUTUre of cUsTomer informaTion

By mike smith

The figure below provides an insight into how these numerous inte-

grations stack up in the minds of utility managers.

Notably, the top two responses among investor-owned utilities—

by a wide margin—deal directly with customer service issues, but can

also greatly impact efficiencies and financial performance.

So, if one accepts that the CIS has evolved beyond being the utility’s

“cash register” to being an important piece of an integrated or enter-

prise solution, it is worth exploring how and why this is so important.

Looking Beyond the cash registerLooking at utility perspectives with the broader set of solution

providers beyond the traditional CIS boundaries provides some excel-

lent insights into how the CIS market is evolving into an integrated

solution as opposed to a stand-alone solution.

Ron Brumback, chief executive officer of 4Datalink, of Acton,

Mass., is in a position to provide the insights of an integrated solu-

tions provider about the role of CIS in the utility enterprise. Brumback

commented that in the projects that they are undertaking, and in

the RFPs that they are seeing, the CIS and other systems are “typi-

cally owned and managed by their individual departments creating

multiple non-integrated data silos, but the CIS integration presents

a significant opportunity for customer service and operating perfor-

mance improvement.”

Brumback cited just a few of the many examples as to why utilities

are taking a more aggressive posture towards integrated solutions:

» Service point management assures consistency between

network model and CIS service points and meter information.

The model will feed CIS with the correct connected substation,

feeder and transformer information for each customer (and the

corresponding as-built changes when needed).

IOU CIS Selection CriteriaWeb-Enabled

Service Orders

Oracle Database

Ease of Interface to MobileWorkforce Management

Ease of Interface toERP/Financial Systems

Ease of Interface to GIS

Ease of Interface to OMS

UNIX-Based

Sales Approach

Price

Technology

Marketshare

Size, Financial Stability

3.91

0 0.5 1 2 3 41.5 2.5 3.5 4.5

3.68

2.77

3.32

2.95

3.09

2.5

2.5

3.09

3.55

3.73

3.73

3.77

IOU CIS integrations to other systems

Is Information Strategic?

ERP

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

43%43% 43% 41%

62%

38%

Mobile GIS AMR Customer Self-Serve

Outage Mgmt.

Ext.WMS

OtherWebSys.

57%

35%

No Seat31.4%

Seat at theTable68.6%

Sour

ce: C

ause

y CI

S/CR

M R

epor

t, 2

00

5


Service Orders

Oracle Database





UNIX-Based

Sales Approach

Price

Technology

Marketshare


3.91

0 0.5 1 2 3 41.5 2.5 3.5 4.5

3.68

2.77

3.32

2.95

3.09

2.5

2.5

3.09

3.55

3.73

3.73

3.77



ERP

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

43%43% 43% 41%

62%

38%


Outage Mgmt.

Ext.WMS

OtherWebSys.

57%

35%

No Seat31.4%


Sour

ce: C

ause

y CI

S/CR

M R

epor

t, 2

00

5

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» Address management allows addresses to be validated against

the model (using the geographic information) before being

entered in the CIS.

» Billing cycles and meter reading cycles are easier to optimize

taking into account the customer location.

As utilities continue to integrate systems, applications, and data

across the enterprise, tangible results are becoming more of the norm,

enabling utilities to more readily demonstrate positive cost-benefit

analyses to get the “green light” on integrated solutions.

Enterprise workforce management solution provider Mobile Data

Solutions Inc. (MDSI), in Richmond, British Columbia, cites some metrics

that demonstrate the value of integrated solutions in general, and in

the mobile area in particular.

According to MDSI’s experience in working with its 100+ customers,

the benefits of integrated solutions have resulted in numerous cost

savings and improvements, including back office operational cost

savings for some functional areas of up to 90 percent, technician

efficiency improvements of 10 to 20 percent, vehicle mileage savings

of half a mile or more per service call, and reduced response time

to emergencies.

In an even more graphic demonstration of the benefits of the

integrated solution, MDSI management cites the collections group of

Memphis Light Gas & Water, which saw an annual benefit of more than

$4 million annually from reduced write-offs that resulted when the

company automated the scheduling of collections orders.

Another indicator of the direction of integrated solutions that

include CIS is how utilities are writing RFPs. Integrated solution provider

SPL WorldGroup, in San Francisco, says that the number of RFPs that

include multi-product solutions is up considerably from previous

years. Guerry Waters, senior vice president of product management at

SPL, points out that “there are also a growing number of utilities that

are implementing more than one solution in a shorter period of time

as data and computing platforms become more standardized, thus

enabling more integrated solutions.”

The View from the executive suiteTaking this concept of integrated solutions one step further, it is worth

exploring if utility executives see the value of investing in CIS and inte-

grated solutions. This is a potentially important distinction, for while

mid-level utility managers supervise the projects and the systems,

having an “audience” and a “sponsor” in the executive suite is key in

being able to demonstrate and execute the value of implementing an

integrated solution.

Utility CIOs are becoming a more important part of the machinery

that drives a utility’s strategy. More than two-thirds of utility CIOs

now have the all-important “seat at the table” with the rest of the

utility senior management team.

This elevates the role of IT from being a function that is asking for

funding, to being one that is contributing to the strategic success of

the business of the utility. This in turn enables an executive view of CIS

as being more of a critical piece of the integrated solution than being

the stand-alone “cash register.”

Waters at SPL WorldGroup puts it this way, “We are not only seeing

utility executives buying into an integrated solution, but in many cases

they are leading initiatives towards them.”

In another example, the CIO of an investor-owned energy company,

one of MDSI’s customers, values its mobile workforce management

system, which is interfaced to multiple applications, as one of the top

five enablers to the success of the company.

CIS continues to be an area of utility operations that can be expen-

sive and difficult to implement and manage. The value of the customer

information goes beyond the bill when it is interfaced or integrated

with other systems across the enterprise. In light of this, many utility

managers and executives are seeing the value of CIS as a critical piece

of their overall integrated solution that can have significant impacts

on customer service, operating efficiencies, regulatory compliance,

and bottom-line performance. And as the successes with integrated

solutions continue to be more commonplace, thinking, planning, and

implementing “beyond CIS” will likewise become more commonplace.

