To Refresh or Replace? Important Factors When Considering a New CIS

A perfect storm of evolving utility customer business processes, a rise in customer expectations, and new technology innovations are a few of the primary forces resulting in change within utilities. As new leadership joins the utility customer service team, technology is assessed and questions arise regarding technology upgrades vs. replacements.

When it comes to assessing the need for a customer information system (CIS) replacement or refresh, the process to explore options and then form a comprehensive business case can be overwhelming.

Milestone has developed a front-end wrapper application to help utility teams extend the life of their CIS and reduce customer care handle times. However, some utilities may need to replace their CIS altogether.

To help utilities navigate this process, procurement consulting firms such as TMG Consulting offer research and other services to help utilities select the best option for their specific business objectives and long-term strategy. A report released in December 2016 titled “CIS Post Stabilization Risks” shares valuable information for any utility considering a CIS replacement.

Our own Edith Mercado was quoted in the report.

“In my opinion, only 15% of utilities surveyed rating their managed service provider with excellent communication with utility counterparts is surprisingly low. Our CIS knowledge and expertise may bring us in to a project, but it’s the consistent communication and collaboration with the utility employees we work alongside that directly impacts a project’s potential for success,” says Edith Mercado, CFO and utility business advisor for Milestone Utility Services.

For a full copy of “CIS Post Stabilization Risks,” please click here. If you would like to learn more about Milestone applications that extend a utility CIS functionality, contact our team to discuss your needs.

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