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Utility Week 8th February 2019

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22 | 8TH - 14TH FEBRUARY 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Operations & Assets Market view W hatever walk of life people may be in, they will have come into con- tact with the utilities sector in some shape or form. No surprise, then, that cus- tomer service sits at the very centre of this sector. Now more than ever, companies are working around the clock to deliver the best service possible, in the shortest amount of time. As with any industry, customer service is essential to the health of the sector, but recent research by Accenture finds that the most traditional energy retailers lag behind disruptor brands in offering "a satisfying experience". Naturally, this impacts cus- tomer retention as well as satisfaction. In a competitive and digitally driven envi- ronment, disruptive brands thrive and tra- ditional players must change if they are to remain relevant. As a quick fix, the majority o en turn to technology and digital solutions designed to further engage their customers but o en neglect to look inside their own organisation to see what their employees require to be able to collaborate and commu- nicate more effectively. Getting the job right, the first time The focal point of delivering customer ser- vice in the utilities sector remains with the frontline worker. These individuals – such as the field service engineer, maintenance worker and customer care operator – are at the core and are constantly working to keep our businesses open and our homes warm. Despite this personal service, it is still com- monplace to hear customer complaints such as an appointment that got cancelled at the last minute or a delay to a boiler fix. And these instances remain challenging. The common denominator here is the lack of real-time information received by frontline workers on the job from their col- leagues back in the office. O en, workers in this industry arrive with clipboards and handheld devices which only detail the spe- cifics of the job. What is missing is a con- stant flow of information enabled by mobile devices and cloud-based so ware, so that both customers and the wider business are kept informed of the status of the repairs or any additional requirements such as the need to order a new part. What is more, having a mobile device with LTE connection, coupled with cloud- based collaboration tools, can enable work- ers to offer real-time updates on the status of live jobs, any delays or any need for assis- tance from more senior or experienced engi- neers. For example, when dealing with larger issues such as water pipes bursting, workers can assess the damage quicker by bringing in more experienced engineers via virtual communication tools. This real-time way of working, regardless of physical location, also ensures affected homes and businesses are kept informed of the status, rather than le wondering when it will be fixed. Here, mobile so ware and hardware has the potential to significantly accelerate the flow of data within these organisations, helping keep frontline workers connected to any department and empowered to deliver better and more efficient customer service the first time around. Going beyond productivity and efficiency, mobile technology can also boost employee engagement. O en, they feel disconnected from their wider teams because of a lack of available communication tools while they are on the go. Having workplace collabora- tion solutions at their fingertips helps bring teams together and improves communica- tion between employees, allowing them to stay in touch and share updates regardless of their physical location. This helps all work- ers feel like a part of the team. What is clear is that businesses operating in the utilities industry need to put their cus- tomers first. To achieve this, the industry as a whole needs to rethink its relationship with technology. Only then will the opportunities it can provide to optimise operations and help bring teams together become a reality. Similarly, ensuring a customer-first approach will be achieved only by focus- ing on frontline workers, ensuring they are involved from the get-go and are empowered with the suitable technology to do their jobs. Sally Elliott, surface strategy lead, Microso UK Serving customers right You can get the job done right first time by equipping frontline workers with the right mobile tools, says Microsoft UK's Sally Elliott. Market view France did it smarter How Great Britain could learn from the French smart meter programme. E ver since the government made the decision to proceed with smart meter deployment, in December 2009, the programme has been beset by problems. At the end of September 2018, out of 53 million traditional meters, about 38 million meters were still waiting to be replaced. It is also very likely that many of the 14.7 mil- lion meters already deployed will have to be changed. It is worth comparing this performance to the French electricity smart meter pro- gramme, known as Linky. Linky has com- pleted over 98 per cent of its intermediary objectives to date. For Britain, even a 2023 rollout completion date now looks optimis- tic. There are several reasons for this supe- rior performance in the French programme: • Linky is led by the network operator, the EDF-owned Enedis. It is a co-ordinated programme driven by a single player. • The metering technology and com- munication systems are not overly complicated. • The metering technology is standard- ised, meaning there are no discrepancies or restrictions when customers change suppliers. • A distinct trial phase was allowed to test the technology and to assess and plan the programme thoroughly, well before the start of the rollout. The GB programme is now way over time and over budget. Many of the already installed smart meters will need to be replaced. We must stop now and take the time to think things through. In an ideal world we would stop the pro- gramme now and start again with a distribu- tion-led programme. Given the sunk costs, it is probably too late now and the politics of such a U-turn would be disastrous. However, it would not hurt to pause the GB smart meter programme and assess how it is that the French have been so suc- cessful in delivering Linky. Then start again with clearer rules, a more realistic plan and potentially less complicated technology. Chloe Depigny, manager; Scott Flavell, partner, Sia Partners

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