Leveraging data management solutions from SAP such as SAP Information Steward and SAP Data Services, Australian electricity distributor SA Power Networks was able to strengthen its data management in order to support better communications with customers.
Recently, SAP was named a Leader in Gartrner’s Magic Quadrant for Data Quality Solutions based on its “ability to execute” and “completeness of vision”. Data management services from SAP, which are part of the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), enable enterprises in managing data in order to gain valuable insights and establish efficient business processes. Specifically, SAP’s data quality solutions assist businesses in discovering, understanding, and managing complex data, as well as help users proactively govern data across the organisation, ensuring reliable information for better decision-making.
One particular customer that understands the value of data quality in today’s digital economy is SA Power Networks, a supplier of power to local households and businesses across South Australia through its network of poles and wires. Since the catastrophic power outage that hit the state in 2016, the electricity distributor realised the need for boosting data management and delivery to support better communications with its clients.
With the help of SAP Information Steward software, the organisation was able to perform data cleansing to authenticate phone numbers and addresses, as well as score carding for data quality to ensure consistency and reliability throughout the customer data. And for fast retrieval and analysis, all customer data is kept in a comprehensive agile data mart.
SA Power Networks Utilises SAP Information Steward and SAP Data Services
Moreover, SAP Data Services software helped integrate multiple structured and unstructured sources of customer data that had grown over time in the company. The solution also linked the SAP ERP application with third-party or customised software on a single data management platform. Janice Espinosa, Project Manager of Employee Hub for Customer Data at SA Power Networks, said:
“This project helped us catalog information about our customers, their properties, and their electricity supply comprehensively. With SAP Data Services and SAP Information Steward, we’ve slashed response times to issues. And we’ve seen customer satisfaction levels rise as a result.”
To make employee access to the data repository easier, the SA Power Networks team also incorporated the launchpad into the current SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence suite. This has allowed teams to have streamlined access to all of the internal information and services they require, whether it is to improve one-on-one customer interactions or to secure asset investments.
Meanwhile, Travis Smith, SAP Domain Architect at SA Power Networks, revealed during this year’s SAUG Summit Online Speaker Series that the company expanded the scope of the data management project to fold in additional solutions from the SAP S/4HANA for Utilities, SAP Sales Cloud, and SAP Service Cloud portfolios to modernise its billing and CRM systems. Smith stressed that the metadata within the network billing system allowed them to seamlessly integrate and optimise the meter-to-cash processes, further improving operational visibility.
Moreover, SAP Data Services and SAP Information Steward have prepared the organisation to seek for new methods to offer value in the electricity management and distribution. SA Power Networks has already taken steps to promote sustainability by allowing more customers to connect rooftop solar systems to the company’s network. Last year, SA Power Networks’ Virtual Power Plant (VPP) project won the Best Use of Technology category at the 2020 Digital Utility Awards, making it the world-first initiative’s second major award.
