HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9284INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
a
r SUBJECT: UTILITY BILLING SYSTEM UPDATES
Purpose
No. 9284
July 27, 2010
Page 1 of 1
The purpose of this informal report is to explain the impacts of a four -day system shut down to upgrade
the utility billing system, the process changes being done to minimize those impacts and the reasons for
the upgrades.
Background
The current utility billing system (Sungard Public Sector) was implemented in 1995. No significant
upgrades have been made to the system since implementation. The planned system upgrades will
enhance the safeguards to protect customer personal information and allow us to resolve a significant
deficiency cited in the 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The upgrades address the
significant deficiency by allowing for strong passwords, implement changes in the security profiles of users
to ensure the correct access per job type, and improve protection of confidential account information. The
upgrades also allow for internal process enhancements. In addition, these upgrades act as the
springboard for future enhancements, such as electronic notification when a new bill is ready and making
H2Online more user - friendly. Many of the additional benefits are internal to the organization and include
more efficient navigation tools for Customer Service Representatives and better software support for our
overall operations.
During the four -day upgrade process, the utility billing system is inaccessible to both customers via the
website or telephone and Customer Service Representatives. The time frame for the upgrade starts at
12:01 a.m. Friday, Sept. 3. We expect to have the system back online by 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7.
The Water Department Call Center will be staffed at higher than normal level for a furlough, holiday or
weekend to accommodate a projected increase in calls. The furlough days for affected employees were
moved to various days in August.
Late payment and delinquency notification processes will be adjusted so services will not be terminated
during these four days. Customers can still open and close accounts by phone. Satellite offices (Carnival
& Fiesta) will be closed from 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2 until 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7. This is to avoid
accounting issues since cash transactions could not be recorded and posted to accounts. These offices
would have been closed on Friday and Monday because of the furlough day and the holiday. Customers
who pay by bank draft, through a third -party online service, online through their bank, by mail or by using a
drop box are unaffected. Customer service agents will be available for reporting water or sewer
emergencies and to explain why they are unable to access account information.
A bill insert notifying customers of the outage begins July 28. There will be signage at payment locations,
as well as information in City News starting August 11 and on the website starting July 28. Should you
have any questio s please co tact Water Director Frank Crumb or Assistant Director Kara Shuror.
Dale A. Fisseler, P.E.
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
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