Utility
Services Partner
Revenue Cycle Management
Delivering reliable and measurable customer service
Managing the ongoing revenue cycle — from validation of meter data through collection of payments — is the life blood of any utility. Unfortunately, utilities often struggle with key components of the revenue cycle. Problems include billing errors, poor customer service, high rates of uncollectible revenue, lack of coordination between call center and field service resources, and the list goes on. These problems typically result from an outdated, inflexible billing system, inexperienced or poorly trained personnel, inadequate business processes, or a combination of all of the above. Recognizing the importance of managing the daily revenue cycle, Cobb Energy has developed a fully configured Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) offering based on the Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing (CC&B) system. Utilizing our RCM solution, multiple customers depend on our Utility Services Partner (USP) team to continuously perform all of their key Revenue Cycle Management business processes.
Our Service
Customer Care
Cobb Energy’s USP team can assist clients in all aspects of Customer Care. Through ProCore Solutions, our wholly-owned subsidiary, we can manage customer interactions via telephone, integrated voice response (IVR), fax, email, Internet and written correspondence. ProCore Solutions also captures key metrics such as call answering and handling, customer satisfaction and overall program effectiveness. Our RCM solution also provides support for establishing new service, capturing person, premise and service agreement information, accepting deposits, verifying credit, and processing refunds.
Field Activity
Our offering supports all major field activities, including the initiation and tracking of service requests (meter or customer service based). Our solution also integrates with our clients’ automated dispatch systems to enable paperless tracking and closing of orders from the field. Key field activity best practices such as matching service start and stop at the same premise are standard with our solution.
Meter Management
Cobb Energy’s RCM solution easily integrates with our clients’ meter data collection systems to import, validate and process consumption readings across various meter types. Our meter management capabilities also establish and maintain meter inventory information and manage meter reading cycles and routes.
Billing
Our billing services are very robust, covering areas such as billing operations management, exceptions management, receivables and revenue management, complex billing, and taxation management. Our RCM solution also enables clients to easily establish rates, calculate charges, fees, and taxes, and pro actively manage rate characteristics and dynamic rate assignments. We easily support cycle driven, date driven, and event driven billing schedules, the input of time-based and volume-based consumption, and the establishment of consumption validation and estimation algorithms.
Print and Mail
We support all tasks necessary to generate, print, and mail bills, letters, and other outbound correspondence. Our RCM solution provides tools for document formatting, bill imaging and archival storage, address validation, bill printing and mailing, and electronic bill management. Our RCM solution also delivers dynamic bill messaging and bill inserts. Based on client business need, we also support interfacing to external print and mail providers.
Remittance
Our remittance services include such features as accepting and processing payments from lock boxes, payment stations, Automated Clearing House (ACH), and bank card processing. All remittance processes are supported with appropriate cash control, auditing and reporting capabilities.
Collections
Cobb Energy’s RCM solution supports both active and inactive collection of outstanding receivables. We enable front and back office collections management, outbound communications, skip tracing, and automated notification services. We also support processing of late payment penalties, handling of returned checks, and managing payment arrangements. In addition, our solution supports the processing of write-offs and accounts in bankruptcy.
Your Benefits
We have helped our clients achieve significant benefits through the implementation of our RCM offering. Our hosted CIS solution reduces manual errors and streamlines operations by automating many typical business processes. Cobb Energy offers a pre-configured, standardized CIS solution with proven, tested business processes. Combine this with our experienced USP personnel, and our RCM solution helps customers achieve benefits such as:
- Enhanced customer service via streamlined call center processes and tools;
- More accurate invoices from proven billing processes and robust invoice validation;
- Fewer field service exceptions via tighter integration between CIS and mobile work force applications;
- Better trained work force from online, “just in time” training delivery mechanisms; and
- Reduced write-offs via improved front-end credit analysis processes and best practice collection processes.
Cobb Energy has been delivering Revenue Cycle Management services for over ten years to numerous clients, including Gas South and Cobb Electric Membership Corporation. By coupling this delivery expertise with our comprehensive understanding of Oracle CC&B, we provide our clients an out-of-the-box solution that ensures their end-to-end business success.
