The UK smart meter installation programme: implementing strategic planning and optimised operational systems to get through the door

With over 50 million installations to be undertaken, the sheer size and scale of the UK smart metering project is unprecedented. As the programme enters the installation phase and the Government places consumers at the heart of the process, those tasked with delivering the roll-out will be wrestling with how to reconcile the demands for increased customer engagement against the challenge of controlling the cost to deliver. Success will depend on getting through the door to undertake installations quickly, efficiently and with the minimum of fuss. The Paper will discuss how, compared to traditional metering operations, the smart meter roll-out requires a more holistic approach. Consideration must be given to the customer contact centre and its interaction with work schedulers as well as to the installation management process with its focus on the field workforce operations. With smart meter installation programmes, the effectiveness of the front-line workers will be heavily influenced by planning and intelligence in the back office. Their successful and economical delivery requires sophisticated workforce management and customer engagement systems unified to drive targeted campaigns. The Paper will show how metering companies need to take workforce management to the next level through a three-stage process and will examine the need for systems capable of managing both complexity and volume while allowing skilled managers and staff to orchestrate and react to dynamically changing parameters.