Opening of Proposals - Utility Billing System - North Star Utilities Solutions - Part 1

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'Vvr% w 111%0 1 ^1'& Service orders in NorthStar are integrated into the CARe module and have the same inherent benefits described above. In addition, service orders have requested and scheduled dates, priorities, and assignments. Departments, and the employees in them, can be defined and assigned to specific service orders. This allows each department to access only their own orders and assign them accordingly. Once created, the Scheduled Notes allow CSRs to communicate with field technicians, and user -defined checklists can assist CSRs with asking the right questions while the customer is still on the phone. NorthStar automatically tracks the date, time and user id when a service order is completed and provides extensive space to enter notes coming in from the field. The same reports described above can be run for service orders including lists of incomplete and/or overdue tasks. Credit and Collection Management NorthStar's Collection module is entirely date -driven and configurable by the utility. For Collections based on the billing cycle, there are three definable levels for active accounts, and the same for finalled accounts. NorthStar also provides the ability to collect based solely on aging rather than on the billing schedule. In each case, letters or notices can be automatically generated for the entire group, charges can be assessed, and in the final step, disconnect orders created. As part of the Collections process, customers with active payment arrangements can be automatically excluded while those in default can be included. Accounts are updated with the Collection status so CSRs can easily identify those with pending actions. Credit events can also be tied to the Collection process so a customer's credit rating is impacted when the utility deems it appropriate. Available alternatives to mailed notices include generating files for use with an outbound dialer, or bill messages specific to the Collection activity. ReportsAnywhere: Embedded Report Writer NorthStar Reports Anywhere is a powerful reporting solution that provides a unified and consistent reporting solution for the NorthStar Enterprise Portfolio. ReportsAnywhere is powered by the powerful Business Intelligence technology of IBM Cognos. The end result is a powerful and seamlessly integrated Utility reporting solution. Some of the Cognos BI tools and features incorporated in the solution includes Report Writer (which feature a graphical drag and drop report design studio), Report Scheduler, Report Distribution (email or web publishing), multiple pre -designed report templates, charts and graphs. The reporting solution is extremely flexible and easy to use and has some very nice features such as full drill through capabilities, which means users can double click on an item in a report and have it launch NorthStar and load the screen that created the original transaction. With the Consumer License every NorthStar user will have the ability to: • Print embedded reports • Save reports to HTML, Excel, PDF • Email reports with embedded links highlighted for attention • Set reports to run automatically • Access all reports from Web Reporting Portal • Hyperlink from reports to NorthStar screens • Drill through from one NorthStar report to another Report Designer NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana