Streamlining Utility Invoicing: Reducing Costs and Disruptions for a Telecommunications Provider
To minimize disruptions in customer services and reduce disconnection risks and related fees, a privately held telecommunications company turned to SolomonEdwards for help converting its utility providers to online accounts and autopay plans. The client required seasoned industry experts with deep knowledge of utilities-specific invoicing processes who could help redesign processes and communicate with various internal staff and vendors effectively.
Our team of AP experts coordinated with the client’s project sponsor and leader to develop a detailed project plan to establish priority accounts, set appropriate targets and create reporting metrics. We developed a variety of communication tools and processes to support the autopay conversion including call scripts, email templates and escalation protocols. In addition, we established processes for conversions, cutover dates and payment methods, and then coordinated and executed the cutover processes, reconciling outstanding invoices and setting cutover dates.
We were able to convert approximately 14,000 eligible accounts out of 18,000 to autopay arrangements. This improvement resulted in significant permanent monthly savings in disconnect fees—creating an ROI in less than six months and eliminating disruption to customer service.