Welcome to the Water Research Foundation survey on Customer Service and Metering. Thank you for your participation.

Transcription

1 Welcome to the Water Research Foundation survey on Customer Service and Metering. Thank you for your participation. Project objectives: 1. Update 10 year old research related to selecting and implementing a water utility CIS. 2. Conduct new research regarding maintaining and upgrading a CIS. 3. Conduct new research related to implementing or upgrading AMR or AMI systems and the total organizational benefits of an implementation or major upgrade since the initial implementation. 4. Explore other important or emerging focus areas in the meter to cash cycle as desired by participating utilities, to the extent funding allows. The survey has three major sections: SECTION 1: General Utility Profile Information SECTION 2: Customer Service SECTION 3: Metering The full survey takes approximately 0 90 minutes to complete, depending on your ability to answer questions related to both CIS and Metering. If you are not able to answer both sections, you may submit one section (e.g., Metering) and return later to complete the other section (e.g., CIS). If you do submit just one section, you will be required to answer the general utility information questions again before you can submit the second section. This will ensure that survey information is not counted twice for the same utility. You may wish to print and complete a hard copy of the survey to make it easier to enter all of the information in one session. A PDF of all survey questions can be found here: Additionally, there is an option at the very end of the survey to skip back to the beginning of either the CIS or Metering section, so you are free to complete the survey in any order you choose. Thanks again for your willingness to participate in this important Water Research Foundation project. When you complete the final survey question, you will be entered to win an Apple ipad mini 3. Before beginning the survey, here are some answers to a few FAQs: The asterisk () next to some questions denotes that the question must be answered in order to continue with the survey. Any questions requiring a numerical answer should be answered in numerals (e.g., 2000), not text (e.g., Twenty five thousand). Please note that SurveyMonkey does not allow the use of commas. 1. Please enter the name of your utility: Page 1

2 2. Utility ownership/governance: Public Part of local government (City, County, etc.). Public Independently governed (Commission, Authority, District, etc.). Private or investor owned (privately held or publicly traded stock). Other (please specify) 3. Are you prepared to answer questions related to CIS for your utility, or would you like to skip to the section on Metering? I am prepared to answer questions related to CIS. I would like to skip to the section on Metering. 4. The total number of accounts you service is: Growing due to new development Growing due to acquisitions/annexations Stable Declining. Are you a contracted service bureau who bills and provides customer service for other entities? Page 2

3 The next several questions ask you whether you bill for: Water, Wastewater, Electric, Gas, Solid Waste, Stormwater, and "Other." If you do bill for any of these, you will be asked how many accounts you bill for. Please note that responses must be listed in whole numerals (e.g., please answer "0" as opposed to "N/A"). For example, if you bill for two hundred and seventy five thousand accounts, you would write "27000" without commas.. Do you bill for WATER? 7. WATER Please enter the number of accounts that you BILL for each service. (For example, if you bill for two hundred and seventy five thousand accounts, you would write "27000" without commas. Please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility.) Residential Commercial (Definition: Commercial meters are all accounts other than Residential, including Industrial and Institutional, regardless of meter size) 8. Do you bill for WASTEWATER? Page 3

4 9. WASTEWATER Please enter the number of accounts that you BILL for each service. (For example, if you bill for two hundred and seventy five thousand accounts, you would write "27000" without commas. Please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility.) Residential Commercial (Definition: Commercial meters are all accounts other than Residential, including Industrial and Institutional, regardless of meter size) 10. Do you bill for ELECTRIC? 11. ELECTRIC Please enter the number of accounts that you BILL for each service. (For example, if you bill for two hundred and seventy five thousand accounts, you would write "27000" without commas. Please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility.) Residential Commercial (Definition: Commercial meters are all accounts other than Residential, including Industrial and Institutional, regardless of meter size) 12. Do you bill for GAS? Page 4

5 13. GAS Please enter the number of accounts that you BILL for each service. (For example, if you bill for two hundred and seventy five thousand accounts, you would write "27000" without commas. Please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility.) Residential Commercial (Definition: Commercial meters are all accounts other than Residential, including Industrial and Institutional, regardless of meter size) 14. Do you bill for SOLID WASTE? 1. SOLID WASTE Please enter the number of accounts that you BILL for each service. (For example, if you bill for two hundred and seventy five thousand accounts, you would write "27000" without commas. Please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility.) Residential Commercial (Definition: Commercial meters are all accounts other than Residential, including Industrial and Institutional, regardless of meter size) 1. Do you bill for STORMWATER? Page

