Billing Solutions

CUSTOMER CARE & BILLING SYSTEM

Customer care & billing (CC&B) system is one of the core application & service of PITC. This application provides software support to ten power distribution companies of Pakistan (DISCOs) for processing of electricity bills and cash collection of about 21.0 million consumers monthly at 25 data processing centers covering all Pakistan except KESC consumers. The Application includes following sub-systems:

• Data Entry/validation/posting System.

• Divisional level billing system.

• Billing system for General Consumers.

• Billing system for Industrial Consumers.

• Department billing system.

• Corporate billing system.

• Bar-coded bill printing system.

• Dead defaulter billing system.

• Cash flow/collection system.

• Re-routing system.

• Surveillance system.

• Employee billing system.

• Tariff Differential Subsidies reporting system.

CIS (New Billing System)

PITC has undertaken a project to transform the legacy Billing module to the new generation of technologies. For this purpose MEPCO has been selected as pilot DISCO for the implementation. Parallel run of newly developed CIS has already been started successfully and for the billing cycle of July-2015 three (3) circles have gone live (approx.: 1.7) million customers. Some of the features of this new product are as follows:

a) Web based architecture

b) Uses state of the art technologies

c) Incorporated new user requirements in the context of corporate scenario

d) Industry standard RDBMS used

e) Maximum Reliance on organizational resources

f) Offers new opportunities to power sector organizations for more robust decision making Following is the plan to replicate the
    system in other DISCOs during 2015-16

3. Human Resource Department

HR (human resources) is an organization's department responsible for hiring, training and maintaining employees. These professionals create policies and ensure employees are satisfied with their job. In a small software company, HR plays a key role in the recruitment of highly qualified software professionals.

PITC HR function is responsible of hiring, training and maintaining employees and assists top executives to create organizational structure and policies, developing employee incentive and benefit plans and finding resources to attract employees to the organization.
HR plays a critical role in creating recruitment strategies to attract high-demand information technology professionals.

 Infrastructure / Software Deployment & Support (ISDS)

ISDS function is ensuring reliability, availability, and serviceability of the infrastructure being used by the project/operational teams of PITC. The responsibilities include hardware and allied services procurement, maintenance, processing control for managing disk and tape storage media, systems security, and access controls over networks and data. Among other things, ISDS is responsible for maintaining online access (security, performance, and availability) and capacity planning.

ISDS is providing technical services, for all mission-critical platforms, inclusive of systems administration and network. The function is also managing all Data Center Operations and ensuring End-User Services. ISDS’s services include Infrastructure Technology Consulting across organizations other than PITC for standardizing hardware procurement help to maintaining the infrastructure.
Some of the technical Services being rendered by the function are infrastructure development, maintenance of the operating systems, as well as developing and implementing systems administration and systems management software for all mission-critical computer platforms. The professionals in this group are ultimately responsible for designing and implementing the heart and soul of organizational ICT infrastructure.

ISDS' charter is to perform systems administration for organization's mission-critical (24x7) production servers and, when needed, development servers. Also oversees the corporate wide area network. The group provides a consistent, reliable environment, thus ensuring maximum server and network uptime in support of maximum application availability in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

The ISDS Department is a key element in the overall mission of the PITC. ISDS department develops and maintains state of the art premises for providing smooth Online Services, by acquiring high-tech tools and technology available in market, for better business of Clients. This department coordinates the investigation, design, development and implementation of new Systems. ISDS department of PITC also Ensures the Maintenance of existing billing software, including General Billing, Industrial Billing, Data Processing, Cash Processing, Month-end processing Modules, and maintenance / updating of electricity consumer’s billing data bank. It is also responsible for Application design, development, maintenance and implementation.

ISDS department also commits to perform following mention tasks:

• Provides necessary facilities to all DISCOs for hosting their online applications like Websites, E-mail services, FTP services, Online MIS services, Duplicate Web Bills.

• Provides Internet facility, Network maintenance and smooth operation of LAN / WAN within the Company as well as all other offices inside WAPDA House, Lahore.

• Provides Networking and System Support services to all formations of PEPCO / WAPDA. 

• Manages / Updating / Operating Websites of all formations of PEPCO / WAPDA.

• Co-ordinates with operation and user departments for any operational issue or improvement suggestion.

• Ensures smooth running of existing Software and maintenance of Machine Room / Data Centre.

• Manages Data Entry & Data Control Sections of the Company.• Technically vetting all Computer related matters of WAPDA / PEPCO and other allied formations.

• Tendering all types of items for the Company as per procedure.

• Manages Company’s stores.

• Manages Company’s transport.

The department also conducts the Study of new trends and techniques of IT market and suggests new Hardware / System / Networking Tools & Techniques required for smooth online business services to clients as well as for future expansion.

Customer Care & Billing

PITC’s CC&B function has historically been one of the core functions of the organization, that is responsible for developing and maintainingthe Billing Application software. Billing application software is historically being used by all the DISCO’s in the country. This is a business critical application for the DISCO’s in order to ensure the timely and correct customer electricity billing. The function is maintaining the legacy application software as well as is in process of developing / implementing newly built online application software that will help DISCO users to have more grasp over their respective business processes.

The CC&B function is a major contributor of PITC’s core competence and is being led by the able leadership. The team is not only proficient but also enthusiasitic that ensures smooth functioning of the function.

The function is also developing and maintaining miscellaneous products / projects to serve its clientele mainly in power sector utilities. This section of function is capable of taking up any software development project to meet the ever changing requirements of the end-users not only in existing clients but also can apprise requirements of the potential clientage. The teams working with the function are true enablers of the organizational software development strength and have strength to divulge the projects to accomplishment. 

