Confidence for Customer Service System Procurement | Utilities Consulting

Customer Service System at the Core

In water utilities, the customer information system and the online self-service channel form the backbone of customer service. Operational work across process areas takes place in the CIS, while the online service directly shapes the customer experience and simultaneously streamlines utility processes—particularly in customer management and communications. With that in mind, Haminan Vesi first carried out a market survey to map the scope and suitability of vendor offerings against its needs. Because system procurements are infrequent, Haminan Vesi engaged Solteq’s expert to accelerate and structure the preparation work.

Targeted Support for Preparation and Market Survey

The project objective was to build a clear overall picture of goals, current state, and changes required—then translate that into a request for information (RFI) for the market survey. The work moved quickly by combining ready-made templates with utility-specific insights and stakeholder input.

Key steps:

• Current‑state mapping & target setting — Clarified goals, scope, and success criteria.
• Stakeholder & expert interviews — Captured operational needs across customer service, billing, and field processes.
• Process‑led requirement definition — Mapped requirements to water‑sector processes and acceptance criteria.
• Market survey (RFI) design & execution — Prepared vendor‑ready materials and evaluation structure.
• Recommendations & next‑step roadmap — Provided a clear plan for RFP, timeline, and resourcing.

Using a sector process catalogue, the team rapidly identified which areas are most material for Haminan Vesi and where the renewal would have the largest impact. The output included a functional requirement list, captured strengths/limitations of the current solution, and a structured plan to run the market survey efficiently