6 17. STORMWATER Please enter the number of accounts that you BILL for each service. (For example, if you bill for two hundred and seventy five thousand accounts, you would write "27000" without commas. Please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility.) Residential Commercial (Definition: Commercial meters are all accounts other than Residential, including Industrial and Institutional, regardless of meter size) 18. Do you bill for any other service (e.g., Internet, phone, etc.)? 19. OTHER Please describe the additional service you bill for: 20. OTHER Please enter the number of accounts that you BILL for each service. (For example, if you bill for two hundred and seventy five thousand accounts, you would write "27000" without commas. Please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility.) Residential Commercial (Definition: Commercial meters are all accounts other than Residential, including Industrial and Institutional, regardless of meter size) Page

7 21. How many total bills do you produce annually through your CIS? (e.g., if you bill quarterly for 2,000 accounts, you would enter "100000" without commas.) 22. For your residential accounts, what is the frequency of your billing (please select all that apply)? Monthly Every Two Months Quarterly Other (please specify): 23. Please select all of the services you bill for through your CIS: Inspections (e.g., backflow inspections or connection inspections) New service installations or permits Capacity impacts (sometimes called impact fees or capacity fees) Other (please specify) 24. Do you bill on behalf of another agency (i.e., a completely different entity)? 2. You indicated that you bill on behalf of another organization: How many agencies do you provide billing for? Comments: 2. Do you bill for more than one service on a single bill (e.g., water and electric)? Page 7

8 27. You indicated that you bill for more than one service on a single bill. Please identify the services you bill for (please select all that apply): Water Stormwater Sewer Gas Electric Other (please specify) 28. Your CIS software is: Licensed or owned by your utility and operated in house Licensed or owned by your utility and supported by the vendor or other service provider Provided on an outsourced basis by the vendor or other service provider Other (please specify) 29. Your CIS software is: An off the shelf package (from a software vendor) with a few (0 3) modifications An off the shelf package (from a software vendor) with several (4 9) modifications An off the shelf package (from a software vendor) with many (10 or more) modifications Custom designed and programmed Other (please specify) 30. What year did your CIS go live at your utility? Prior to 2000 Page 8

9 31. How did your first implementation of a CIS system/product go? Went well It went live generally as planned, within the budget originally allocated, and without any upsets during implementation or after go live. Okay It was a tough project that was reasonably close to budget (within 20%) and schedule and had no fatal errors, but it was a struggle and brought us a lot of surprises along the way. t well It was so stressful and problematic that we almost cancelled it (or we did, in fact, cancel it and went back to the drawing board). It was well over budget or beyond schedule, or both, or had other significant problems. Page 9

10 32. What were the most important success factors during your first CIS implementation (we will only analyze your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). Identified and quantified CIS project business goals, and compared them at the end of the project All or nearly all business requirements were met by off the shelf vendor solutions Vendor responses addressed our utility s needs We created detailed go live plans jointly with the vendor and the consultant We had the right expertise and experience on the implementation team (from any of our utility, our vendor, and/or our consultant) A good project plan that provided adequate direction for each step and adequate time to complete each step Adequate contingency in the budget to deal with unplanned problems The vendor(s) made an extra effort, above and beyond the contract A highly effective Project Manager at the utility An effective, positive internal project team Effective senior executive involvement Responsive decisions on configuration questions A solid understanding of how the CIS furthers the utility s customer service strategy A solid understanding of how our customer service strategy fits into our business strategy A written strategic business plan that described conceptually how the CIS fit into it and what the CIS needed to accomplish A well negotiated and documented contract with the vendor A flexible go live schedule Extensive testing Extensive training A well designed and well executed data conversion plan Users were positive and excited about the new CIS Page 10

11 Effective customer communication Engagement by all areas of the utility 33. What were the most important areas for improvement during your first CIS implementation (we will only analyze your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). Our project plan did not provide adequate direction for each step or adequate time to complete each step The number and/or complexity of software modifications caused major problems The project scope expanded so much that it delayed and/or impacted our go live Lack of timely and consistent project decisions Inadequate budget The contract with the vendor was problematic Our vendor was difficult and/or non responsive to our issues/needs Our Project Manager was not effective Our project team was not effective Senior executives did not pay enough attention to the project or were unsupportive of the project We had trouble coming to decisions quickly Data conversion was a major problem We did not have a solid understanding of how the CIS fit into furthering our utility customer service strategy We had not thought through how our customer service strategy fits into our business strategy The go live date was inflexible Insufficient or inadequate testing Insufficient or inadequate training Page 11