Objectives

• To deal in the business of software support for power management (distribution, transmission and generation) international businesses, internet service providers, remote services and / or Information Technology enabled services including billing, Human Resource management, Financial management, engineering applications, software development and support services.

• To develop and maintain expertise in not just technology but also an understanding of electricity Generation, Transmission and Distribution processes so that the solutions delivered are effective and responsive to the business needs. Provide professional inputs on strategic decisions without bias.

• Provide a fair, competitive and challenging environment to all IT users so that PEPCO and all Distribution companies (DISCO’s) to benefit from the best offerings available in the marketplace.

• To recommend ways and means to improve systems, with a view to simplify documentation and procedures, remove anomalies for the introduction of comprehensive computerization and developing databases.

• To carry-out and accomplish the job of inter-linking various organizations, departments and agencies through automation.

Functions

• To provide IT enabled services including customer care & billing, HR & Financial software management, technical vetting, Losses and receivable information (MIS reports).

• To provide internet/intranet, web mail and web hosting.

• To carry-out and accomplish the job of inter-linking various organizations, departments and agencies through automation.

• To provide support to DISCO’s in planning, construction operation and maintenance of their computer installations.

• To provide IT HR support to all the entities of PEPCO (DISCO’s/NTDC) as and when required.

• To provide and make arrangements for imparting training related to software, hardware, operational techniques, data centers management and network management.

• To develop capability and expertise in software development.

Vision

Mission

Organization

The Company is headed by Chief Executive Officer appointed by BOD/PEPCO. It has four major units, Operation/Customer Services, Engineering Solution development, Research & Development, and Business development, HR and Finance. The organization will follow the matrix arrangements of reporting and project style handling of working out various IT solutions.

I. The Operation/Customer Directorate services are responsible for the on-going activities of the company. The main activity is provide continued support to PEPCO Management and DISCO, assessment, Billing and Collection of revenue through timely billing of electricity consumer.

II. The Business Development and Marketing play important role in the growth and development of Company. It contribute towards the overall management of Company, develop and execute a marketing strategy so that the company revenue grows, keeping in mind the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by the industry. The unit ensures that the products of company are effectively marketed to the national and international IT industry

III. The Engineering Solution Development unit will be responsible to enhance the company activities from traditional billing support to initiation of new activities such as Development of an integrated assets management model for power distribution companies, Implementation of ERP, installation of Automatic Metering Infrastructure, SMART GRID and SCADA system in DISCOS.

IV. Research and Development Unit is mandated as backbone of the whole organization and thus is responsible for all the future as well as ongoing development projects. Keep the organization in line with the development in ICT.


Organization Structure





Work Force

140 employees are on board to provide 24x 7 services to PITC customers along with consultants / experts from all areas.

Rationale to Establish IT Company

Before and after revamping of WAPDA, IT solutions were implemented in piece meals in different departments. Most of these efforts were local & non-standardized and no concrete effort could be made at PEPCO level in this direction. The PEPCO Computer Centre (PCC) remained a central organization and continued to provide IT/software support in all DISCOs. The IT establishments working in different DISCOs were kept to just operational level only, and heavily dependent on PCC for software support. DISCOs have alternate to outsource to other IT companies’ proficient to Power sector business but support from PCC is most economical option.

In line with disbandment of PEPCO, it was initially decided to disintegrate PCC and merge the staff into various DISCOs’. The following facts were presented to PEPCO BOD for not to disband PCC:
The revenue generation of Discos’ depends upon timely and accurate billing which would be severely affected if there is no support from PCC. The dissolution of PCC and merging of staff into NTDC and various DISCOs would create a lot of problems in IT and can result into immediate stoppage of computer activities.
For effective implementation of PEPCO and NEPRA decisions uniform business rules have to be adopted, which require centralized resources.

To achieve the objective of creating autonomous commercial entities through the adoption of prudent business practices enhanced efficiency levels, cost reduction and profit orientation, the need to use new technologies like IT was being felt since long. Therefore, to efficiently plan and upgrade the existing ICT/IS of all the corporatized entities, PEPCO BOD in its meeting held on 25/04/2010 Chaired by Secretary Ministry of Water and Power approved the establishment of Power Information Technology Company. The BOD PEPCO Decision circulated vide ED (L&CA) letter# 441- 47/Secy/PEPCO/BOD/M-45/I-20 dated May 6, 2010. The company was incorporated with SECP on June 02/2010.

WAPDA Computer Centre 1968-2010

The Computer center was established back in year 1968, ten years after creation of WAPDA, when computer technology was new to majority government organizations. The Information System Department of WAPDA known as WAPDA Computer Centre (WCC)was the hub of IT activity in WAPDA. Since its establishment, WCC has supported the implementation of computer technology throughout the organization and the Country.

Computer Centre started its working with the installation IBM 360 mainframe computer. With the passage of time, computer centre continued its expansion and established 25 Regional and Circle level data processing centers in all than area electricity boards. The computerization of electricity billing was undertaken and run through in house development of billing software.

While the entire Power wing was unbundled in April 1998 under Power Sector Reforms to its constituent functions, creating nine DISCOs, four GENCOs and NTDC, the IT related functions remained under centralized arrangements of DG (Information Systems) under combined management of PEPCO/WAPDA and transferred in 2007 exclusively to PEPCO. The 25 regional and circle level data processing centers were administratively attached with respective DISCOs and WCC became the part of PEPCO with the name PEPCO Computer Center (PCC).