Job management system takes workflow to new levels
“Datacom’s skill and expertise with the technology gave us flexibility and a delivery speed that we have seldom experienced. We are delighted with the way this project was implemented and the results achieved.” David Hill, Project Manager
Solution snapshot
Customer
Powerco
Industry
Energy
Business need
Powerco needed a job management system that allowed a coordinated approach for workflow across the country for a range of end users.
Solution
Datacom provided a successful custom-built public-facing website, for use by third party contractors as well as company staff.
Benefits
• Improved internal business process efficiency, such as eliminating duplication
• Improved data capture and utilisation, thus reducing errors
• Simplified the transactional requirements of business partners
• Powerco now has one seamless, co-ordinated system that is used by all of the organisations the company engages with for gas connections
Case study
Powerful solution for Powerco
As one of New Zealand’s largest electricity and natural gas distribution companies, Powerco
delivers energy to more than 415,000 New Zealand homes and businesses. It is also the largest electricity distributor in terms of network length (spanning 27,000km).
Powerco's energy distribution networks spread across the upper-central, central and lower areas of New Zealand's North Island and serve around 100,000 gas consumers and 315,000 electricity consumers. This represents around 46% of the country's gas connections and 16% of its electricity connections.
To install or upgrade gas connections for new or existing customers, the utilities company uses third parties. Managing these third parties, as well as the relationship with end customers – from initial order through to completed supply and billing – is a complex and challenging task, involving long-running workflows.
Integrated approach managing complex multiple workflows.
Recognising the need to streamline processes and boost efficiencies, Powerco engaged Datacom to develop and implement a job management system. The project scope required integration to a number of external systems via web services, to enable access and retrieval of information relevant to a specific address and the job required, including the provision of a map image showing the gas features.
Meeting requirements, Datacom implemented a public facing website called the Gas Customer Works Management System, which is used by third party contractors as well as Powerco staff.
Business partners can now create, receipt, maintain and review work request details via Powerco systems with a ‘self service’ capability, enabling simple work request origination, and up-to-date visibility of job status.
Datacom also provided a responsive service to meet Powerco’s customers’ expected timeframes for connection, alteration and disconnection services, and/or enquiries.
After a year of operation, the model has been very successful with application volumes 50 per cent higher than previous years. The new workflow process has enabled Powerco to manage this rise in volume without reducing service levels to customers.
Key points
• Drawing on its experience and understanding of the industry, Datacom built a custom workflow management solution (Gas Customer Works Management System). This is integrated with external systems to ensure gas connections are installed by third parties in a timely manner.
• The Gas Customer Works Management System provides a slick, ubiquitous custom web application to drive long running workflows that route work requests to third parties and Powerco staff.
• Centralising the management of work requests into a single solution platform for the benefit of the end consumer is out of the ordinary. The Powerco solution is well integrated, cost effective and addresses the whole workflow end to end.
• The Datacom solution enables efficient and effective third party service provider customer service, by detailing requirements, monitoring performance, providing a collaborative schedule capability, and simplifying processes.
This Case Study for Powerco is provided by Datacom.