12 Difficulty integrating with other computerized systems Lack of IT support for the project (on the part of the utility and/or the overarching government entity, e.g., the City) Users were resistant to or unenthusiastic about the new CIS 34. What would you do differently to overcome the challenges (areas for improvement) you encountered during your first CIS implementation? 3. If you replaced your CIS since 200, indicate the reasons you did (please select all that apply): Previous system was no longer supported by vendor Previous system was expensive and time consuming to enhance Previous system was difficult for employees to learn (high training curve) Previous system had poor inquiry, analysis, and reporting capabilities Previous system was difficult to integrate or interface with other applications Previous system did not carry out a required business function Previous version had limited or no customer self service capabilities t applicable Other (please specify) Page 12

13 3. Has your utility integrated or linked your CIS with other technologies (please select all that apply)? Financial Management System (FMS) Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system AMR or AMI for at least some accounts Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) or a field work management system of some type Geographic Information System (GIS) Electronic Billing Presentment and Payment (EBPP) Other (please specify) 37. Do you have an ongoing maintenance and support contract with your CIS vendor? 38. You indicated that you have a maintenance contract in place with your CIS vendor. Please select your satisfaction level with the current support your CIS vendor is providing: Highly satisfied Mostly satisfied Fairly unsatisfied Very unsatisfied Comments: Page 13

14 39. You indicated that you were fairly unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with the level of support you receive from your CIS vendor. What are the key reasons for dissatisfaction (please select all that apply)? They are unable to respond to our service requests in a timely way, even when we are willing to pay more We have low confidence the vendor s fixes will work the first time Sometimes new releases or patches break previous fixes We have had issues with the vendor s Project Manager(s) The vendor charges too much for the services requested Other (please specify) 40. Do you have a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with your CIS vendor regarding agreedupon timeframes for response based on the ticket level severity? The vendor usually meets those agreed upon timeframes. The vendor sometimes meets those agreed upon timeframes. The vendor almost never meets those agreed upon timeframes. The vendor is usually very responsive. The vendor is sometimes responsive. The vendor is almost never responsive. 41. Do you have a CIS vendor account manager assigned to your account? We hold regularly scheduled periodic meetings with the account manager to review issues. The periodic meetings are not very helpful in addressing issues. We do not have periodic meetings. We would like one. We do not think that would be helpful. 42. How many utility technical staff (i.e., IT staff) are required to operate and maintain the CIS (please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility)? te: Your answer should be the number of full time equivalents (FTEs) required. Page 14

15 43. What is the annual licensing/support cost of your CIS? (Please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility. Also, please do not include the dollar "$" sign.) 44. Do you feel that most staff members generally understand how to use the CIS?, we are highly skilled Most staff members have a good understanding of the CIS as it pertains to their area of expertise Some staff members have a good understanding of the CIS as it pertains to their area but this is an issue Few staff members have a good understanding of their area Comments: 4. How frequently do you install software patches and updates from vendors? Whenever they are available One to two times per year Once every few years Never Other (please specify) 4. Have you upgraded your software to a newer version since the initial implementation (i.e., have you performed a "major upgrade")? In process / pilot t applicable Year completed (if applicable): You indicated that you upgraded your software to a newer version since the initial implementation. The next few questions will address this upgrade. Page 1

16 47. What level of vendor support did you use during the upgrade? ne We performed the upgrade on our own. ne We worked with a management consultant to perform the upgrade. Some The vendor provided us guidance and remote support on an as needed basis. A great deal We worked closely with the vendor to perform the upgrade, including on site assistance and training. 48. What level of testing did you perform during the upgrade? Exhaustive Moderate Little to none 49. Please rate your overall satisfaction with the upgrade: Very satisfied It substantially improved our capabilities in one or more areas. Somewhat satisfied It improved our capabilities somewhat. Somewhat unsatisfied We had to change how we carried out some tasks but it did not really provide improvements in productivity or customer service levels. Very unsatisfied We had a number of issues as a result of the upgrade and did not really see any benefit beyond staying current with the software. Comments: 0. What is your upgrade strategy for major releases? Upgrade to every major release within 1 to 2 years of the release Selectively upgrade to major releases (please describe below) Upgrade only when forced by the vendor t applicable Comments or additional answers: Page 1

17 1. When is your next major upgrade planned? Currently upgrading or later t applicable Comments 2. Which functions do you currently outsource (please select all that apply)? Call center Bill printing Payments Collections (OCA) IT assistance to support the CIS (to an external vendor/consultant) Other (please specify) 3. Based on your answer(s) to the previous question, are you considering outsourcing any of the following functions (please select all that apply)? Call center Bill printing Payments Collections (OCA) IT assistance to support the CIS (to an external vendor/consultant) We are not considering any oursourcing Other (please specify) Page 17

