ElectraLink DTS Customer Satisfaction Survey Report

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ElectraLink Customer Survey DTS User Group
Presentation 19th January 2010
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Research Method
Combined Approach
Quantitative
Qualitative
49 x CATI Telephone Interviews 30 GOMs/ 27 CMs
6 x 45 Minute Face-to-face Depth Interviews 6
DTS (3 GOMs/ 3 CMs)
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The DTS Key Headlines (1/2)
Qualitative
Quantitative

• Most users see the DTS as a highly efficient
  service only have occasion to deal with
  Electralink if there is a problem (especially
  smaller users). They find it hard to identify any
  major needs for improvement and rate the DTS
  highly for meeting the current future needs of
  their businesses.
• Overall, perceived service levels are on a par
  with 2008, but
• GOMs perceive improvement (particularly
  providing expertise resource)
• CMs see a slight decline mainly in
  responsiveness
• Comparison is still favourable versus other
  benchmark organisations. At the same time opinion
  of Gemserv ( Elexon) has declined, but for
  Xoserv has improved.
• Despite Januarys price increases, there is no
  real concern raised and perceptions of value for
  money are stable (but up for GOMs and down
  slightly for CMs).

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The DTS Key Headlines (2/2)
Qualitative
Quantitative

• Although awareness of last years new initiatives
  is unchanged, uptake has grown across each of
  them since 2008. Of the more recent initiatives
  less than 40 are aware of any single one, uptake
  being highest for the Bulletin Board on Web Tools
  (61 of those aware, or 24 overall).
• Overall, the average taken across 29 service
  ratings is up on 2008. The greatest improvements
  relating to the EDS and the Reporting Tools.
• Changes to the website logon have been received
  well and increased flexibility to integrate
  their gateway with existing was also a notable
  improvement.
• In general hardware service upgrades appear to
  have passed smoothly.
• For some, continuity of resource remains a
  concern, but it is not a top of mind issue for
  most. Is Electralink cutting its cloth too thinly
  in this area?
• There is a desire to see Electralink more
  proactively involved in high level discussions
  about the future of the industry, particularly in
  terms of the future challenges Smart Metering,
  use of new technologies etc.

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Satisfaction With Electralink ServiceSummary
Quantitative
Mean Change Score vs 2008 Overall
Rating 8.06 -0.05 Overall Professionalism 8.24
-0.11 Being Responsive 7.76 -0.31 Being
Easy To Deal With 7.98 -0.24 Being Highly
Efficient 7.73 -0.25 Communicating
Clearly 7.94 -0.08 Understanding The Service
Support Requirements
Of 7.67 0.13 Providing Valuable
Expertise Resource 7.71 0.45 Base Total
Sample (49) Wording changed in 2009
Changed wording to Electralinks management of
the DTS Service
Mean Score out of 10
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Rating Versus Other OrganisationsSummary
Quantitative
Mean Change Score vs 2008
Electralink 8.06 -0.05 GEMSERV /
MRASCO 6.79 -0.56 Elexon 7.09 -0.36 Nation
al Grid 6.26 0.12 JOINT GAS
OFFICE 6.00 N/A OFGEM 5.95 -0.41 Xoserv 6.25
0.92 Base All Who Use Each Company
(Various) Asked of OFGAS in 2007 Changed to
wording to Electralink for the DTS
Overall Satisfaction Mean Score out of 10
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Summary Versus Previous Years
Quantitative
Comparisons are made only across those ratings
present in all years shown
Average No Of Ratings Year Base (Mean
Score) Compared DTS Survey 2007 41 4.01 29 200
8 46 4.13 29 2009 49 4.22 29
The above is like for like comparison on
statements scored as follows Rating Score Very
Good 5 Good 4 Adequate 3 Poor 2 Very
Poor 1 Those with no experience or not using
services / features rated are excluded from the
mean scores.
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Average Rating Of Main Service AreasDTS Sample
Quantitative
No. of Mean Change Service Attributes
Score Attributes Since Area Rated 2009 Compare
d 2008 All Ratings 42 4.22 29 0.09 DTS Web
Tools 9 3.92 8 -0.43 Electralink
Helpdesk 5 4.43 5 0.19 The DTS
Itself 5 4.24 5 0.05 Electralink Reporting
Tools 4 4.33 4 0.19 Electralink
Services 6 4.05 6 -0.01 Gateway
Connection 5 4.13 5 0.08 EDS Helpdesk 3 4.48 3 0
.47 Electralink Website 5 4.01 4 0.09 Base
All rating each attribute Change compared only
on ratings in both 2008 and 2009
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DTS - Key Service Changes Since 2008
Quantitative
The way EDS manages fault
situations 0.58 The quality of service provided
by the EDS helpdesk 0.42 The quality of
response you receive from the EDS
helpdesk 0.40 Being clear and easy to log in as
a user (website) 0.29 Having the flexibility to
integrate the gateway with existing
systems 0.29 The speed of response (Electralink
Helpdesk) 0.22 Receiving consistent level of
service regardless how you get in
touch 0.21 Getting consistent info advice
regardless how you get in touch 0.20 Overall
helpfulness (Electralink Helpdesk) 0.20 The
Audit tool 0.20 The ACMT -0.35 NB All
other changes were less than /- 0.20
Change in mean score since 2008
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How Well Electralink Provides Feedback On Topics
Discussed And Issues Raised At The DTS User Group
Quantitative
10 are elected members of the DTS user group in
2009
2009 2008
Very Well Quite Well Not Very Well Not At All Well
Base Total DTS Sample (49) (46) New
questions added in 2008
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How Well User Group Representative Provides
Feedback On Topics Discussed And Issues Raised
At The DTS User Group
Quantitative
At least 1 in 4 still feel that User Group
Representatives do not give feedback well.
2009 2008
Very Well Quite Well Not Very Well Not At All Well
Base Total DTS Sample (49) (46) New
questions added in 2008
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Awareness Claimed Uptake Of Initiatives
Introduced In The Past Two Years
Quantitative
Already Aware Aware But Unaware Using Planning
To Not Planning Use To Use