Mike Smith is senior vice president of Sierra Energy Group, a division on Energy Central.


Service Orders

Oracle Database





UNIX-Based

Sales Approach

Price

Technology

Marketshare


3.91

0 0.5 1 2 3 41.5 2.5 3.5 4.5

3.68

2.77

3.32

2.95

3.09

2.5

2.5

3.09

3.55

3.73

3.73

3.77



ERP

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

43%43% 43% 41%

62%

38%


Outage Mgmt.

Ext.WMS

OtherWebSys.

57%

35%

No Seat31.4%


Source: Causey CIO Report, 2005

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Utilities universally agree that caring for customers is

a priority. Execution, however, varies by company. Salt River Project,

based in Phoenix, has been given high marks in customer satisfaction by

J.D. Power and Associates. The information services firm, in a 2005 press

release, stated, “For the sixth time in seven years, Salt River Project ranks

highest in the Western Region. Salt River receives the highest ratings in

the region in every component.” EnergyBiz contacted Mike Lowe, SRP

customer services executive, to discuss how the utility scrutinizes its

work processes to upgrade its service to its 860,000 customers. Below,

he answers our questions.

What improvements in billing and customer care are priorities?

We are pursuing several major thrusts:

» Security of sensitive customer information. We are reviewing

our manual and automated systems to ensure the safe storage

and transmission of sensitive customer data, and we are taking

steps to eliminate the capture of sensitive information in the

first instance unless it is absolutely essential. We do not want

to jeopardize customer trust.

» Smart meters. Starting this year, we intend to deploy 100,000

smart meters a year to permit daily capture and transmission

to SRP of customer energy consumption by on- and off-peak

periods. Many of the meters will be equipped with remote

disconnect switches, and a significant number of the meters

will be capable of remote reconfiguration between credit billing

and prepayment modes.

Technology has evolved rapidly to the point where smart meters

make sense economically. For every 100,000 smart meters

deployed, we will reduce our staffing requirements by 17 FTE.

However, the more compelling reasons for smart meters are the

following four service improvements, which will result from the

timely and accurate reading of meters:

1. Even through high-activity periods or employee illnesses,

orders will be worked on the date promised.

2. Automated meter reads eliminate accidental wrapped

reads, which result in questionable bills. Automated meter

reads allow us to offer time-of-use tariffs to customers for

whom we currently deny this offering due to the restricted

locations of their meters. (Current time-of-use meters cannot

be read from a distance but, rather, must be physically probed.)

3. Daily two-way communication to the smart meter supports

the ability to offer critical peak pricing, affording customers

with yet another mechanism to control their electric bills and

affording SRP another mechanism to manage peak loads and

resulting costs.

4. Daily capture of a customer’s energy consumption

supports a host of new Web services to enable customers to

make better-informed decisions regarding their energy use.

» Credit card billing. Historically, the electric utility industry has

resisted direct acceptance of credit cards, due to the merchant

fees involved. SRP is no exception. In lieu of credit card accep-

tance, we have actively promoted direct debit. Today, more

than 16 percent of SRP customers participate in this program,

which we call SurePay. However, our research suggests that

direct debit appeals to baby boomers and seniors, while direct

billing to credit cards has greater appeal to Generations X and

Y. To enhance customer satisfaction, particularly among the

younger generations, SRP will be implementing direct billing to

Visa credit cards this year—without surcharge to customers.

What are the primary obstacles to those improvements—fiscal or technical?

There is virtually no change in business process that can be imple-

mented with respect to customer service that doesn’t require tech-

nical support. Customer information systems, particularly billing

engines, are complex. The mind-numbing detail involved in weaving

new services into the existing business cloth makes changes to these

systems expensive. Expense is the primary obstacle for us.

Salt River Project Embraces CustomersVieW from The Trenches

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indiana gas pushes customer awareness Eric Boothe

Are you satisfied with your utility’s current capabilities in billing and customer care?

Yes.

What improvements in billing and customer care are priorities?

Our priorities are to provide more electronic (Web-based) programs/payment plans/self help opportunities for external customers; better and more utility-initiated commu-nications with external customers; written communication as a response to a customer initiating service for the first time and enrolling on a plan, and customer awareness of the billing/payment plan offerings available.

What are the primary obstacles to those improvements—fiscal or technical?

A little of both, but the obstacles are primarily the internal technical resource availability to work on billing/customer care related objectives.

What is your main concern regarding vendors providing you with billing and customer care products?

If this means providing literature of product offerings, I welcome it. If it means vendor calls—in person or telephonically—I am not as receptive to this type of contact if there are no current or near-term plans to initiate changes to our billing system.

What is your vision for billing and customer care at your company five to 10 years out?

I would anticipate more electronic billing (EBPP) and electronic communication (e-mail, IM, or chat) and less paper-oriented bill processing.

Eric Boothe is Citizens Gas manager of customer billing services in Indianapolis.

Up-front capital costs for smart meters

also necessitate a more surgical implemen-

tation to moderate capital costs. Likewise,

the several layers of merchant fees for credit

cards make credit card payment substantially

more expensive than almost any other form

of payment except in-person payments at a

customer service window.

What is your main concern regarding vendors providing you with billing and customer care products?

We have two substantive concerns with many vendors:

» Will the vendor provide the level of

product quality and customer service

to us that we need to in turn provide to

our customers?

» How can we sustain a high level of

service to our customers in the event

the vendor discontinues a needed

product or otherwise evolves the

product in a direction that does not

support our needs?

In many instances, we elect to develop our

own software so we maintain maximum

control over service levels to our customers.

What is your vision for billing and customer care at your company five to 10 years out?

More than five years ago, I crafted a rela-

tively simple, but powerful, vision for Customer

Services at SRP: We generate customer and

community satisfaction with SRP through

innovative and cost-effective customer

services delivered in a consistent and timely

manner. Customers find doing business with

us to be rewarding, easy, and pleasant.