18 4. Do you have a formal (i.e., written, funded, and regularly reviewed) customer service continuous improvement strategy? Comments:. Do you offer a mobile (e.g., mobile phone) app for customers to manage their account? In process Plan to offer within the next two years. plans to offer. Comments:. Do you offer a web portal for customers to manage their account (e.g., start/stop service, update account information, etc.)? In process / pilot Plan to offer within the next two years. plans to offer. Comments 7. Do you offer a web portal for customers to view bills? In process / pilot Plan to offer within the next two years. plans to offer. Page 18

19 8. Do you offer a web portal for customers to make payments? In process / pilot Plan to offer within the next two years. plans to offer. 9. Do you offer customers the ability to pay by IVR? In process / pilot Plan to offer within the next two years. plans to offer. 0. You indicated that you offer customers the ability to pay by IVR. Is there near real time validation of the payment with the CIS that is visible to field shut off staff members? In process / pilot Plan to offer within the next two years. plans to offer. 1. Does your utility use social media? In process / pilot Plan to use within the next two years. plans to use. Page 19

20 2. You indicated that you use social media. Which social media channels do you use (please select all that apply)? Twitter Facebook YouTube Instagram Pinterest Other (please specify) 3. OPTIONAL Please list the name of your current CIS vendor: 4. OPTIONAL Please list your CIS product name:. Would you be willing to share additional information about your CIS implementation with other utilities? Please call me (please insert your name and phone number below). Maybe Please call me (please insert your name and phone number below). Name and phone number Page 20

21 . Please enter the name, title, and phone number OR address of the subject matter experts who helped to complete this section of the survey. This information will be used to ensure everyone has a chance to win the Apple ipad mini 3 once the survey is complete. If your utility used more than five subject matter experts to complete the survey, please additional names and addresses to pdawson@ema inc.com. Name 1 Title 1 OR phone 1 Name 2 Title 2 OR phone 2 Name 3 Title 3 OR phone 3 Name 4 Title 4 OR phone 4 Name Title OR phone 7. On behalf of the Water Research Foundation, we thank you for taking the time to complete the CIS section of this survey! Are you prepared to answer questions related to Metering (MDMS, AMR, and AMI) for your utility, or would you like to skip to the end of the survey? I am prepared to answer questions related to Metering. I would like to skip to the end of the survey. Page 21

22 There are four subsections to the Metering section: General Metering Questions, Meter Data Management System (MDMS), AMR, and AMI. Key definitions are: AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure): A system that collects time differentiated consumption data and is capable of providing this information to the utility on at least a daily basis. AMI usually allows for communication from meter to utility and back again (two way communication). AMR (Automatic Meter Reading): A system in which consumption data is retrieved via an automatic means using a handheld, mobile, or satellite radio transmitter. This method tends to be collection only without a means of transmitting or broadcasting (one way communication). Drive by AMR: A system in which consumption data is retrieved using a radio transmitter by driving near a location. This method tends to be collection only and is typically done monthly or on an as needed basis (e.g., reread). Fixed network AMR: A system that collects readings (via high power transmitters attached to meters) at fixed data collection points and transmits them electronically to the utility. This method tends to be collection only and is typically used for regular readings or on an as needed basis (e.g., reread). 8. Do you obtain meter reads / use meter reads from another utility? Page 22

23 9. How well does obtaining meters from another utility work for you? It works well; we have no issues We occasionally have issues, but have little difficulty resolving them We routinely have problems that are time consuming to resolve and negatively impact our customer service Other (please specify) 70. Indicate if you have a FULLY IMPLEMENTED program for the following meter reading methods (please select all that apply): Customer provides data Manual AMR Drive by AMR Fixed AMI 71. Indicate if you have a PILOT program for the following meter reading methods (please select all that apply): AMR Drive by AMR Fixed AMI 72. Indicate if you have an IN PROCESS program for the following meter reading methods (please select all that apply): AMR Drive by AMR Fixed AMI Page 23

24 73. Does your utility have RESIDENTIAL meters? 74. Fill in the number of RESIDENTIAL meters by each method (please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility): Customer provides data Manual AMR Drive by AMR Fixed AMI 7. Fill in the total number of annual RESIDENTIAL reads for each method (please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility): Customer provides data Manual AMR Drive by AMR Fixed AMI 7. Does your utility have COMMERCIAL meters (Definition: Commercial meters are all accounts other than Residential, including Industrial and Institutional, regardless of meter size)? Page 24

