Print MIS Transforms Bulk Mailing For Energy Firm

Scottish and Southern Energy's new document production software has cut costs and given the business what it believes to be unprecedented flexibility to exploit future communication technology.

Scottish and Southern Energy's (SSE) new document production software has cut costs and given the business what it believes to be unprecedented flexibility to exploit future communication technology.

"This was not just about replacing what we had.

We were looking at a complete new technology from document creation right through to finishing," explained Steve Callaghan, application architect in SSE's IT department.

After what was described as a rigorous selection process, SSE chose Printnet T Triple Suite from GMC Software Technology.

Printnet T is a single environment, all-in-one tool for layout creation, structured variable and fixed data processing and high-speed printing of invoices, statements, direct mail and other data-driven applications.

It is designed to be easy to operate, even by staff with no programming experience.

GMC believes that the product seamlessly links the design and production phases of document workflow for greater efficiency and control.

It can also be integrated into customer relationship management (CRM) software, email and other systems to create an automated business process.

"We have changed our entire bulk document production process in one fell swoop, moving from an IT based, technically biased process to a server based, business maintained, graphical orientated document production system.

It does what was promised - and much more.

Now we're two steps ahead of the competition, not just with software but with the overall architecture.

Even better, the project will pay for itself in the time frame allotted and it will be under budget.

There were some teething problems, but that was to be expected, whichever system we chose," said Callaghan.

SSE is one of the largest energy companies in the UK and one of the few that is wholly British owned.

From its IT centre in Havant, Hampshire, SSE daily sends out more than 120,000 bills and 45,000-50,000 other items of correspondence to service its 5.7 million customers.

Printnet T's logic and graphical interface is claimed to enable business-based personnel to make changes instead of IT personnel.

Changes are released monthly, though it is possible to implement them in less than 24 hours if necessary, instead of three to 12 months with the old mainframe system.

Only three instead of 14 IT staff are needed for the operation now, mainly to oversee the infrastructure, added GMC.

In-built error tolerance means that when errors are found in individual items they are automatically pulled out and flagged for attention during the overnight print run without interrupting the printing or incurring out of hours callouts for IT staff.

Printnet T also creates files for archiving and has disaster recovery as a standard feature said GMC.

Another major improvement has been in the use of stationery.

A single plain stationery stock has replaced the many different ones needed before.

It can be printed with variable data on demand and on both sides without having to stop to change the paper.

A further £250,000 is said to have been saved by the software during the last year on Mailsort discounts.

The system has the capability of combining bills and other documents in the same envelope, which is another potential saving added GMC.

"The system architecture allows the software central base to do other things in the business as and when the business changes.

We have seen steady reduction in costs already but we haven't even begun to see all the benefits yet.

It's a quantum change and it will take the organisation some time to appreciate all the advantages of the software and what it can do," Callaghan added.

Scottish and Southern's team leader, Ray Bartlett came into the project just before it was completed.

He said: "It's more flexible than we expected.

The limits to what we can do with it have to do with managing our processes, not to any technical limitations in the software.

The lead time for development has dropped from nine months to three, which is a significant benefit.

One challenge we have faced is integrating new customers from our acquisition of other companies.

This software makes a seamless switch a lot easier.

It's also futureproof.

The integration of all the technologies is in place.

It's now a simple task to deliver data to different media.

Future development with projects such as automatic bill reading and paperless customer correspondence will be much easier too." Among the marketing features SSE will be able to implement is message management.

Marketing and business personnel can now create the rules for selecting and allocating different messages independently of the documents.

Printnet T allows text to be created and controlled in externally maintained databases, which are cross-referenced by the software so that each document dynamically pulls in the variable data and messages it needs for more targeted customer interaction.

The software will even trace and report back on who has received which message, particularly useful when integrating with CRM systems said GMC.

Steve Callaghan concluded: "The new system hasn't created a single problem for us and is above and beyond what the business required.

Now we're moving from the utilisation to the exploitation phase and that's exciting.".

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