Ever since utilities started facing digitalization and energy transition challenges, they have been looking for ways to improve their operations and integrate technologies to tackle them effectively. However, it has not been an easy task. Implementing digital initiatives using legacy systems has created a “Frankenstein” style solution that relies on integrating non-native functionalities to the software. This approach underutilizes the real potential of new technologies and increases the cost of total ownership every time a new capability is required. Consequently, the information is siloed and difficult to access and analyze, which limits innovation and slows decision-making processes.
Due to siloed information and constantly changing customer needs, creating innovative and outstanding CX and EX strategies is hard to achieve. Customers and employees expect more from their service providers and employers. From a customer’s perspective, they want a trusted ally that guides them to improve their usage behavior, offers updated information and tips, understands their specific demands, and provides proactive help. From an employee’s viewpoint, they want to feel empowered in their daily activities with tools and real-time data that drive their productivity and confidence, keep learning new skills, and grow professionally in a healthy environment.
Along with satisfying customers’ and employees’ emerging demands, utilities are also working on digitalizing their operations, reevaluating how to improve performance during the energy transition and how to interact and integrate technologies efficiently. As a result, they need software flexible enough to materialize digital initiatives and orchestrate meaningful journeys and connected experiences.
Utilities should also look for a solution that gathers and analyzes customer data to design and implement new CX strategies, provides employees with user-friendly interfaces, and offers omnichannel communications. The platform should support online and proactive interactions and product personalization to address ever-changing needs and energy transition requirements. Consequently, the main goal is to obtain a solution that delivers a total digital experience for everyone.
A platform that empowers utility customers through innovations like digital self-service and chatbots, while also optimizing employee efficiency and satisfaction by providing real-time information and intuitive processes, can bring many benefits to a company and its users. These types of solutions can help improve business performance by unlocking the real potential of online tools and connected data, reducing costs and effort, and improving productivity. They can also help utilities address new customer and industry demands, like prosumer business models, required during the energy transition. Some other benefits include:
Helping utilities become trusted advisors and guide customers in their usage journey by providing detailed consumption data and saving tips through digital channels
This platform should rely on smart workflows, a powerful rules engine, artificial intelligence, and analytics to provide all those benefits. It should also manage multiple communication channels, like SMS, email, and WhatsApp, and allow users to enjoy intuitive functionalities and interfaces. Moreover, it must be an integrated part of a modern CIS that shares data across multiple processes, supports smart metering, accelerates the energy transition, and supports the creation of new business models.
Open Intelligence understands utilities’ needs and desires to provide world-class experiences to customers and employees. That is why they designed Smartflex’s DCX platform, a next-generation functionality and tool stack packed with digital self-service and e-sales capabilities and digital interactions. The platform is an integrated part of their modern CIS, Smartflex, that allows utilities to take advantage of customers’ insights and promotes employee productivity, offering a total experience solution.
Out-of-the-box self-service portal
The platform offers a self-service portal where customers can access updated and synchronized data, graphs, dashboards, comparisons, and tips to engage and empower them along their usage journey. They can also review and pay bills, donate, enroll in new programs, manage preferences, and more, right at their fingertips. The portal offers a contextualized experience for each customer with intuitive and user-friendly processes that make them feel valued and in control of their experience.
Digital and connected interactions
The DCX platform offers a variety of communication channels to reach customers through their preferred means and be able to offer them valuable information and recommendations for their specific requirements. It supports SMS, email, live chat, chatbots, and other messaging platforms. Additionally, it offers one of Smartflex’s newest innovations, proactive interactions, a simple and efficient way that utilities interact and engage with their customers in a personalized manner and anticipate events and their needs. By analyzing multiple data points and using AI tools, utilities stay one step ahead of their customer expectations and provide outstanding interactions.
E-sales capabilities
The platform offers additional features, transcending conventional self-service functionalities, to entice customers to sign up for non-traditional programs, like broadband, while improving engagement and overall experience. Through an intuitive e-commerce-like interface, customers can navigate the utility portfolio, select the best-fitted offer according to their needs and technical feasibility, and register and schedule the work orders needed to guarantee service supply, all with just a few clicks.
Empowering employees
The DCX platform is an integrated component of Smartflex, a modern and flexible CIS that extends its core capabilities to support smart metering and workforce management. Thanks to Smartflex’s holistic approach, utilities oversee their entire operation, and data is shared seamlessly from one process to another, guaranteeing unified journeys and omnichannel support. Luckily, employees can enjoy and benefit from these unique capabilities that ultimately make their jobs easier.
As part of the platform, Smartflex is equipped with a CSR app which is an intuitive interface that provides a 360° view of customers and preconfigured processes. This app allows CSRs to obtain a holistic view and a general understanding of each customer to solve their requests, improving first-contact resolution. To help employees improve their experience with the solution, Smartflex also offers a digital guide, embedded in the CSR app and all interfaces, that helps them navigate applications and processes to target software interaction and efficiency.
In a nutshell, the DCX platform, as an integrated part of Smartflex, is a powerful solution for utilities looking to evolve their CX and EX to the next level. This one platform helps utilities enhance customers’ and employees’ daily interactions while increasing satisfaction and retention. Thanks to user-friendly and intuitive interfaces, employees improve their overall performance, skill level, and productivity. With unique features, easy-to-use processes, and online and shared data, utilities can understand their customers from multiple perspectives and offer them what they need, transitioning from a service supplier to a trusted partner.
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