We live this vision at every staff meeting.

We scrub our work processes for simplicity

and customer acceptability. We continu-

ally scan the marketplace for new services

and technologies that allow us to do things

better, faster, and at lower cost. Each month

we review formal customer research, both

transactional and strategic in nature, for

insights into the customer’s wants, needs,

and desires. And, most importantly, we ask

ourselves “why not” instead of “why,” which

increases our receptivity to new ideas.

Over the next ten years, I anticipate a host

of new technology-enabled services that

allow highly personalized levels of service

to each of our significant market segments.

Customers will have real-time access to

their energy consumption, a host of tools to

manage that consumption, and a wide array

of mechanisms to pay for that consumption.

EBPP: The Time is NowKerry lecrone, docucorp international

p1154

Utilities Spending Big on Systemswarren causey, energy central

p1182

EBPP: Key for Companies christine Kozlosky, ascent group

p1134

Billing & Query Management rajiv agrawal, wipro technologies

p1133

Consistency Key to Customer Servicedavid saxby, measure-X

p1100

Billing Initiatives dennis smith, chartwell

p1112

E-Payments and AMRgail moser, billmatrix

p1077

Advantages of Electronic PaymentsKent stuckey and Jim crossley, internet transaction solutions

p1071

Control of Customer Communications davis marksbury, exstream software

p1007

Consolidate with Utility Specific ERPKristian steenstrup, gartner

p895

The Power in Your Call Centerbarbara burke, barbara burke & associates

p754

Customer Management Tools Jerome simeon, capgemini

p739

New Value From Old CISbrian erickson, hitachi consulting

p873

Bilingual CISangelo pasquale, optiron corp.

p747

Billing in Deregulated Marketsarthur pearson, energy services group

p740

Billing and Customer Care articles from EnergyPulse

To view any of these articles, please go to www.energycentral.com/quicklink and type the

quick link code ( ) into the quick link box.

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Great River Energy (GRE), of Elk River, Minn., is a generation and transmission rural electric cooperative formed in 1999 when two Midwest cooperatives consolidated operations. GRE provides electrical energy and services to 28 distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin, serving nearly 600,000 customers.

GRE’s complex billing system calculated monthly invoices, but the monthly billing process was extremely time-intensive and inef-ficient. Interval meter data had to be imported and exported to the billing system, a separate application was written to view and print the invoices, e-mail distribution of the invoices was manual, and another third-party application was used to meet all the reporting requirements. It took about eight workdays each month to gener-ate and distribute 46 invoices.

When GRE decided to use MV-90, Itron’s meter data communi-cations and management system, to manage all of its interval meter data, it took the opportunity to evaluate its complete monthly billing process. After extensive research, GRE selected Itron’s MV-PBS Express, a complex billing solution that interfaces directly to MV-90.

solution

Successfully modeling a complex rate is one of the most difficult exercises in complex billing. MV-PBS differs from many complex billing solutions because its scripting language was designed to allow billing analysts to create and modify rates without help from developers. Allowing billing analysts to model their own rates eliminates one of the most difficult steps in the process, translat-ing the billing analyst’s knowledge of the complex rate structure into program specifications.

The rate chosen to be part of GRE’s training was the rate used to bill all member cooperatives, plus two of the many riders to the rate. The member’s rate structure defines energy, demand, transmission, ancillary service and previous month’s power cost adjustment charges. It also involves seasonal demand and both energy and demand load management credits. It is a GRE philosophy that everyone involved in a process should understand it from beginning to end.

The standard implementation process for MV-PBS Express includes several weeks of training. Basic training began in March of 2003, and went so well that the instructor was able to move on to more complex rate modeling concepts early. By the end of the second week of training the class was discussing (and creating) more complex riders and additional functionality.

Doralisa Eatherton, the accounting specialist responsible for configuring and scripting the rates and performing the user test-ing, was willing to commit to completing all the rates within three months. As it turned out, she was able to complete the scripting and initial testing of the rates by the middle of May. “I absolutely love the system,” she said. “I didn’t spend as much time as I was thinking I’d have to on the script.”

GRE’s implementation plan required two months of parallel test-ing, so the invoices for May and June were run in the existing system and in MV-PBS. The new invoices were shared with GRE’s member co-ops to gather their input before MV-PBS went into production.

Results

On Aug. 1, 2003 the first production invoices were generated. Four business days later, all invoices were complete — cutting the time spent on the billing process in half. In January of 2006, that process was trimmed to only one day to complete the invoices.

“From a management perspective, the project accomplished its objective,” said Doug Paumen, GRE’s Manager of Financial Ser-vices. “We knew we needed to streamline the process and provide more timely information to the board and management. We were successful in both areas and the fact that the team completed the initial installations ahead of schedule was outstanding.”

There are many reasons why the GRE implementation of MV-PBS went so well. The individuals on the team had the required skill sets and the determination. GRE management committed the appropriate resources and made the implementation a priority. GRE’s member cooperatives were informed and involved. Finally, GRE understood their complex billing needs and selected a prod-uct that met those needs.

Last year, GRE changed its member rate structure and its current rate components. GRE has established base rates and growth rates for each cooperative. With the new billing system in place, GRE is ready for the next challenge.

“ We were successful in both areas and the fact that the team completed the initial installations ahead of schedule was outstanding.”

FoR moRe inFoRmation, contact matt owens at

510.844.2845 oR [email protected].

Great River Energy Case Study: Cooperation, Commitment and the Right Tool for Complex Billing


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Payment card acceptance for customer bill payment not only allows utilities to increase customer satisfaction byexpanding bill payment options, but also allows utilities toimprove bottom line results by reducing costs in severalareas of the revenue cycle, including bill rendering and collection processes.

