CUSTOMER INFORMATION SYSTEM (CIS)

What is CIS?    Issues     Solutions

A CIS captures a broad set of customer, location, service, asset and financial information in a single application. Examples of information captured and managed by a CIS include:

• Customer identification (name, address, phone)
• Location attributes such as address, parcel size, zoning and dwelling identification
• Account status and service start/stop dates (independent of locations)
• Services offered and available at particular locations
• Customer billing and payment history (across locations)
• Asset information for meters, registers, transponders, backflow and other devices
• Consumption history tracked by asset, customer and location
• Customer contacts to and from the utility
• Service requests (e.g., leaks, meter re-reads, etc.)
  

Because CIS information relates directly to finance, maintenance and geospatial processes, CIS is a core piece of both customer service and information technology strategies.

Issues
Many utilities rely on legacy CIS systems. These legacy systems often lack support, functionality and the ability to integrate data and processes with other core systems.

Implementing or replacing a CIS is an excellent opportunity to improve customer response, increase productivity, improve information access (for staff and customers), and automate data processing. Achieving these benefits requires fully understanding all business processes that affect the CIS and designing the system to make each process efficient.

While potential improvements are substantial, full implementation can be a challenge. Selecting and deploying the best-fit system must start with utility-specific business requirements. Furthermore, because CIS systems have a high public profile, it is imperative that implementation meets the highest standards.

Solutions
When fully implemented, a CIS and related processes provide numerous, new options for conducting utility business. These include:

• Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP), increasing customer self-service capability
• Customer Web Services, reducing demands on internal customer service staff
• Service Order Management, linking customers requests directly to maintenance management
• Automated Meter Reading (AMR), initiating an electronic link between consumption and billing
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR), increasing customer self-service options
• Electronic payments options (EFT, credit card, phone pay, web pay)
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM), communicating with customers about utility programs and activities such as water quality, water conservation and CIP and Maintenance activities

When integrated with other core systems, CIS can quickly pass accurate customer information to utility departments that need it. System integration between CIS, CMMS, GIS and FHRS can reduce manual effort, help manage utility resources efficiently (human, asset and equipment), and help maintain customer satisfaction.

Westin has helped utilities deploy integrated systems that automatically generate service orders in CMMS based on service requests entered in CIS. The CIS also interfaces with GIS so field work crews can determine customer status, history and location from a map-based interface. Finally, service requests and work orders can be updated, closed and charged in a streamlined manner, enabling service representatives to better communicate with customers.

Westin’s proven SILC™ methodology is designed to guide utilities from planning through selection and full deployment of CIS capability and system integration. Westin combines a proven approach, business and technical experts and direct knowledge of CIS operations in utilities. Working collaboratively with your staff, we identify opportunities for improving processes and define the resulting business and service requirements. From this foundation, Westin can help you identify opportunities, overcome challenges and implement solutions to improve productivity and effectiveness.