Telecoms and Utilities

The importance of good Document Architecture

Telecoms and Utilities sectors covers a wide range of vital service areas - gas, electricity, water, fixed and mobile telephony, data networks and broadcast entertainment. These industries are undergoing change from IT convergence, varying patterns of consumer behaviour and large infrastructure investments (eg 4G networks). They face many challenges adapting to higher user expectations and a rapidly changing technology environment. They need to invest in infrastructure over the long term while operating that infrastructure according to short term consumption demands. The regulated environments mean that meeting or exceeding customer service and cost expectations, or providing “reasonable levels of service at a fair price”, will always be a priority.

The way such businesses manage large scale Customer Communications requirements can differentiate from competitors and provide a vital source of efficiencies. The right choice of document creation, output management and live search integration technologies becomes a key infrastructural component for this sector’s administrative systems. But the IT by itself is insufficient - you will need organisation capable of bringing in the necessary change and integration of people processes, information management and systems implementation.

At icon^uk, we specialise in these areas - creating effective document architecture and customised solutions for each client; only the right blend of these will produce the lower costs, higher revenues, better customer service and compliance that both Telecom and Utilities organisations desire.

Telecoms and Utilities - CCMS Benefits

The benefits of an enterprise view of document architecture for electronic document management systems and a comprehensive, responsive and properly implemented Customer Communications Management strategy (CCMS) are:

Enhanced Market Share - differentiate your business propositions ahead of competitors. Bring all customer information together at the point of use. Produce immediate, relevant and accurate bids, quotes and contracts, delivered through internet, print, SMS or other relevant channels - whether you win new customers through marketing-led self-service, field sales or call centres.

Increased Customer Retention - savvy customers increasingly expect to be able to access their records, easily and quickly. They expect them to be accurate and complete. Organisations which consistently meet customer service expectations maintain the highest satisfaction ratings and retention levels.

Improved Staff Satisfaction - sales, service and operations staff need accurate, consistent, 360⁰ views of customer information so they can respond to customer needs freely and safely in any correspondence - however it is delivered. Providing staff with a faster means of responding to customers - without compromising legal, compliance, branding or business process constraints - increases staff satisfaction as well as productivity.

Reduced Costs - rationalise document creation and output systems across the enterprise to give direct cost savings in IT hardware, software, facilities, document related staff, paper and postage. Then exploit new capabilities through enabled simplification of processes for the majority of staff that use such systems - generating further large savings.

The efficiency of business processes and the importance of social, mobile and e-media technologies require a close integration of all document related processes within the organisation. The prize benefits include a strong return on investment, enhanced customer engagement, increased sales and reduced risk. icon^uk document architecture solutions for Customer Communications Management can deliver these benefits and more.

Uses in the Telecoms and Utilities sectors

At a time of fast-paced innovation, converged networks, high customer churn and intense competition, organisations need to find new ways to control costs and improve utilisation levels. Existing investments can be leveraged with well planned document architecture and new tools such as integrated document technologies and smart information management processes.

The use of such tools can be wide ranging. Common use types include:

• Structured monthly, quarterly or annual statements, invoices and other scheduled materials usually automatically produced in batch mode.
• Interactive applications that can be used by call centre agents, administrative staff and field staff in constructing collaborative documents or writing to customers.
• Self-serve uses include on-demand applications where customers use the web (via fixed or mobile devices) to obtain status and usage information - or see best tariffs and offers.
• A full 360⁰ view of all enterprise information relevant to a particular situation - with access by call centre agents, administrative staff and field staff alike in dealing with customers.

In the Utilities industries, applications can be as diverse as customer service requests and complaints, materials management, maintenance, regulatory and audit, asset management, rate case management, claims, contract management.

In the Telecommunications industries, there is similarly a wide variety of applications including corporate sales management, supplier/partner/customer contracts management, asset lifecycle management, legal and regulatory governance activities.

Stringent operating norms and compliances are compelling organisations to focus on smarter processes and integrated enabling technologies. The prize is reduced operational costs, optimal use of existing capacity and increased efficiencies - all assisting profit margins.