The 2005/2006 Study of Consumer Payment Preferences conducted by the American Bankers Association and DoveConsulting, and sponsored in part by MasterCard International,shows that consumers are increasingly embracing and demonstrating a preference for electronic payments. The trendin consumer preference for electronic payment options hasallowed utilities to capitalize on electronic bill presentment (e-bill) as an efficient way to 1) reduce costs associated withrendering paper bills by facilitating the adoption of e-bill and 2) promote recurring/auto payment programs.

Turn the page for more information and to see how creditand debit card acceptance to pay utility bills can shorten thepath to payment and power up the bottom line.

For more information about MasterCard International andthe programs available for the Utilities Industry, visitwww.mastercardmerchant.com/utilities/ebp, or send ane-mail to [email protected].

Powering-Up the Bottom Line withPayment Cards

A Thought Leadership Commentary fromMasterCard International

6_11613_PowerAD_7.qxd 3/1/06 3:39 PM Page 1

THOUgHT LEaDErSHiP — SPOnSOrED By maSTErCarD inTErnaTiOnaL www.energycentral.com EnErgyBiz magazinE 57

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58 EnErgyBiz magazinE March/April 2006 THOUgHT LEaDErSHiP — SPOnSOrED By maSTErCarD inTErnaTiOnaL

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THOUgHT LEaDErSHiP — SPOnSOrED By maSTErCarD inTErnaTiOnaL www.energycentral.com EnErgyBiz magazinE 59

Payment Cards Offer Many Benefits to Utilities and Customers

Utilities have traditionally accepted credit and debitcards for payment through third-party processors. Nowthose utilities are reevaluating that business model and are beginning to bring these payments in-house. There are two good reasons for this shift—customersatisfaction and an improved bottom line.

As utilities begin to further evaluate and embrace theuse of credit and debit cards in their payment mix,tangible benefits are being identified for both the utility and its customers. Utility benefits include:• improved customer service leading to increased

customer satisfaction• reduced mail float• improved days sales outstanding (DSOs)• reduced manual processing for exceptions• enhanced e-Bill adoption• the ability to offer a convenient recurring

payments option

Many of these benefits tie into and support a utility’sstrategy of servicing more customers through self-servicechannels and delivering options that increase customersatisfaction. According to Warren Causey, vice presidentof Sierra Energy Group,“Utilities are continually lookingfor ways to improve customer satisfaction. Providing additional choice to the customer by expanding paymentoptions to include acceptance of credit and debit cards isanother step in the right direction.”

From the customer’s perspective, the benefits includehaving choice in how they make their monthly payments,the added convenience associated with using paymentcards, and, for those customers with rewards cards, theability to earn rewards in eligible loyalty programs.

There are costs inherent in every payment method—someobvious, some not as obvious. When following a utility’stypical revenue cycle, there are points along the way wherepayment card acceptance in lieu of cash and checks canreduce some of the cost assumed by the utility.

The Typical Revenue CycleUtility customers are invoiced either by paper bills orelectronically. If a utility is migrating to a paperless bill,then accepting an electronic form of payment is key toleveraging the potential savings, since payment cardacceptance is likely to increase adoption of EBPP (electronic bill presentment and payment). When thecustomer receives the bill, they can typically make payment in one of three ways: payment card, cash,or check.

Payment CardsFunds received via credit or debit card can be postedto the utility almost immediately. Payment cardsensure guaranteed, secure payment; improve cashflow, and speed revenue recognition. Accepting cardscan be an instrument for resolving some payment orcheck-related issues by enabling customer service andfield service personnel to accept credit and debit cardsfor bill payment in the appropriate circumstances.

Payment cards can also facilitate a recurring paymentsprogram which can be a valuable tool to help utilitiesincrease customer satisfaction. It provides many benefitsto customers, including convenience, stress relief knowing that bills will be paid on time, and savings on postage and late fees. MasterCard Internationalrecently sponsored research* to better understand U.S.consumers’ attitudes, behavior, and decision criteriaregarding payment methods for recurring bills. Theresearch shows that consumers are increasingly usingpayment cards (credit and debit) for automatic bill payment and feel particularly comfortable using themfor fixed bill amounts like average pay programs.

Additionally, to help utilities maximize and maintain thisgrowth opportunity, MasterCard offers the AutomaticBilling Updater service. The Updater filters critical data(for example, new expiration dates) from participatingissuers to registered utilities through the utility’s acquiring bank.

CashCash can be accepted (for delinquent accounts or construction charges, for example) at approved locations (i.e., “district offices”) that are staffed andsecured, and that presents another set of touch points.Many utilities have enhanced their cash handling procedures to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley. Apart fromdistrict offices, other payment agency locations requirecontracts that come with added cost and may requireadditional quality controls.

ChecksPayment by check has traditionally been the most prevalent method of payment for utility customers (the lockbox). It can be cost effective for the utility if theprocess goes smoothly. Even in the best-case scenario,though, it takes several days for the funds to be credited to the customer’s account.

Often, however, there are several issues that couldarise during the check-processing route. These“detours” off the path to payment must be correctedin order for funds to be posted to the utility. The timeand talent needed to resolve the issues often result inhigher than perceived transaction costs to the utility.Let’s take a closer look.

Why Checks Could Cost More• White Paper can happen as soon as your bank

opens the envelope, adversely affecting the ultimatecost of processing.

• Life after batch processing. Posting errors, paymenterrors, incorrect account number transcription, andallocation to suspense accounts all must be correctedand reconciled if the utility is to receive payment. Oftenthese errors require referral to the utility’s billing groupor direct involvement from accounting or other departments.This adds time and more cost in the formof labor, delayed payment postings, and increasedDSOs. Additionally, if a payment is not posted correctly, the utility’s normal IT processes are triggered

and a good paying customer may inadvertently besent a delinquent notice. This scenario results in extrapaper and postage from you; and your customer mayplace a call to Customer Service (i.e., the call center) inorder to correct the error.

• Getting the check is just the beginning. Whathappens when it is returned for non-sufficient funds(NSF)? The check now incurs further delays and potential increases in transaction costs. Collecting NSFchecks can default to a utility’s communicationprocesses and must be handled by either in-house oroutsourced collections groups at additional expense.By accepting a credit or debit card at this juncture,however, the utility can expedite payment.

