DRIVING PROCESS IMPROVEMENT WITH DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

AGILE SOURCING PARTNERS | 2021 WHITE PAPER

White Paper: Achieve Higher Performance Rates with Business Process Optimization and Advanced Data Management

In today’s rapidly changing energy landscape, consumers continue to raise their customer service standards and expectations for utility providers beyond delivering reliable, safe energy. Recognizing that consumers have a choice when it comes to their energy provider and the importance of personalized customer service, a large California natural gas utility decided to take an innovative approach to enhancing their new business customers’ experience.

• How should you work with new customers – demonstrating an enhanced experience?

• Why does having data transparency and accessibility improve performance and efficiencies?

• How do you create a solution that solves for both short-term and long-term goals?

• How long does it take to see meaningful results?

Personalized Customer Service & Data Management Drives Utility’s On-Time Start Rates to 90%

W H I T E P A P E R

Background – Enriching Customer Experience 3

Challenge – Benchmarking Exceptional Service and Leveraging Performance Data 3

Program Implementation: Phase I – Establishing and Improving the Customer Journey 4

Phase II – Delivering on “The White Glove” Experience 4

Results – Optimization, Accountability and Efficiency 5

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• Partner with an experienced process improvement team

• Identify program goals and develop the roadmap for attaining them

• Convert key process touchpoints into actionable datapoints

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Leverage data to create benchmarks for performance

• Transition tactical activities to improve efficiencies

W H I T E P A P E R

Background – Enriching Customer ExperienceIn 2018, the natural gas utility’s New Business Operations and District Planning Manager reached out to Agile Sourcing Partners (Agile) to collaborate on an enriched customer experience solution for new service installations. With more than 15 years’ experience in business process optimization, Agile developed a customer-centric data management solution that focused on personalized customer engagement from initial contact throughout the service installation journey.

15 yrsBusiness Process

Optimization

Challenge – Benchmarking Exceptional Service and Leveraging Performance DataIn partnership with the utility, Agile designed, implemented, and established a new customer service program centered on three key business objectives:

Providing all new customers with exceptional service and streamlined interactions

Increasing efficiencies, on-time job installations, and schedule adherence

Gaining visibility to new service installation data performance metrics

3

In addition to providing program design and oversight, Agile worked with the utility’s stakeholders to carefully develop a scalable program that met short and long-term goals, while blending seamlessly into the company’s culture.

W H I T E P A P E R

4

Phase I – Establishing and Improving the Customer JourneyAgile’s newly created customer service team began quarterbacking new business service installations by coordinating appointments with builders, homeowners, utility planners, and the assigned third-party contractor crews. Key customer touchpoints were established and documented to improve communications and ensure timely responses to customer questions and concerns.

Installation delays, missed job starts, and reschedule reasons were documented and trended on Agile’s data management platform, delivering key insights for root-cause analysis and immediate mitigation. Within the first six months, Agile’s effective management of the program increased customer satisfaction and improved new service on-time starts by 11%.

As the program evolved, the utility added the entire breadth of their over 10,000 new service installations to the scope of work. For the very first time, the utility had in-depth visibility to all new service installation data, allowing them to performance benchmark by installer (contractor/internal crew), district, and crew, down to the specific superintendent assigned to the job.

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

20%+Performance Improvement

Phase II – Delivering on “The White Glove” ExperienceDue to the success of Phase I, an Agile-led new business Customer Care department was added to the program in early 2020 to further drive the utility’s customer service focus and vision. The department’s mission was to provide new customers with personalized, “white glove” installation support.

Dedicated customer service specialists became the single point of contact for customers and crews, facilitating the entire new service installation process from new contract submission to final service turn-on.

Additional performance improvements were realized in 2020, with new business on-time start rates climbing another 9%. An added benefit was the reduction in personnel required by the utility to manage customer service issues and tactical installation scheduling activities.

10KNew Business Installations

Annually

90%On-Time Starts

for 2021

C A S E S T U D Y

ABOUT US Since 2006, Agile Sourcing Partners has been an industry-leading integrated solutions provider in both the gas and electric utility and infrastructure markets. As a trusted long-term partner, we deliver innovative, flexible, and value- driven solutions that increase your agility and efficiency.

With 250 employees in eight nationwide locations and more than $1.7B in procurement, Agile is a leader in managing your

complex business challenges. We design tailored business solutions that deliver efficient, cost-effective, business performance. Whether you choose to implement our full- service integrated portfolio or focus on improving a specific business function, your objectives are met and fulfilled by seasoned professionals with meticulous attention to detail. Agile is proud to be an ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certified company.

2385 Railroad Street, Corona, CA 92878 | ph 888.718.1988 | e info@agilesp.com

AGILESOURCINGPARTNERS.COM

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Results – Optimization, Accountability and EfficiencyAgile’s turn-key customer service program included staffing and management of two customer service teams, new hire onboarding and training, standard operating procedure (SOP) development, data-driven analysis and recommendations, key performance indicator (KPI) tracking, and the creation of a custom application suite for monitoring the program’s performance and effectiveness.

Our tailored customer service solution resulted in the following benefits to the utility and its customers:

• Personalized new business customer engagement increased customer satisfaction and positively impacted the utility’s brand, reputation, and public image

• Improved crew productivity and accountability to achieve overall on-time performance rate of 90%

• Streamlined, optimized installations managed and coordinated by a dedicated, centralized team from start to finish

• Reduction in the time required by internal utility personnel and crews to support new business service installations, contractors, and customer concerns

• Advanced awareness of schedule impacts, allowing for reprioritization of jobs or reallocation of labor resources

• Real-time, 24/7 access to program data, such as service installation schedules, crew performance, and customer communications

Agile specializes in turnkey, customer-centric solutions using business process optimization (BPO) and digital transformation tools to drive operational and business performance. Our experienced resources employ industry best practices and technology to deliver tailored, cost- effective business solutions that improve efficiencies and increase agility.