25 77. Fill in the number of COMMERCIAL meters (Definition: Commercial meters are all accounts other than Residential, including Industrial and Institutional, regardless of meter size) read by each method (please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility): Customer provides data Manual AMR Drive by AMR Fixed AMI 78. Fill in the total number of annual COMMERCIAL reads for each method (please answer "0" if the answer is not applicable to your utility): Customer provides data Manual AMR Drive by AMR Fixed AMI MDMS (Meter Data Management System): A system that collects and stores meter data from a head end system and processes that meter data to support customer portals and billing systems. 79. Does your utility have an MDMS? In process / pilot Plan to implement within the next two years. plans to implement. Page 2

26 80. The MDMS is: Hosted by vendor or third party Administered by the utility (on or off site) 81. The MDMS is supported by: External resources (vendor, systems integrator) Internal resources Vendor and utility 82. We use the MDMS for (please select all that apply): Billing and researching billing questions Automated alerts to internal staff members related to questionable reads Automated alerts to internal staff members related to potential leaks Automated alerts to customers related to potential leaks Automated alerts to internal staff members related to potential meter and battery issues Data aggregation Analysis and analytics Other (please specify) 83. Do you think the data has untapped potential you are not using? (If you do, please indicate the untapped potential in the "Comments" field below.) Comments Page 2

27 84. Who is responsible for maintaining the data communications network, including configuration and hardware (please select all that apply)? Utility IT Utility operations or maintenance staff members Other IT at your agency Outsourced Comments 8. Does your utility have a fully implemented AMR system? In process / pilot plans to acquire. The next several statements address drive by AMR only. Page 27

28 8. Does your utility have drive by AMR? 87. Select the year that the drive by AMR system went live (fully implemented): or earlier 88. How satisfied are you with your drive by AMR system? Highly satisfied Mostly satisfied Fairly unsatisfied Very unsatisfied 89. Has the business case been achieved for a drive by AMR? We did not do a business case It is too early to tell 90. How were staffing levels impacted after the implementation of your drive by AMR (please select all that apply)? We permanently reduced the number of positions We created new positions We shifted employees to other positions Page 28

29 91. What were the most important concerns your utility had during the drive by AMR project approval process (we will only analyze your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). Cost justification Ability to analyze/respond to non revenue water issues Funding Vendor selection Vendor management Infrastructure management (fixed network) Security of the data (utility and customer) Community resistance 92. What were your utility s goals for implementing the drive by AMR project? Ability to analyze/respond to non revenue water issues Meeting customer expectation of modern utility Improved customer service and communication Obtaining reliable meter readings Other (please specify) 93. To what extent were customers informed about the drive by AMR project (please select one choice per row)? outreach Minimal outreach Some outreach Extensive outreach program Prior to project approval Prior to go live After go live Page 29

30 94. Did you assign an internal full time Project Manager to the drive by AMR project? 9. How many full time equivalents (FTEs) were dedicated to the drive by AMR project team? 9. Did you use an external management consultant to assist with the drive by AMR project? 97. How did your first implementation of a drive by AMR system/product go? Went well It went pretty much when and how it was planned, within the budget originally allocated, and without any upsets during implementation or after cut over. Okay It was a tough project that was reasonably close to budget and schedule and had no fatal errors, but it was a struggle and brought us a lot of surprises along the way. t well It was so stressful and problematic that we almost cancelled it (or we did, in fact, cancel it and went back to the drawing board). It was well over budget or beyond schedule, or both, or had other problems. Page 30

31 98. What were the most important success factors during your first drive by AMR implementation (we will only use your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). Identified and quantified AMR project business goals, and compared them at the end of the project All or nearly all business requirements were met by off the shelf vendor solutions Vendor responses addressed our utility s needs We created detailed go live plans jointly with the vendor and the consultant We had the right expertise and experience on the implementation team (from any of our utility, our vendor, and/or our consultant) A good project plan that provided adequate direction for each step and adequate time to complete each step Adequate contingency in the budget to deal with unplanned problems The vendor(s) made an extra effort, above and beyond the contract A highly effective Project Manager at the utility An effective, positive internal project team Effective senior executive involvement Responsive decisions on configuration questions A solid understanding of how the AMR furthers the utility s customer service strategy A clear understanding of how the AMR furthers the utility s strategies and goals A written strategic business plan that described conceptually how the AMR fit into it and what the AMR needed to accomplish A well negotiated and documented contract with the vendor A flexible go live schedule Extensive testing Extensive training A well designed and well executed data conversion plan Users were positive and excited about the new AMR Page 31

