Abstract

At Enel we are working to digitize our clients and within this context we want to stop sending the paper invoices since we understand that it causes the following inconveniences in the 3 dimensions: customers, business and environment.

Customers:

• Invoices that are overdue because of problems with physical mail delivery
• Customers cannot choose where to receive their invoices
• Envelopes and invoices can be lost or damaged
• Invoices can be received by the wrong person
• It is neither easy nor fast for the client to ask for any questions or doubt they have about their invoice

Business:

• Low cost efficiency related to printing and physical mail delivery
• Customer complaints for not receiving invoices in a timely manner
• Fines from the regulator agency of public utilities because clients sometimes do not receive their invoices
• Manual operational control of printing and billing

Environment:

• Generation of unnecessary waste
• Use of natural resources (paper), forest and biodiversity impact
• Carbon footprint, mainly in transferring the physical invoice

Description

SCENARIO

In many countries, as for example Argentina a few months ago, we obtained the Utility Regulator approval to stop issuing the invoice in paper format and distribute it through traditional mail in order to start delivering it in digital format and send it to our customers by email. This approval is based on obtaining the acceptance of customers through face-to-face (Branch) and remote channels (Call Center, Private Website, Mobile Application, email and Social Networks).

BACKGROUND

If we look for example at Argentina, we currently have a database including 2,500,000 customers of which 311,000 agreed to receive the digital invoice, but without stopping receiving it on paper (12% of the total), while 160,000 (6% of the total) have consented to not receive the paper invoice anymore and receive it only digitally.

What actions have we taken so far?

• Digital incentive campaigns through the web, email and social networks without a prize
• Digital incentive campaigns through the web, email and social networks with prizes such as gift card raffles for making purchases in supermarkets
• Personalized calls to medium and large-size clients

THE CHALLENGE

We have decided to open two sub-challenges, one to improve, in all of the countries Enel operate, the indicator of the current situation and the second in an exploratory way so as to reach 100% of our clients:

a)      Paper reduction for invoices and increase the use of the email channel in a short term

The first challenge requires that the people of Enel help us obtain solutions that allow us to increase the number of customers who agree to receive the invoice in digital format only through email without sending a paper invoice. In Argentina, for example, as of today we have 160,000 and the objective is to reach 500,000 clients by the end of 2020 (20% of the total client database).

We currently have a unique email database with 1,000,000 records that will continue to increase throughout the year.

The solutions received must be useful to achieve the following goal: communication, marketing or other creative means to convince our clients to stop receiving the invoice in paper format.

b)     Paperless for invoices and development of alternative channels to emails in the long term 

The second challenge requires that the people of Enel help us to obtain solutions that allow us to increase the number of clients who accept to receive the invoice in digital format only through alternative channels to email.

Always and only as example, as stated before, in Argentina we have a regulatory agency (ENRE) that ensures that the rights of users are protected and where the solutions received must first be approved by them and then implemented. Proposals submitted to ENRE for approval must have a solid basis of justification that demonstrates that they will be beneficial to all clients.

Our customer contact database has a cell phone number apart from an email.

The solutions received must be useful to achieve the following goal: identify new digital communication channels for the distribution of the digital invoice. These channels must meet the following characteristics: traceability, secure encryption, high efficiency and low costs.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

The submitted proposal should be a maximum of 10 pages and include the following:

1. Rationale for the proposed concept/idea and a detailed explanation of its novelty and feasibility
2. Steps for implementing the solution (e.g. resources, time frame, metrics (and insights with respect to any known limitations)

The proposal should not include any personal identifying information (name, username, company, address, phone, email, personal website, resume, etc.) or any information the Solvers may consider as their Intellectual Property they do not want to share.