Assessment of E-Business usage in electric power/energy transmission and distribution utility company (case study KPLC of Kenya, Nairobi region)

Abstract

The electric utilities industry is undergoing rapid and radical change, driven by legislative initiatives, customer demands, market conditions and new technologies. To compete successfully, utility companies must react swiftly, focus on customer service, and take advantage of enabling technologies. KPLC being an electric utility company is not an exception of this kind of situation. The phenomena e-business can improve the way of conducting business in an organization in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, cost reduction, competition and overall performance. The assessment of e-business in KPLC was carried out to establish KPLC preparedness and customer readiness to go e-business as well as identify key opportunities for e-business available. Assessment was carried out in key business activities areas such as meter reading, bill delivery (presentment), bill payment and current lCT infrastructure to support e-business implementation. E-business can enable Utility companies to quickly achieve a tight integration of their operations with suppliers, partners, and customers. The assessment showed that KPLC and its electricity customers are prepared and ready to take advantage of e-business opportunities in meter reading, bill delivery, bill payment and even customer application processing. KPLC has a basic infrastructure necessary to support e-business strategy implementation and this has been demonstrated by the presence of the internet, website and the launching of e-bill services for bill balance enquiry. From the fact that the research revealed that a large majority of customers more especially domestic users have and use mobiles then it is prudent to recommend the use of mobile more specifically in bill balance enquiry, emergency reporting, bill payment and information access by field engineers or technicians. Mobile business transaction in a Power Distribution Company will be cost effective and convenient mode of carrying out business transaction for both the company and customer