Features

Integration with Utilities Contract Management
Utilities Contract Management Process is the most complex process that SAP CR&B (SAP Customer Relationship & Billing) system has ever addressed. Contract Management addresses scenarios such as Customer Move In, Customer Move Out, Customer Transferring service from one premise to the other.  Our solution uses SAP as the system of record for customer preferences and provides a powerful rules engine (rules based on BRF+) to automatically respond to the contract management scenarios. We are making great use of the environment and tools the Utility already owns and supported by SAP.

Easy Integration with Event Triggering Systems
In the utilities industry, it is common to use several external systems such as Outage Management System, Demand Response Management System, Emergency Response Systems.  Companies need a Preference Management System that integrates seamlessly with these external systems. Our solution provides a platform that considers several technologies such as Web Services, OData Services and keeps the preferences readily available for any third party systems to access as and when the events are triggered.

Central Repository of Preferences in S/4 HANA for Utilities
Utilities must have considered separate storage of preference either in custom tables in their SAP CR&B (SAP Customer Relationship & Billing) or in a third party system externally. We propose not to introduce another system of record but enable business processes to access and manage preferences where they are stored natively, typically “close to the actual business process needing the communication preferences”. A Central repository of customer communication preferences that readily accesses the customer communication data and transaction data is the much required data model for a utility. 

Scalability and Upgrade Compatibility
SAP systems undergo regular upgrades and any software that is implemented to ensure consistent, timely customer communications based on customer's preferences must support such upgrades.  Our solution is designed and developed in such a away that the S/4 Upgrades will have no impacts.  As our solution is built on the framework provided by SAP, all the future enhancements provided by SAP will automatically be inherited. The solution is compatible with software features such as Multi Channel Foundation for Utilities supported by SAP.  As the solution also leverages SAP standard tables and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), scalability does not come into play.

No Impact on Average Call Handle Time
It is important for utilities to ensure that the average call handle time (AHT)  is not compromised by providing access to customer preference centers for call center agents.  Our S/4 & C/4 HANA integrated solution leverages the standard framework and components delivered by SAP, and access to the preference center is only a single click away for customer service representatives (CSRs).  Navigation to our Customer Preference Center is enabled by the standard navigation techniques provided by SAP. This standard navigation process will not negatively impact the average customer call handle time.

Single solution for both Residential and Commercial Customers, Employees
In a Utility data model, residential customer data structure is completely different from that of a commercial customer.  Residential customer leverages the concept of Business Partner Relationships where as Commercial and Industrial Customer data structure leverages contact person concept.  Our solution is built on the foundation blocks that support both residential and commercial customers.

Same API (Application Programming Interfaces) used across all channels
SAP allows utility companies to interact with their customers through different communication channels such as the Web (online self-services), mobile, and social networks. SAP Multichannel Foundation for Utilities and Public Sector offers a set of standard and reusable OData services that are used by customer touch points to access data and processes from SAP Business Suite for Utilities and Public Sector. The standard services consist of self-service scenarios that enable customers to securely access and manage key account information and perform important activities online such as bill payment, entering meter readings, creating inquiries, and sending requests to a utility company. Our solution makes customer preference management  solution, an integral part of MCF. 

SAP standard data security & access restrictions
It is important for utilities to protect customer privacy and data while not compromising the access controls.  As our solution is built on standard SAP framework and components, data security and access control are integral part of our solution in par with any other functionality offered by SAP.  Standard SAP data security techniques are implemented to ensure customer data security.  At the same time, the solution provides the ability to control the access to the users based on the organizational requirements.

Rapidly Deployable Solution
Our solution provides a rapidly deployable software model by offering the most common features required by any utility in the industry. Such features include leveraging business partner communication data that is available within SAP CRM system, channels available, utilities data objects, regulatory compliance, and the transactional data like contracts.

Audit and Regulatory Compliance
The solution provides an integrated feature that takes into account audit and regulatory compliance issues that any utility must try to avoid.  We provide an ability for utilities to retain customer preferences data for audit purposes in the event of unforeseen situations.  At the same time, it also provides ability for utilities to obtain consent for a given communication data either globally or specific to that preference, thus complying with some of the most important regulatory compliance rules such as TCPA.

Consent & Authorization Management

uPrefer Enterprise Preference Management solution aslo provides ability for utilities to adhere with regulatory compliance. The solution provides ability to implement Double Opt-In, Consent Management (T&C, Privacy Policy), apart from the proprietory Authorization / Consent Management.