CGI and Kuopion Energia, an energy services provider in Kuopio, Finland, have announced that Kuopion Energia will use CGI’s Kolibri customer management solution as a service delivered from CGI´s Finland-based private cloud. Additionally, the new joint customer service center of Savon Voima (utility network operator) and Kuopion Energia, that will start operations in early 2020, will use a shared system for customer relationship management and will be prepared for the upcoming deployment of Datahub (a centralized information exchange system for the electricity retail market)
"The Kolibri solution was chosen to improve the cost-effectiveness of the current operating model. The joint customer relationship management system improves the quality of the customer and invoicing service, and eases and reduces the daily workload of the new shared service center,” says Esa Lindholm, Managing Director of Kuopion Energia Oy.
“An important reason for the purchase was supplier commitment to a tight deployment schedule. The SaaS cloud service model clarifies the management and scalability of the system,” added Lindholm.
According to Arto Sutinen, CEO of Savon Voima Group, the decision also was based on the desire to intensify regional cooperation with Kuopion Energia at the software level. “Our goal is to provide an excellent customer experience throughout our operating area. It can be achieved by managing customer service as well as construction and technical services with uniform tools,” Sutinen says.
Both Lindholm and Sutinen emphasize that the Kolibri system and the new customer service center will provide a front-row seat to the market revolution created by the upcoming Datahub information system, which will bring consumer-driven services to center stage.
“Datahub compatibility is an important or even critical feature for both parties. The unified electricity market model requires changes to the current processes and software features. Without compatibility, operating on the market will be impossible in the future. It is an honor for us to keep to Fingrid's schedule for Datahub instead of having to make excuses,” Sutinen says.
In addition to Datahub, there is a growing need in the energy industry to improve cost and environmental efficiency.
“Here in Finland, our national goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. That requires a reform of energy production, which also requires investing in new IT technology. With our end-to-end services and strong expertise in the energy sector, we help energy companies to update their information systems. For example, with our cloud-based solutions, our customers can free up time and capital for new investments and optimize their service production—in a flexible, safe, and cost-effective way,” notes Riku Rokala, Vice President, Telecommunications & Energy Sectors at CGI in Finland.
Datahub is a system built by CGI that simplifies, accelerates, and enhances information exchange. It will be deployed in 2022 and enable a smoother and more customer-oriented retail electricity market.