• Collections/Field Services. In serious delinquencycases, utilities often have to send a technician to turnoff the customer’s service. Depending upon the utility,workers may not be allowed to accept checks or cashin the field. However, if they are enabled to accept payment cards (facilitated by wireless card acceptanceterminals), then the utility enjoys additional benefits.Revenue is received more rapidly, further processes are avoided, and another trip to the field can be eliminated—the one to turn service back on.

Power-up Your Bottom LineBoth customers and utilities are winners when paymentcards are accepted and used. The consumer enjoys boththe convenience and speed of using a credit or debitcard for payment and the security of knowing the billhas been paid on time. The utility wins by improving efficiencies in its internal processing of payments, andcustomer satisfaction may increase as well. More rapidand secure cash flow also offers tremendous benefits to a utility that often bills and processes millions ofstatements each year.

Consider the absolute cost of cash and checks whenevaluating whether payment cards have a place withinyour utility’s revenue cycle. Although there are costsassociated with payment card transactions as well,these costs can often be partially or fully absorbed whenevaluated within the context of the benefits that directcard acceptance can provide. It’s time utilities explorehow the addition of credit and debit cards can fit intothe payment mix they offer to their customers.

For more information about MasterCard Internationaland the programs available for the Utility industry,visit www.mastercardmerchant.com/utilities/ebp orsend an e-mail to [email protected].

*MasterCard Recurring Payments 2005–Consumer Awareness,Behavior & Attitude Research

©2006 MasterCard International Incorporated


60 EnErgyBiz magazinE March/April 2006 THOUgHT LEaDErSHiP — SPOnSOrED By maSTErCarD inTErnaTiOnaL


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services, energy, healthcare, insurance, and communications sectors. The company delivers a full suite of CRM solutions including: Inbound / Outbound, Customer Care, Sales / Telemarketing, Data Processing, Surveys / Market Research, and Electronic / web based CRM (eCRM).

Our reputation has been built on five key commitments to our clients: exceptional quality, superior people, responsiveness / flexibility, constant improvement and value creation. Our proven record as a trusted and innovative strategic partner illustrates our Team’s core com-mitment to our clients and their customers. The unique combination of Management experience, motivated Telephone Associates, continuing Train-ing and Development, and Innovative Technology allows CCC Interactive to be one of the most cost effective, efficient, and results-oriented solutions available today.

Our custom solutions and experienced staff provide the highest QUALITY and SERVICE, maximizing the effectiveness of our clients’ cus-tomer relationship programs.

Envision Utility softwarE Corp. SEE COMPLETE LISTInG On PAGE 65

ER Solutions 219 Perimeter Center Parkway NE Atlanta, GA 30346 (770) 604-4382 www.e-r-solutions.com

NCO Customer Management Inc. 507 Prudential Road Horsham, PA 19044 (800) 220-2274 www.ncogroup.com

Nexus Energy Software 16 Laurel Avenue Wellesley, MA 02481 (781) 694-3300 www.nexusenergy.com

Billing & Customer Care SOURCEBOOKListing Categories

management/credit & collections Page 61

call centers/customer service Page 61

cis/crm systems & integration Page 61

consulting Page 65

customer care/Billing & Bill Payment Page 65

ProCore Solutions 1260 Cobb Parkway North Marietta, GA 30062 (678) 355-3550 www.procoresolutions.com Fax (678) 355-3720Contact Greg Steel, President/COO

(678) 355-3550Drew Brown, Director of Marketing &

Communications (678) 355-3550

Jimmy Stevens, Director of Client Services (678) 355-3550

Solutions is a full service call center out-sourcing firm, specializing in the utility industry. We offer a full range of customer care services 24/7/365. Services including after-hours call handling, overflow call handling, surveys, product sales and outage notification. Solutions offers a variety of choices in the types of service, training and pricing companies can choose from.

SITEL Corporation 7277 World Communications Drive Omaha, NE 68122 (402) 963-6810 www.sitel.com

spl worldGroUp SEE COMPLETE LISITnG On PAGE 68

Twenty First Century Communications 760 Northlawn Drive Columbus, OH 43214 (614) 442-1215 www.tfcci.com

cis/crm systems & integration

Advanced Utility Systems Corporation 2235 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON M2J 5B5 Canada (416) 496-0149 www.advancedutility.com

Alliance Data 17655 Waterview Parkway Dallas, TX 75252 (800) 748-1289 www.alliancedatasystems.com

Cogsdale Corporation 14 MacAleer Drive, Suite 5 Charlottetown, PE C1E 2A1 Canada (800) 533-9690 www.cogsdale.com

management/credit & collections

CustomerLinkOne East First Street, Suite 300 Duluth, MN 55802 (800) 722-2808 www.customerlinkone.com

IEI Financial Services2485 Directors RowIndianapolis, IN 46241(770) 350-9869www.ieifs.com

NCO Financial Systems507 Prudential Road Horsham, PA 19044 (800) 220-2274 www.ncogroup.com

Total Solution, Inc. 12843 Muirfield Boulevard South Jacksonville, FL 32225 (866) 737-5328 www.totalsolutioninc.com

call centers/customer service

CCC Interactive Corporation600 Jefferson Street, 4th Floor Houston, TX 77002 (713) 289-8300 Fax (713) 289-8710 www.cccinteractive.comContactSteven Hamaker, President

(800) 690-4944CJ Johnson, Sr. Vice President

(800) 395-7195

CCC Interactive Corporation is a leading provider of comprehensive customer relation-ship management (CRM) and eCRM solutions for Fortune 1000, companies in the financial

Customer Care & Billing

Outage & Distribution Management

Mobile Workforce Management

Enterprise Business Intelligence

Asset & Work Management

Enterprise Information Architecturewww.splwg.com1-800-ASK-4-SPL

StrAtegic UtiLity MAnAgeMentsoftware solutions...available stand-alone or as a pre-integrated application suite


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Ensite Inc. 13750 Millard Avenue, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68137 (888) 895-7884 Fax (402) 898-2120 www.ensite.comContactRod Bates, President

(888) 895-7884Jarel Jensen, VP, Information Technology

(888) 895-7884

EnSite Safari Suite® is a proven, “full-life cycle management” software solution for energy com-panies and service providers. The CIS, Billing, and Gas Management platform is designed for growth by providing a fully integrated, scaleable solution for increased operational efficiency and flexibility. Talk with us today about how EnSite Safari Suite® can become your competitive advan-tage to enhance customer loyalty, capture new customers, and conquer multi-cycle and multi-commodity billing. Call us at 888-895-7884.

itron SEE COMPLETE LISITnG On PAGE 67

Don’t Let Outages Wash AwayYour Customer Service.

