The Customer Information System (CIS) replacement project kicked off one year ago this month. Project leaders are happy to announce that CIS2020 is on schedule, with a target deployment date of July 27, 2020.
Since the commencement of the project, phase 1 (which included planning and analysis) has been successfully completed. Phase 2 – design and construction – is wrapping up this month. The testing and training phase began in September and will take place until the launch of the new Customer Information System next summer. End user training is expected to begin by March. The Contact Center is preparing for implementation by temporarily increasing staffing until we become proficient in using the new system.
“The testing and training phase allows us to evaluate all functions of the new CIS in order to best serve our customers and exceed their expectations,” said Jeff Ford, Director Billing and Customer Service, and CIS2020 Project Lead. “In addition, the project timeline includes many months of training to ensure our employees are comfortable using the system.”
The benefits of the new software, called C2M (short for “customer-to-meter”), include:
- Additional billing and payment options
- Enhanced reporting and data analysis
- The ability to manage complex rates and regulatory requirements
- Automation of processes currently done manually
The CIS replacement project is one of Citizens’ strategic initiatives and is expected to positively impact all four long-term strategic goals, or pillars.
Producing timely and accurate bills and providing a variety of options for customers to manage their accounts contributes to Customer Satisfaction. Employee Engagement is enhanced by providing employees with contemporary tools to perform their jobs effectively. The project supports Financial Integrity as the new system is flexible and can be configured for timely and accurate billing for a variety of customer types and utility services. Performance Excellence is achieved by eliminating manual workarounds that are currently required due to system inefficiencies and by reducing training time given more intuitive and easy-to-use software.
