Covid-19 propels utilities towards a digital future

Covid-19 has had an unprecedented impact on all of our lives; the way we live and work has had to be turned upside during the pandemic. The utilities sector has been no exception, and indeed, as one of the few industries that has had to remain “customer facing” during this period, the changes to the way we work within the sector have been profound.

As we start to see some light at the end of the tunnel however, many are beginning to look at whether the changes implemented during this period are actually more effective than those in place previously. Certainly, the use of technology to ensure companies can continue working within the restrictions of government regulations, has seen a huge acceleration of trends that many in the utilities sector were considering, but had no immediate plans to implement.

Equally the customer service trends that were being talked about pre-Covid have also accelerated. Utility companies are now seeing more customers using digital channels and a higher expectation from customers in terms of effective communication and scheduling processes. Indeed, Ovo Energy announced that it is undertaking some restructuring of its workforce in light of these accelerated trends.

A new post Covid-19 world

Now these new ways of working are in place and companies are beginning to see some of the, up until now, unforeseen benefits, it is likely that a post Covid-19 world is going to be a very different one.

Many basic business processes, which previously wouldn’t have needed a second thought, now need to be adjusted to be fit for purpose in this new world. Utility companies have to think carefully about the processes and technology they need to implement in order to fit into this new world, whilst keeping pace with customer and employee expectation.

For workers operating in the field, understanding how to continue working safely is likely to be one of the primary initial concerns. As well as the universal health & safety advice, more emphasis must also be placed on generating additional job efficiencies. Processes should be reviewed to ensure that where possible, job activities are condensed into just one point of delivery whilst also minimising the amount of people involved in fulfilling the job.

Multi-operative jobs

The very nature of the pandemic and the precautions put in place have meant that some of the everyday tasks facing utility companies and particularly their workers in the field are no longer so simple. Jobs where more than one operative are needed are no longer simple to conduct – you cannot simply send two operatives in a van to resolve the issue. Instead a whole wave of new policies need to be consider before a multi-person job is completed. Never has the need to ensure a first time fix been so important.

Efficiency will play a huge part in this new world. Ensuring that operatives with the right skills, the relevant job information and equipped with the necessary parts and stock are scheduled for each job will help to prevent return visits and increase efficiencies.

To achieve such levels of efficiency, technology will continue to play an important role. Solutions such as job management software can automatically schedule appointments based on the skills and location of an operative whilst also managing parts and van stock to maximise first time fix rates. Job scheduling software can also manage a large number of appointments helping to work through any backlogs quickly and efficiently.

Ensuring staff and customer safety

It is very clear that the key for staff and customers being safe during the current pandemic, and after, is communication. The methods that companies use to communicate effectively should now be looked at to ensure that they are up to standard and in-line with regulations and expectations.

Again, technology should play an important role here in automating some of these customer communications. Job Management software allows utility companies to, at the point a job such as a new connection or a repairs and maintenance appointment is confirmed, automatically send appointment confirmation details to the customer by letter, email or SMS. This provides an opportunity to reconfirm the safe working practices with customers in advance of the appointment.

All of this of course has to be in line with the latest governmental and regulatory guidelines and proving that you are adhering to these is a crucial aspect, and one that will hold utility companies in good stead as they navigate through an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. It should therefore become the norm for bespoke risk assessments to be carried out by operatives on the job via a mobile app. The results of which are then automatically recorded against the job in the softare so that it can be easily downloaded as evidence at a later date if required.

Call centres aren’t the only way

As we have seen from the situation at Ovo, customers and users are rapidly changing their preferences in dealing with suppliers, with self-service becoming the norm and expected route to customer contact. This has been the norm for some sectors for a number of years, with online businesses such as Amazon embracing self-service to lower costs, whilst rolling out increasingly sophisticated methods of customer interactions.

9-5 is no longer acceptable to customers and so “always being on” is a must for all service companies; those that don’t recognise this customer need will soon be left behind. Conversational UI technology such as chat bots gives customers access to company advice and information outside of traditional work hours. The nature of the technology around chat bots also means that utilities companies will be able to, overtime, learn more of the answers customers are looking for.

For companies operating with workers in the field, providing options for “on the job feedback” so operatives can feedback on behalf of customers, or raise concerns/problems that were not noted on the initial call, are “added extras” that will help make the customer feel content that they are receiving the support needed.

AR, VR and IoT and the future of repairs

We have seen that the post Covid-19 world will be dominated by a new way of working for utility companies, and one in which technology is going to play an increasingly important role.

Indeed, AR, VR and IoT, up until now perhaps just considered buzzwords, will now become increasingly relevant. With sensors on devices gathering contextual information about the functionality of equipment in utilities networks, data will be continually gathered leading to more informed engineers able to more quickly diagnose and carry out repairs. In addition, AR overlay of equipment will serve to provide engineers with visual clues and indicators, and instructions for parts handling and repair operations.

Before Covid-19, utilities companies were beginning to adapt their service and communications to keep up with changing customer expectations. In the post-pandemic world these trends are being accelerated and technology adoption plays an increasingly critical role in keeping the sector up-to-speed with customer expectation, regulation and adapting to new ways of working. One thing is for sure, Covid-19 has set the wheels in motion for much quicker technology adoption and I for one am excited to see the impact of that within the sector.