Customer Service & Billing: Flexibility for a successful future

Smart metering and grids are seen by both governments and utilities as the future of sustainable energy supply, and a necessary tool in delivering sustainable, reliable and affordable energy in the coming decades. The roll-out of the scheme has progressed in recent years, with 100 million smart meters expected to be installed across Europe by 2016. However to reach the European mandate of Smart meters in 80% of European households by 2020, utilities and municipals need to work together to help consumer attitudes adapt to the changes. As the main point of interaction between businesses and customers, customer service and billing (CS&B) is one of the most important touch points.

The need for flexibility in the CS&B space has never been greater and currently there are four main trends affecting the ability of utilities to achieve this:

• Smart – A trend that can no longer be ignored, Smart is now synonymous with the energy market and utilities all over the world. From meters to grids to now Smart buildings and cities, the Smart revolution brings with it an increased level of competition, increased depth of CS&B and therefore a greater need for flexibility.
• Regulation – Rules in the energy market are some of the most dynamic and experimental of any industry. They evolve on a yearly basis in some cases and often apply immediately to operators, their processes and their IT systems. Forecasting these changes in regulation is difficult, but operating flexible systems and processes allows operators to incorporate them quickly and with minimal effects on business processes and costs.
• Competition – New entrants to the energy market are increasing competition at a rapid rate. Multiutilities, energy suppliers, Telco operators and a host of other players are competing for a slice of the market. Although many new entrants focus on B2B currently, it will not be long before the focus shifts onto the wider B2C sector. There is also a shift in focus from domestic to foreign markets (such as the Nordics markets harmonisation in 2015, the transcountry European operators, and the grid interconnections between countries). Combined, this will see a host of new services offered to customers who are demanding ever more personalised services.
• Quality of Service – With the increased level of suppliers in the market, the need for quality customer service has never been greater. Companies will differentiate themselves on the level of their customer service, and to stay competitive customer care must remain at the highest level. This is especially important as the industry moves to a multi-billing model where operators are able to collect different bills, such as TV licenses and municipal taxes.

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