1260 North Cobb Parkway, Marietta, GA 30062; (p) 1-877-626-7356; (f) [email protected]; www.procoresolutions.com

ProCore Solutions can resolve this issue with a proven solution! Our“Suite of Services” strategically aligns 24/7/365 call center supportservices to supplement existing call center service departments withafter–hours services; set terms for payment arrangements withinbound collections services; identify customer satisfaction levelsthrough our outbound survey program; provide notification and/oremergency dispatch for electric outage services.

Our services are scalable and we offer variable pricing to fit anyutility’s strategy.

Peace Software 6205 Blue Lagoon Drive Miami, FL 33126 (305) 341-2400 www.peace.com

SAP Americas 3999 West Chester PikeNewtown Square, PA 19073(610) 661-1000Fax (610) 661-8868www.sap.com/utilitiesContactHenry Bailey

[email protected]

SAP for Utilities is a set of state-of-the-art software solutions for utilities worldwide. The integrated, highly reliable, and scalable solutions enable the end-to-end management of business processes because they are built on the open architecture of the SAP netWeaver™ platform. Today, in 70 countries around the globe, more than 950 leading electricity, gas, water, and municipality utilities in regulated, transitioning, and deregulated markets rely on SAP for Utilities.

Skipping Stone Inc. 15311 West Vantage Parkway, Suite 350 Houston, TX 77032 (281) 902-5104 www.skippingstone.com

spl worldGroUp SEE COMPLETE LISITnG On PAGE 68

Soluziona1400 North Providence Road, Suite 4005Rose Tree Corporate Center IIMedia, PA 19063(610) 892-8920www.soluziona.comContactGabriel Machado, VP Utilities Practice

(610) 892-8920Steve Stillman, Director, EAM Systems

(610) 892-8920

Soluziona offers comprehensive, added value information technology systems and solutions in customer care and billing, enterprise asset management, network operations and business intelligence, specifically tailored for electric, gas and water companies. Our Customer Care and Billing system is a proven, state-of-the-art solution with close to 80 clients in 5 continents,








North America 800.925.8272 Europe 44.17.3785.2266 Australia 61.3.3839.17000

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More than 175 electric, gas, water and services companies worldwide trust SPL solutions.


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(Soluziona continued)whose more than 65 million customers are being billed every month using our powerful Enterprise Class Application based on J2EE standards and Open Source technology. Soluziona: commitment and results.

Viecore Inc. 1111 Macarthur Boulevard, Suite 100 Mahwah, NJ 07430 (201) 252-9100 www.viecore.com

consulting

Accenture 180 Fountain Parkway St. Petersburg, FL 33716 (727) 897-7100 www.accenture.com/utilities6

Bass & Company 7815 Calverton Square New Albany, OH 43054 (908) 242-4584 www.bassandcompany.com

Capgemini 750 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor New York, NY 10017 (212) 314-8000 Fax (212) 314-8016 www.us.capgemini.com/energyContactAmin Bishara, Utility Sales Leader

(972) 556-7189Mark Fronmuller, Utility Consulting/

Technology Leader (214) 812-3241

Michel Gevry, NA Utilities Practice Leader (514) 395-3747

Capgemini is the leading consulting firm to the power distribution industry, with more than 10,000 employees working daily in the field and more than 4 million meters under management. Capgemini brings world-leading expertise in utility strategy, business process, integration and deployment. In the emerging area of transfor-mational outsourcing, Capgemini has no peer in serving the north American utility industry. With total contract value of more than $5 billion with TXU, Hydro One, OPG and Bruce Power, our IT and business process outsourcing track record is second to none.

Deloitte Consulting LLC 127 Public Sqaure, Suite 3300 Cleveland, OH 44114 (216) 589-1300 www.deloitte.com/us

Dynamic Energy Systems 740 Springdale Drive, Suite 208 Exton, PA 19341 (610) 363-8503 www.des-ems.com

TMG Consulting 9210 Honeycomb Drive Austin, TX 78737 (512) 288-2655 Fax (512) 288-2622 www.tmgconsulting.comContactGreg Galluzzi, President

(512) 288-2655

TMG Consulting is a an independent informa-tion technology consulting firm. Our services include analysis, planning, selection, and imple-mentation of customer focused information tech-nology tools. We offer comprehensive knowledge of all products and solutions available including outsourced, co-sourced and in-house offerings. 155 customers across 277 projects have utilized TMG Consulting based on our independence, experience and commitment. Our practice areas include: studies and workshops, strategic plan-ning, product evaluation and selection, and quality management and project management assistance.

customer care/Billing & Bill Payment

Advance Business Graphics 3810 Wabash Drive Mira Loma, CA 91752 (877) 224-6584 www.abgraphics.com

BillMatrix Corporation 8750 North Central Expressway, 20th FloorDallas, TX 75231(800) 596-0221www.billmatrix.com

ComTec Inc. 6 Just Road Fairfield, NJ 07004 (952) 826-0777 www.comtecnet.com

Creative Microsystems Inc. (CMI) 52 Hillside Court Englewood, OH 45322 (800) 686-9313 www.civicacmi.com

Daffron & Associates Inc. 1310 Business 61 South Bowling Green, MO 63334 (888) 323-3766 www.daffron.com

