Double Success on Water Utility Billing
What
could be more challenging than replacing a legacy based
billing system for a UK water utility, in under a year?
Replacing
legacy based billing systems for two UK water utilities
at the same time!
Newcastle-based
utility system specialists Imass Ltd has successfully
implemented the basis2 billing and CIS systems at both
Cambridge Water and South East Water, in time for their
2006 annual billing.
Both utilities got their annual bills out of the
door and are now focused on adopting all of the new and
improved functionality basis2 offers.
In
2004 Cambridge Water agreed to work closely with Imass
and Australian billing system provider Prophecy
International on the evaluation of the brand new basis2
billing product and its suitability for the UK market.
This led early last year to a commitment to
implement basis2 and the start of the project proper.
Martin
Greasley, Cambridge’s CFO comments: "We were excited
by the potential basis2 offered, particularly in terms
of arrears management.
We took the decision to proceed in the knowledge
that Imass and Prophecy shared our commitment to see the
implementation through and we have not been
disappointed."
In
April 2005 South East Water also awarded Imass the
contract to replace their legacy billing system with
basis2.
Neil
Tomlinson, Director of Innovation and Growth comments.
"During our partner selection process, we saw
what was happening at Cambridge and were impressed.
We felt that Imass had developed a methodology
there that gave us the best chance of achieving the
budgets and deadlines we had set."
After
this second win Imass faced the unprecedented challenge
to bring two water companies live on a brand new billing
system in less than a year.
The
Imass led project teams were small, close-knit
groupings, staffed by mature, highly experienced
individuals who understand Utilities and Utility
billing. In
addition the one-team approach Imass adopts with all of
its customers helped to cut through much of the
bureaucracy that can arise within projects.
Bernard
Newman, Imass MD comments.
"We adopted a shared risk, shared objectives
approach and this has paid dividends.
We feel that these projects are genuinely
groundbreaking. We
have established beyond any doubt that the right system
in the right hands can be delivered for a fixed price
and within demanding timescales appropriate to the
customer."
A
second phase of the project at South East Water will see
Imass Plus2 Customer Service Management system
implemented alongside basis2.
Imass is working hard to establish the hosted
service approach they have with SEW and are hoping to
support Prophecy International on a number of projects
worldwide.
This
is only the beginning!
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