In the ever-evolving landscape of utilities, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and emerging technologies keep shaping the future of the systems they need to survive and thrive. Yet, many utilities remain tethered to outdated, rigid, and heterogeneous core systems provided by long-standing industry players. These well-known providers often offer their systems with a rebranded approach that bundles obsolete technologies with various third-party products, leading to more complexity and integration challenges rather than solutions. This chaotic integration environment poses a tremendous threat to the digital evolution of utility companies and the well-being of the communities they serve.
Robust but Rigid Systems: An Entrenched Problem
Despite promises of new features and improved functionalities, many legacy CIS providers fail to deliver genuine advancements. Their solutions, often a patchwork of different products with different databases, user experiences, and architectures, create a complex and unmanageable utility environment. Imagine this – buying a smartphone with a camera, memory and storing from past decades with a new exterior design and fancy case colors; it may seem that could solve your needs, but it will not give you the speed and features needed. Similarly, the new offers from robust but rigid vendors will not provide utilities with the flexibility and functionality to take advantage of emerging technologies. Moreover, the hidden costs of integration and the inability to adapt swiftly to changing market demands add to the frustration of utility executives, leading to prolonged and costly implementation projects.
Additionally, some robust but rigid vendors are also pushing utilities into expensive and complex software upgrades to make up for technology obsolesce that they created but these improvements will not respond to current and future needs and ever-changing trends and customer expectations.
The Illusion of Comprehensive Solutions
Robust and rigid CIS vendors often market their bundled solutions as comprehensive and competitive. However, these offerings frequently involve several products designed to solve various purposes that do not cover or support utility customer operation processes and specific needs. Additionally, most implementation projects from well-known CIS providers are costly, extensive, and complex, generally handled by a system integrator. This approach does not alleviate the inherent issues of an outdated and rigid system but instead perpetuates them under a new guise and a long-distance relationship between utilities and software providers. According to leading consulting firms, the CIS is expanding beyond traditional meter-to-cash functionalities to integrate service-to-cash and digital customer interactions capabilities that meet dynamic customer and market demands. Utilities should look for new players and solutions that support their transformation.
The Case for Modern CIS Vendors
Modern and innovative CIS vendors present a compelling alternative for utilities seeking to break free from the constraints of outdated and rigid systems. These vendors offer integrated solutions designed specifically for the utility sector, with robust, modern architectures that facilitate seamless integration and adaptability. By selecting new CIS providers, utilities can benefit from more agile, responsive, and user-friendly systems that support their evolution and growth. These solutions eliminate the need for customization and additional unspecialized products with extensive functionalities that utilities do not need, reducing overall costs and implementation time. Additionally, some of these modern CIS offers a continuous evolution strategy that delivers added value from integrating emerging technologies timely and efficiently.
Strategic Partnership for Growth
Choosing the right CIS provider is not just about technology; it is about finding a partner to grow with. Modern CIS vendors understand unique utility challenges and offer tailored solutions that address current and future issues. By forming strategic partnerships with these innovative providers, utilities can enhance operational efficiency, improve customer satisfaction, and stay ahead of market trends. These partnerships foster a collaborative approach, ensuring that the CIS evolves in line with the utility’s needs and goals.
The technological transformation of utilities requires a bold step away from rebranded legacy systems towards modern, integrated CIS solutions. Traditional CIS providers, with their complex and costly offerings, fail to meet the dynamic needs of today’s utilities. By embracing new, innovative CIS vendors, like Open Intelligence, utilities can achieve greater efficiency, adaptability, and customer satisfaction.
“With this project, we managed to implement Smartflex without any inconveniences for the organization or impact on our customers. This meant we were able to give continuity to the operation from day one, we never stopped billing or servicing our clients. Therefore, we can say that we made a great team with Open and consider Smartflex a world-class solution that provides us with online information to make strategic decisions that allow us to evolve.”
– Operations Manager, Electric Utility, 870,000 Customers.
Open is a specialized solutions provider in the utility and telecommunications industry that has been around for 37 years. They offer Smartflex, a cloud CIS platform that supports meter-to-cash (M2C) and customer-to-meter processes, including digital customer experience, meter data management, and mobile workforce management built-in applications. With a clear goal of empowering utility and telecommunication companies and ensuring their success, they have received a 5/5 rating in the Gartner Peer Insight review as a CIS software provider.
Choosing a CIS provider is a strategic decision that can drive growth and success in a fast-paced, ever-changing landscape. It is time for utilities to break free from limitations and invest in a future-ready solution that supports their evolution and growth. By doing so, utilities can find in Open’s solution, a modern and event-driven CIS that support large and complex operations with reliability and scalability, a compelling alternative to consider at this critical time when traditional providers are forcing costly software upgrades of rigid systems and technologies. Additionally, Open’s continuous evolution strategy reduces update’s TCO up to 75% and allows utilities to evolve smoothly and respond efficiently to emerging customer and market needs.