Docucorp International 5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 300 Dallas, TX 75240 (800) 735-6620 www.docucorp.com

Donald R. Frey & Company Inc. 40 North Grand Avenue, Suite 303 Fort Thomas, KY 41075 (859) 441-6566 www.drfrey.com

EnsitE, inC. SEE COMPLETE LISITnG On PAGE 61

Envision Utility Software Corporation 900 Bugg Lane, Suite 110C San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 353-6000 Fax (512) 392-5428 www.envworld.comContactJason Ervin, Marketing Manager

(512) 353-6016Ken Baca, Senior Product Analyst

(505) 819-4200

Envision Utility Software provides a compre-hensive customer information and billing system to the utility marketplace. Envision’s foCIS CIS/Bill-ing software application is an Oracle-based sys-tem that supports multi-cycle, multi-service billing for both metered and non-metered services. Built on open systems architecture, the software is scalable and can interface with a variety of enter-prise applications. Call us for more information on how foCIS can improve your customer service and billing initiatives.

Excelergy10 Maguire RoadLexington, MA 02421(781) 372-5000Fax (781) 372-5297www.excelergy.comContactKevin Swenke, VP Business Development

(214) 802-3311Sty Young, Chief Operating Officer

(781) 372-5156Rudolf Das, VP EMEA Sales

+31 (0) 654 606100








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[ c a s e s t u d y ]

The Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company Case StudyStreamServe® Enables OG&E to “get personal” with their customers

at a GlanCE

CUstomEr:Oklahoma Gas & Electric provides utility services to nearly 700,000 cus-tomers throughout Oklahoma and western Arkansas.

ChallEnGE:To support new e-business capabilities; allow quick access to cus-tomer documentation; transfer billing information to EDI format, and print multipage bills.

solUtion:StreamServe works in conjunction with OG&E’s SAP R/3 system to process, format, personalize, and distribute the output for billing and customer notification processes.

rEsUlts:Enhanced customer service due to easy access to archived customer communications; EDI translation and distribution capabilities, and enhanced multipage printout capabilities.

CUstomEr qUotE:

“�Our�customer�service�representatives�recently�told�us�that�StreamServe is one of the most valuable tools� in� their� tool�belt�when�addressing�customer�inquiries.”— Deborah Gavula, Supervisor, Special Services,

Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company

Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) realized the importance of personalized and timely customer communications. So when they implemented the company’s new SAP® R/3 system, OG&E knew it needed a business communication platform that could integrate with its enterprise application to facilitate the billing process.

After careful review, OG&E decided that the StreamServe Utilities® was best equipped to fulfill their requirements.

The StreamServe Intelligent Accelerators for R/3 are certified by SAP and ensures support for high-volume, high-speed print-ing environments. The product seamlessly interfaces with SAP’s Customer and Care Service module to format and personalize the content based on the specific needs of the recipient.

OG&E, part of the OGE Energy Corporation, is a regulated electric utility company that serves about 700,000 retail customers in Oklahoma and Western Arkansas, and has a number of whole-sale customers throughout the region. OG&E, with eight power plants capable of producing about 5,800 megawatts, generates 70 percent of its electricity from low-sulfur Wyoming coal and 30 percent from natural gas. The company delivers electricity across an interconnected transmission and distribution system spanning 30,000 square miles.

supplying a peRsonal touch to customeR documents

“OG&E is committed to being a leading, progressive electrical util-ity company,” said James W. Chappel, manager of customer proj-ects for OG&E. “By implementing StreamServe Utilities together with SAP R/3 CCS, we get a billing and customer care solution that is integrated, flexible, and customer-centric.”

To accomplish that goal, OG&E needed an Enterprise Docu-ment Presentment solution that could create flexible billing tem-plates, produce official correspondence, and send multi-channel documents directly to the printer.

SAP’s Customer Care and Service module manages all mis-sion-critical billing and customer notification processes. Stream-Serve then processes, formats, personalizes and distributes the output. OG&E uses StreamServe Utilities to create a billing design that is easy to personalize and modify.

When StreamServe was put in place, the company was not offering its customers Internet billing services. However, with StreamServe Utilities, electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) are now possible with no changes to the core system.

pRoviding edi, Xml capabilities

The company also installed StreamServe’s EDI module, which translates enterprise application data into EDI format and distrib-utes it to the utility company’s corporate customers. This allows corporate accounts to pay electronically, providing a means to increased flow.

In addition to EDI, StreamServe’s solutions for eBusiness includes XML capabilities, which offers valuable support to OG&E’s future online billing services and integration to other systems.

giving customeR seRvice Reps the Right tools

OG&E’s customer service representatives are a key part of the company’s communications strategy. To answer inquiries, rep-resentatives sometimes need a copy of the original customer document. Before implementing StreamServe Utilities, the repre-sentatives had to put the customer on hold for several minutes, and print a hard copy. After all that, the print out did not look like the document the customer received, making the communication more difficult.

StreamServe’s professional services team recommended that OG&E install its Print Module, which allows users to access cus-tomer documentation quickly and easily. now OG&E’s representa-tives are able to pull up the necessary document on their computer in a matter of seconds.

“Our customer service representatives recently told us that StreamServe Utilities is one of the most valuable tools in their tool belt when addressing customer inquiries,” said Deborah Gavula, supervisor of special services for OG&E.

And that’s one of the reasons that OG&E has been able to con-nect so well with its customers and, in the process, has continues to be a “leading, progressive electric utility company.”

FoR moRe inFoRmation, contact Jim wateRs at

[email protected] oR 781-651-6625


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(Excelergy continued)Excelergy is a world leader in high perfor-

mance software solutions that optimize the cus-tomer care and billing processes in competitive retail energy markets. Excelergy’s retail energy software suite provides a complete “straight-through-processing” transaction management platform that automates customer acquisition and care, customer switching, pricing, contract execution, billing and complex billing. Excelergy software is built on an open, object-oriented, Web-centric, native XML technology architecture. The company’s north American headquarters are located in Lexington, Mass., with European head-quarters in the netherlands. More information is available at www.excelergy.com.