32 Effective customer communication Engagement by all areas of the utility 99. What were the most important areas for improvement during your first drive by AMR implementation (we will only use your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). Our project plan did not provide adequate direction for each step or adequate time to complete each step The number and/or complexity of software modifications caused major problems The project scope expanded so much that it delayed and/or impacted our go live Lack of timely and consistent project decisions Inadequate budget The contract with the vendor was problematic Our vendor was difficult and/or non responsive to our issues/needs Our Project Manager was not effective Our project team was not effective Senior executives did not pay enough attention to the project or were unsupportive of the project We had trouble coming to decisions quickly Data conversion was a major problem We did not have a solid understanding of how the AMR fit into furthering our utility s strategies and goals We had not thought through how our AMR strategy fits into our business strategy The go live date was inflexible Insufficient or inadequate testing Insufficient or inadequate training Page 32

33 Difficulty integrating with other computerized systems Lack of IT support for the project (on the part of the utility and/or the overarching government entity, e.g., the City) Users were resistant to or unenthusiastic about the new AMR 100. What would you do differently to overcome the challenges (areas for improvement) you encountered during your first drive by AMR implementation? 101. Has your utility linked your drive by AMR system with other technologies (please select all that apply)? Customer Information System (CIS) Meter Data Management System (MDMS) Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Geographic Information System (GIS) 311 (or equivalent) system Distribution system model Other (please specify): Page 33

34 102. What features of your drive by AMR system do you use on a daily basis (please select all that apply)? Final reads Bill dispute resolution by looking at consumption profile Zero consumption Stopped meter Leak detection Tamper monitoring Theft detection District metering Demand forecasting Reverse flow detection (i.e., backflow) Customer notifications (e.g., consumption bands, consumption while away from home, leak, and backflow) Automated workflows Other (please specify) 103. Did you institute new staff roles or responsibilities after implementing your drive by AMR system (please select all that apply)? Leak detection/analysis Data analytics AMR System Administrator Meter technicians t applicable Other (please specify) Page 34

35 104. You indicated that staff roles and responsibilities were affected by implementing your drive by AMR system. How was staffing affected by changes in staff roles and responsibilities (please select all that apply)? Additional staff were hired to support the new technology Current staff were retrained to support the new technology Some/all of current staff were terminated The total number of full time equivalents (FTEs) increased The total number of FTEs decreased The total number of FTEs remained roughly the same Other (please specify) 10. Would you be willing to share additional information about your drive by AMR implementation with other utilities (please select only one)? Please call me (please insert your name and phone number below). Maybe Please call me (please insert your name and phone number below). Name and phone number The next several statements address fixed network AMR only. 10. Does your utility have fixed network AMR? Page 3

36 107. Select the year that the fixed network AMR system went live (fully implemented): or earlier 108. How satisfied are you with your fixed network AMR system? Highly satisfied Mostly satisfied Fairly unsatisfied Very unsatisfied 109. Has the business case been achieved for a fixed network AMR? We did not do a business case It is too early to tell 110. How were staffing levels impacted after the implementation of your fixed network AMR (please select all that apply)? We permanently reduced the number of positions We created new positions We shifted employees to other positions Page 3

37 111. What were the most important concerns your utility had during the fixed network AMR project approval process (we will only analyze your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). Cost justification Ability to analyze/respond to non revenue water issues Funding Vendor selection Vendor management Infrastructure management (fixed network) Security of the data (utility and customer) Community resistance 112. What were your utility s goals for implementing the fixed network AMR project? Ability to analyze/respond to non revenue water issues Meeting customer expectation of modern utility Improved customer service and communication Obtaining reliable meter readings Other (please specify) 113. To what extent were customers informed about the fixed network AMR project (please select one choice per row)? outreach Minimal outreach Some outreach Extensive outreach program Prior to project approval Prior to go live After go live Page 37

38 114. Did you assign an internal full time Project Manager to the fixed network AMR project? 11. How many full time equivalents (FTEs) were dedicated to the project team for the fixed network AMR? 11. Did you use an external management consultant to assist with the fixed network AMR project? 117. How did your first implementation of a fixed network AMR system/product go? Went well It went pretty much when and how it was planned, within the budget originally allocated, and without any upsets during implementation or after go live. Okay It was a tough project that was reasonably close to budget and schedule and had no fatal errors, but it was a struggle and brought us a lot of surprises along the way. t well It was so stressful and problematic that we almost cancelled it (or we did, in fact, cancel it and went back to the drawing board). It was well over budget or beyond schedule, or both, or had other problems. Page 38

