From DistribuTECH 2000: Convergent Group Launches the Digital Utility, An E-Business Vision for Utility Transformation
Convergent Group, a leader in utility business transformation, today announced the debut of the Digital Utility, the company's new strategic blueprint for transforming utility companies into fully integrated e-business environments.
The Digital Utility encompasses services and products from Convergent Group, as well as its business partners, configured to create a seamless, digital environment that spans the utility enterprise and enables utilities of all sizes to conduct one-stop business with their customers, partners and suppliers using sophisticated Web-based tools.
Convergent Group will deliver the Digital Utility using its proprietary Rapid Performance Modeling (RPM) methodology, which is one of the cornerstones of the strategic blueprint. Through RPM, Convergent Group delivers a utility "model office" that encompasses a working, integrated business solution for energy delivery operations and customer relationship management, and provides real-time access to utility-related information.
"Without access to real-time information about the utility distribution network, the vision of transforming a utility into an e-business is not achievable," explained Glenn Montgomery, Convergent Group's chairman and chief executive officer. "It's simply not possible to respond quickly to customer service needs without immediate, digital access to energy delivery information such as the current state of the distribution network, the availability of crews and materials, etc."
The Digital Utility is designed to provide ready access to energy delivery information, but through integration between energy delivery, front office and back office enterprise resource planning (ERP) operations. Its goal is to provide streamlined, friction-free access — over the Internet — to the information required to answer questions asked by utility employees, as well as by customers, partners and suppliers.
"Historically, front office, back office and energy delivery operations have been automated as separate, stand-alone entities," said John Ramseur, Convergent Group executive vice president of Corporate Development. "The Digital Utility fully integrates these operations. A fully integrated Digital Utility will enable utilities to transform themselves into an e-business. The Digital Utility is intended to take utilities to a new level in their quest to become more competitive, to expand into new markets and to retain existing customers."
"Customer care in today's world is about happy customers," said Mark Shirman, Convergent Group's chief technology officer. "It's about giving them what they want, and more, when they want it. And in a world where the Internet rules, that means right now…in real time. This is the intent of the Digital Utility," he continued. "It's the vision, the road map and the technology tools utilities need to usher in a new era in customer care — through real-time access to all the information that's needed to meet customer expectations."
Exemplifying Convergent Group's commitment to the utility industry and its history of rapid deployment of performance-ready solutions for complex work environments, the Digital Utility is designed to bridge the gap between an economy being driven by the Internet and deregulation, and the unique application-specific needs of the utility industry.
The benefits to Digital Utility customers include:
- Improved customer service
- Lower-cost customer service
- Reduced risk and time to market
- Acceleration of the supply chain cycle
For more information, go to www.convergentgroup.com.
Clown Around With Promo Impersonators Quentin Proulx
(Austin Powers) and Barbara Gehring at Distributech 2000
Edited by John McKnight