Exstream Software 2424 Harrodsburg Road, Suite 200 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 296-0600 www.exstream.com

Indus 3301 Windy Ridge Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339 (800) 868-0497 www.indus.com

Itron 2818 North Sullivan Road Spokane, WA 99216 (800) 635-5461 Fax (509) 891-3932 www.itron.comContactTim Wolf, Marketing Communications Manager

(509) 891-3256Scott Dixon, Marketing Media Specialist

(510) 844-2820 x2820Matt Spaur, Senior Marketing Communications

Specialist (509) 891-3992

Itron is a leading technology provider and critical source of knowledge to the global energy and water industries. More than 3,000 utilities worldwide rely on Itron technology to deliver the knowledge they require to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water.

Itron creates value for its clients by providing industry-leading solutions for electricity metering; meter data collection; energy information manage-ment; demand response; load forecasting; analy-

sis and consulting services; distribution system design and optimization; Web-based workforce automation; and enterprise and residential energy management.

ITS - Internet Transaction Solutions, Inc. 7720 Rivers Edge Drive Columbus, OH 43235 (800) 544-9578 Fax (614) 573-0481 www.transactionsolutions.comContactJim Crossley

(614) 573-0489Christopher Schroeder

(614) 573-0476

ITS provides Total ePayment SolutionsSM – empowering our clients to be paid electronically by all payment methods (electronic check and credit/debit card, including new applications like PIn-less debit) through all payment platforms (IVR, Web, call center, batch and XML) by using PayMyBill.com®. These services optimize









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(ITS continued)cash management and reporting, and automate payment posting, returns administration and representments — all online with secure payment processing systems. no purchase, licenses, appli-cation or implementation fees. For an interactive demo visit www.transactionsolutions.com/demo/ and click Interactive Demo.

KUBRA 5050 Tomken Mississauga, ON L4W 5B1 Canada (905) 624-2220 www.kubra.com

Level One LLC 5 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 200 Malvern, PA 19355 (610) 251-6996 www.L1consult.com

LODESTAR Corp. Two Corporation Way Peabody, MA 01960 (978) 573-4657 Fax (978) 573-4800 www.lodestarcorp.comContactGlenn MacRill, VP N. American Sales &

Services (713) 292-2500

Trevor Martin, Chief Sales & Services Officer (858) 509-2601

Shawn Fountain, VP Business Development & Strategic Initiatives (303) 880-9207

LODESTAR is a world leading provider of energy software solutions. We enable energy com-panies to realize business advantage by combining a true energy information foundation with a suite of applications for critical business processes that span across the enterprise. More than 120 leading energy companies use our solutions worldwide. Visit us at http://www.lodestarcorp.com.

MasterCard International Inc. 2000 Purchase Street Purchase, NY 10577 (914) 249-2000 Fax (914) 249-4107 www.mastercardmerchant.comContactTom Cronin, Program Manager, Acceptance

(914) 249-6741

Accepting MasterCard for bill payment provides utilities with the opportunity to increase customer satisfaction and improve the revenue cycle by offering payment choices and improved efficiency through processing electronic pay-ments. In addition, the MasterCard Service Industries Incentive Program (SIIP) provides participating utilities with a reduced interchange rate on consumer recurring payment transactions. To learn how to begin accepting MasterCard for payment or for more information about SIIP, email [email protected].

Metavante Corp. 4900 West Brown Deer Road Milwaukee, WI 53223(800) 822-6758 Fax (414) 362-1719 www.metavante.comContactPeter Van Sistine, Senior Vice President,

Marketing (800) 822-6758

As part of Metavante Corp. Payment Solu-tions, CSF® Designer helps clients build stronger customer relationships through more powerful communications. CSF Designer expands docu-ment capabilities to create personalized, print and Internet-enabled customer communications - such as bills, statements, letters, notices, direct mail, and brochures. Metavante delivers document composition and payment technologies, including a complete solution of bill publishing and bill con-solidation technology, to businesses worldwide.

NirvanaSoftEmpire State Building 350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 6920 New York, NY 10118 (212) 268-6000 Fax (212) 268-5180 www.nirvanasoft.comContactCarl Kloecker, EVP, Marketing

(212) 268-5989

nirvanaSoft provides customer care and complex billing solutions for retail energy markets. nirvanaSoft is focused on enabling retail energy marketers to achieve critical business goals by accelerating time-to-market for market entry and introduction of innovative energy products and

creative packaging while driving down the cost to serve. Founded in 1997 and 100 percent owned by the employees and directors, nirvanaSoft serves leading retail energy companies, traders and generators competing in retail energy markets.

Olameter Inc. 1255 Nicholson Road Newmarket, ON L3Y 9C3 Canada (905) 853-6474 www.olameter.com

Oracle Corp. 500 Oracle ParkwayRedwood Shores, CA 94065 (650) 506-7000 www.oracle.com

Proxix Solutions Inc. 3202 Palm Harbor Boulevard, Suite A Palm Harbor, FL 34683 (727) 781-2662 www.proxix.com

Regulus 860 Latour Court Napa, CA 94558 (866) 747-2877 www.regulusgroup.com

SPL WorldGroup525 Market StreetSan Francisco, CA 94105(415) 963-5600 Fax (415) 963-5601 www.splwg.comContactCarrie Manion, Vice President - Sales

(303) 782-0230Tracey Mitchell, Director - Marketing

Communications (973) 401-7525

SPL delivers proven solutions to the global utility market. Our software applications in customer care and billing, enterprise asset and work management, outage management, mobile workforce management, and distribution manage-ment are specifically designed for energy, water, and service companies. Working with systems-integration and technology partners, SPL has an unparalleled record of implementation success. SPL focuses on clients’ return on investment and fosters long-term relationships based on confi-dence and trust. Visit http//:www.splwg.com.

Striata 48 Wall Street, Suite 1100 New York, NY 10005 (888) 887-2729 www.striata.com








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