Challenge

Bedford Regional Water Authority, serving over 15,000 water and sewer customers in Bedford County, VA, faced operational challenges due to outdated customer information and billing software. The legacy system was slow, inefficient, and lacked updates, preventing the Authority from delivering the quality customer service they aspired to provide. Tasks that should have been automated required time-consuming manual entries, leading to delays and frequent errors. Monthly processing cycles took up to 4 hours, during which no transactions could be completed. The software's complexity limited the Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) from working efficiently, with some tasks requiring 5-10 minutes and multiple steps to complete. The Authority needed modern software to streamline operations, improve processing speed, and reduce manual work.

Solution

The Authority evaluated several customer information systems and ultimately selected inHANCE Utilities Solutions’ Impresa software. Impresa stood out due to its user-friendly interface, faster processing capabilities, and robust reporting features.

• Streamlined Processing: Impresa significantly reduced the steps needed for daily tasks, allowing CSRs to complete actions faster and with fewer clicks. This improved efficiency, enabling CSRs to focus more on customer interactions rather than administrative tasks.

• Automation and Customization: Impresa’s automation of payment processing, integrated with Invoice Cloud, eliminated manual data entry, reducing errors and improving accuracy. Its robust reporting features also allowed the Authority to customize reports for better decision-making.

• Reduced Downtime: The legacy system’s 3-4 hour processing cycle was drastically shortened with Impresa, allowing operations to continue uninterrupted and improving overall efficiency.

• CSR Flexibility: Impresa gave CSRs greater flexibility, enabling them to perform tasks in multiple ways. The user-friendly interface boosted job satisfaction and allowed CSRs to deliver faster, better service to the community.

Results

The transition from the legacy system to Impresa was a success, thanks in part to inHANCE’s Professional Services team, which provided a smooth and supportive implementation process. The Authority reported a significant reduction in the time it took to process transactions, both for daily tasks and the monthly billing cycle. What once took hours could now be done in a fraction of the time, leading to more efficient use of resources.

CSRs, who had previously been constrained by the limitations of the old system, quickly adapted to the new software and found that it made their jobs easier. The flexibility and intuitive design of Impresa allowed them to work more efficiently, ultimately improving customer service. The Authority was particularly pleased with the system’s robust reporting capabilities, which gave them the ability to customize data analysis and reporting processes to fit their unique needs.

Overall, Impresa has allowed the Bedford Regional Water Authority to streamline its operations, improve accuracy, and deliver exceptional customer service. With more efficient processes in place, the Authority is saving both time and money, while empowering their staff to focus on what matters most—providing quality service to their community.