39 118. What were the most important success factors during your first fixed network AMR implementation (we will only use your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). A good project plan that provided adequate direction for each step and adequate time to complete each step Adequate contingency in the budget to deal with unplanned problems Extra effort by the vendors A highly effective utility Project Manager An effective, positive internal project team Effective senior executive involvement Timely decision making Well designed selection/contracting processes A well negotiated and documented contract with the vendors A clear understanding of how AMR furthers the utility s strategies and goals Easy access to customer premises Ability to locate field devices where required Extensive testing Extensive training A well designed and well executed data conversion plan Strict data management and validation procedures Field work was managed through digital work orders via mobile devices Well designed and implemented public outreach plan Users were positive and excited about the new AMR Effective customer communication Engagement by all areas of the utility Page 39

40 119. What were the most important areas for improvement during your first fixed network AMR implementation (we will only use your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). Our project plan did not provide adequate direction for each step or adequate time to complete each step Our budget was not adequate A key vendor did not perform well The contract with the vendor was problematic Our internal Project Manager was not effective Our internal project team was not effective Senior executives did not pay enough attention to, or were unsupportive of, the project We had trouble coming to decisions quickly Data management was a major problem We did not have a clear understanding of how AMR furthers the utility s strategies and goals We had not thought through how our customer service strategy fits into our business strategy The substantial completion date was inflexible Lack of access to customer premises Difficulty finding locations or power for fixed area network devices Insufficient testing Insufficient training Difficulty integrating with other computerized systems Page 40

41 120. What would you do differently to overcome the challenges (areas for improvement) you encountered during your first fixed network AMR implementation? 121. Has your utility linked your fixed network AMR system with other technologies (please select all that apply)? Customer Information System (CIS) Meter Data Management System (MDMS) Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Geographic Information System (GIS) 311 (or equivalent) system Distribution system model Other (please specify all other technologies, separated by commas) Page 41

42 122. What features of your fixed network AMR system do you use on a daily basis (please select all that apply)? Final reads Bill dispute resolution by looking at consumption profile Zero consumption Stopped meter Leak detection Tamper monitoring Theft detection District metering (mass balance) Demand forecasting Reverse flow detection (i.e., backflow) Customer notifications (e.g., consumption bands, consumption while away from home, leak, and backflow) Automated workflows Other (please specify) 123. Did you institute new staff roles or responsibilities after implementing your fixed network AMR system (please select all that apply)? Leak detection/analysis Data analytics AMI System Administrator Meter technicians t applicable Other (please specify) Copy of page: Page 42

43 124. You indicated that staff roles and responsibilities were affected by implementing your fixed network AMR system. How was staffing affected by changes in staff roles and responsibilities (please select all that apply)? Additional staff were hired to support the new technology Current staff were retrained to support the new technology Some/all of current staff were terminated The total number of full time equivalents (FTEs) increased The total number of FTEs decreased The total number of FTEs remained roughly the same Other (please specify) 12. Would you be willing to share additional information about your fixed network AMR implementation with other utilities (please select only one)? Please call me (please insert your name and phone number below). Maybe Please call me (please insert your name and phone number below). Name and phone number 12. Is there anything cutting edge or emerging in your metering technology and/or strategy? Page 43

44 127. Does your utility have an AMI system? In process / pilot Plan to implement within the next two years. plans to implement Is the AMI one way or two way? One way Two way 129. Do you perform time synchronized readings? Page 44

45 130. Select the year that the AMI system went live (fully implemented): (please select only one): or earlier 131. How satisfied are you with your AMI system? Highly satisfied Mostly satisfied Fairly unsatisfied Very unsatisfied 132. Has the business case been achieved? We did not do a business case It is too early to tell 133. How were staffing levels impacted after the implementation (please select all that apply)? We permanently reduced the number of positions We created new positions We shifted employees to other positions Page 4

46 134. What were the most important concerns your utility had during the AMI project approval process (we will only analyze your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). Cost justification Ability to analyze/respond to non revenue water issues Funding Vendor selection Vendor management Infrastructure management (fixed network) Security of the data (utility and customer) Community resistance 13. What were your utility s goals for implementing the AMI project? Ability to analyze/respond to non revenue water issues Meeting customer expectation of modern utility Improved customer service and communication Obtaining reliable meter readings Other (please specify) 13. To what extent were customers informed about the project (please select one choice per row)? outreach Minimal outreach Some outreach Extensive outreach program Prior to project approval Prior to go live After go live Page 4

