If you’ve walked through the basement at Citizens’ General Office any time in the past few months, you’ve likely seen the CIS2020 logo on meeting room doors and on the project’s designated bulletin board.
Have you wondered what’s been going on behind those project room doors? Read on for a brief explanation of what’s been happening since kick-off in October 2018 and what else will take place before deployment in 2020. For more background on this project, check out the November 2018 Engauge article.
Phase 1: Planning and Analysis - October 2018-April 2019
During this phase, project managers, team leads, and subject matter experts determine how C2M (short for “customer-to-meter” and the name of the software) can meet Citizens’ Customer Information System (CIS) needs, from enhanced reporting and data analysis to automation of some processes. Project team members attend group workshops to learn how to use the system.
Phase 2: Design and Construction - December 2018-October 2019
A list of the reports, notices, and processes that are needed from the system is finalized during phase two. Detailed designs for reports and interfaces also are completed.
Phase 3: Testing and Training - September 2019-June 2020
Testing and training involves using the system to build a customer account, from set up through billing and collections, to end-of-service. The functions of C2M – such as printing bills and processing payments – are evaluated.
Phase 4: Deployment - June-July 2020
In the final phase, data is converted from the old to the new system and the use of C2M goes live.