CGI Business Consulting, partner in the digital transformation of GRDF’s customer relations department

CGI Business Consulting, our consulting firm in France, has supported France’s leading gas distributor, GRDF, in the digital transformation of its customer relations department through deployment of the EPOD (Evolution Post DISCO) program. This program represents the final step in replacing the previous DISCO application (shared between two distributors: GRDF (gas) and Enedis (electricity) to support customer relationship management (CRM) and operation management activities, thus giving GRDF complete control of its customer information system (IS).

Performed in a co-development approach, EPOD was an opportunity to modernize and digitize GRDF’s core operations of gas delivery, such as customer operations, subscriber and supplier requests, cyclical meter reading as well as their technical and customer data repository. EPOD allows GRDF to optimize the operational processing time of consultants in charge of routing for providers, to streamline user experience and ultimately improve the quality of customer relations for the company’s 11 million customers in France.

Thanks to the organization of the program and CGI’s partnership with GRDF since May 2019, the deadline for the end of March 2021 was met, thus avoiding any delay in the changeover that would have had significant financial impacts for GRDF. Given our experience in major transformation programs and recognized expertise in the energy sector, CGI Business Consulting was selected by GRDF to support it in four main areas:

• The framework and management of the deployment strategy for the various regions, taking into account the inherent constraints of each type of meter
• The quality of the business data associated with the 11 million metering and estimation points prior to switching to EPOD, and the smooth functioning of the processes
• Support provided to GRDF employees impacted by these changes throughout France, including implementing a distance learning initiative and creating a network of local contacts in the field
• Monitoring regional operations following the switch to EPOD to maintain the level of service provided to customers and gas suppliers

“EPOD is a strategic project for GRDF. It represents a unique challenge due to its complexity and the number of stakeholders involved. To successfully complete this major transformation on time, we were able to count on the unwavering commitment and expertise of CGI Business Consulting teams. The optimization of our processes combined with digital modernization will enable us to bring ever greater value to our businesses and customers,” said Thierry Foix, Customer Relations Director at GRDF.

“Our teams have been fully engaged alongside GRDF in this innovative and forward-looking project. Its success is a testament to CGI Business Consulting’s ability to support clients on major transformation programs that combine digital consulting and change management methods and know-how, as well as its recognized expertise in supporting players in the energy sector,” said Pierre-Dominique Martin, Senior Vice President of CGI Business Consulting.