47 137. Did you assign an internal full time Project Manager to the project? 138. Did you use an external management consultant to assist with the project? 139. How did your first implementation of an AMI system/product go? Went well It went pretty much when and how it was planned, within the budget originally allocated, and without any upsets during implementation or after go live. Okay It was a tough project that was reasonably close to budget and schedule and had no fatal errors, but it was a struggle and brought us a lot of surprises along the way. t well It was so stressful and problematic that we almost cancelled it (or we did, in fact, cancel it and went back to the drawing board). It was well over budget or beyond schedule, or both, or had other problems. Page 47

48 140. What were the most important success factors during your first AMI implementation (we will only use your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). A good project plan that provided adequate direction for each step and adequate time to complete each step Adequate contingency in the budget to deal with unplanned problems Extra effort by the vendors A highly effective utility Project Manager An effective, positive internal project team Effective senior executive involvement Timely decision making Well designed selection/contracting processes A well negotiated and documented contract with the vendors A clear understanding of how AMI furthers the utility s strategies and goals Easy access to customer premises Ability to locate field devices where required Extensive testing Extensive training A well designed and well executed data conversion plan Strict data management and validation procedures Field work was managed through digital work orders via mobile devices Well designed and implemented public outreach plan Users were positive and excited about the new AMI Effective customer communication Engagement by all areas of the utility Page 48

49 141. What were the most important areas for improvement during your first AMI implementation (we will only use your top FIVE answers)? As you select answers, SurveyMonkey will automatically reorder the list below based on ranking (most important = top/lower numbers, least important = bottom/highest numbers). Our project plan did not provide adequate direction for each step or adequate time to complete each step Our budget was not adequate A key vendor did not perform well The contract with the vendor was problematic Our internal Project Manager was not effective Our internal project team was not effective Senior executives did not pay enough attention to, or were unsupportive of, the project We had trouble coming to decisions quickly Data management was a major problem We did not have a clear understanding of how AMI furthers the utility s strategies and goals We had not thought through how our customer service strategy fits into our business strategy The substantial completion date was inflexible Lack of access to customer premises Difficulty finding locations or power for fixed area network devices Insufficient testing Insufficient training Difficulty integrating with other computerized systems Page 49

50 142. What would you do differently to overcome the challenges (areas for improvement) you encountered during your first AMI implementation? 143. Has your utility linked your AMI system with other technologies (please select all that apply)? Customer Information System (CIS) Meter Data Management (MDM) Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Geographic Information System (GIS) 311 (or equivalent) system Distribution system model Other (please specify all other technologies, separated by commas) Page 0

51 144. What features of your AMI system do you use on a daily basis (please select all that apply)? Final reads Bill dispute resolution by looking at consumption profile Zero consumption Stopped meter Leak detection Tamper monitoring Theft detection District metering (mass balance) Demand forecasting Reverse flow detection (i.e., backflow) Customer notifications (e.g., consumption bands, consumption while away from home, leak, and backflow) Automated workflows Other (please specify) 14. Did you institute new staff roles or responsibilities after implementing your AMI system (please select all that apply)? Leak detection/analysis Data analytics AMI System Administrator Meter technicians t applicable Other (please specify) Copy of page: Page 1

52 14. You indicated that staff roles and responsibilities were affected by implementing your AMI system. How was staffing affected by changes in staff roles and responsibilities (please select all that apply)? Additional staff were hired to support the new technology Current staff were retrained to support the new technology Some/all of current staff were terminated The total number of full time equivalents (FTEs) increased The total number of FTEs decreased The total number of FTEs remained roughly the same Other (please specify) 147. Would you be willing to share additional information about your AMI implementation with other utilities? Please call me (please insert your name and phone number below). Maybe Please call me (please insert your name and phone number below). Name and phone number 148. Who is responsible for maintaining the data communications network, including configuration and hardware (please select all that apply)? Utility IT Utility operations or maintenance staff members Other IT at your agency Outsourced Comments Page 2

53 149. Is there anything cutting edge or emerging in your metering technology and/or strategy? 10. Please enter the name, title, and phone number OR address of the subject matter experts who helped to complete this section of the survey. This information will be used to ensure everyone has a chance to win the Apple ipad mini 3 once the survey is complete. Additionally, it will be used if we need to contact you to discuss your results or need additional information. If your utility used more than five subject matter experts to complete the survey, please additional names and addresses to pdawson@ema inc.com. If you did not answer either the CIS or Metering section of the survey at this time, you may log back in and fill out that section of the survey. You will be asked to fill out the general utility information again. Please do not fill out the CIS or Metering section more than once. Once you click the Done button below, your survey results will be compiled with those of other utilities for analysis. Name 1 Title 1 1 Name 2 Title 2 2 Name 3 Title 3 3 Name 4 Title 4 4 Name Title Page 3