Ability To Re-collect Files Previously Delivered
Ability To Identify Files Held In EMS (Audit Tool)
Ability To See No. Of Instances Of A Flow Within
A File (Within Audit)
Ability To Upload Bulk Search Requests Into Audit
Technology Refresh Programme
Enhanced MPAN Search Facility In Audit
New Gateway Summary Screen Within ACMT
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Awareness Claimed Uptake Of Newer Initiatives
Introduced In The Last Year
Quantitative
Already Aware Aware But Unaware Using Planning
To Not Planning Use To Use

Bulletin Board On Web Tools
Ability To Restore Routing Data Through ACMT
Ability To Extract Routing Info. In CSV Format
From ACMT Tool
Flexible Filenaming
Ability To Display List Of All MPANs In Single
Data File
Ability To Deliver Acknowledgement Files To
Different Directory
Introduction Of Admin Accounts On Web Tools
New STATS Graphs On Web Tools
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DTS Suggested Improvements / Changes (1)
Qualitative

• There is a limited but vocal request for more
  flexibility over the nature of the housing of the
  gateways
• Feels out of step with Electralink in all other
  ways dictatorial, inflexible
• Know this is down to EDS
• A heads-up email or maybe a note on the front
  page of the websites they look at
• For news - newly published papers, meetings that
  have taken place, to inform / alert
  non-attendees, (other) things Electralink has
  been involved in, etc

(we) found the model very inflexible (we had
a) lovely new data centre, ... the gateway is
older technology .... (it was ) this is the
standard approach were not prepared to move on
that. ... I understand the reasons behind it,
but I feel there should be the ability to
compromise - at least some. It was an edict
this is how we do things. (I worry that) the
hardware will break down so what will happen at
that point? ... Inflexible intolerant isnt
how (we) think about Electralink
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DTS Suggested Improvements / Changes (2)
Qualitative

• How to test backup gateways are ready to
  function? Dont want to pass live data through
  them, but how do you know theyll be available if
  the need arises?
• A get to know the DTS training session
• Perhaps speed and capacity of the service
• A central (i.e. remote) archive of files sent via
  the gateway, used to resend files if there is
  problem

Im a contract expert, not a technical expert.
... some of the meetings paperwork (are) quite
difficult to follow. ... would like the
opportunity to understand it better. A get to
know the DTS type session others would find
that useful too
(we) dont have the ability to send as high a
volume of files as I would ideally like flow
traffic is relatively high at present we may
have 10k files waiting to go, would like to see
them disappear in half an hour, theyll go over
night at present. Its fine ,but they should be
able to deal with that volume of files
Speed of delivery, acknowledgements ... Its
pretty good, but it can always be better
One party had a problem needed us to send
their flows again (I think) this isnt my
responsibility, .... more appropriate to go back
to the central service to help with this less
embarrassing too
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DTS Suggested Improvements / Changes (3)
Qualitative
I think all users are in the same agreement that
if have a problem, Electralink will arrive with a
box on the back of a lorry. But what would
happen if 2 went down together?

• One wanted to know what would happen in disaster
  recovery scenario. Felt its a bit woolly -
  may be there, but he doesnt know about it
• Maybe wider updating of teams beyond the people
  directly involved if there is a problem, and
  timescales for resolution, especially if at the
  end of a working day / week
• An update between user-group meetings to keep
  things moving along

I dont know what the policy is on updating us
about major issues there was a problem with
another gateway, ... You need an update before
the end of the day in good time so can plan
communicate. This is a little issue I knew it
was in hand, Im sure the team directly involved
would have known, but it would have been useful
for us to know too
In between user groups meetings, a between-time
update might be useful meetings are 3 months
apart, it feels like a long time. Maybe one
between, or monthly theres a monthly DTS
report that comes out it could come out with
that
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DTS Suggested Improvements / Changes (4)
Qualitative

• Management information may benefit from a review
• Consideration of new technology options for the
  future
• To speed things up
• To interface with anticipated changes in data
  transfer protocols
• Possibly involving some form of messaging, or
  real-time over the internet?
• Some of the larger businesses know that upgrades
  that require access to equipment can go awry
  because of complications due to their own third
  party arrangements - so their own communication
  management could be better sometimes

Management information is OK, its not factually
incorrect, but it hasnt really been reviewed in
several years. Theres nothing really wrong with
it, but Id like to see a reconsideration of it.
It would be better done centrally, alternatively
that data could be provided to customers to do
their own analysis, across the Gateway as opposed
to doing internal systems. The problem is that
the service is so quick ... we rely on the speed,
Id quite like to have that information
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DTS The Future Of The DTS The Role For
Electralink.
Qualitative

• Views about just how active Electralink should be
  vary a little, but there is agreement about the
  expertise that Electralink has, can should
  bring to the table ... Not just in relation to
  the DTS as it stands, but in thinking ahead
• Everyone wants Electralink on this basis to be
  involved in top-table discussions about the
  future of the industry
• About the DTSs form relationship to the world
  around it as it changes with the introduction
  of Smart Metering, for example
• And how the DTS may evolve to take advantage of
  new technologies for data transfer, for instance

Good to hear from them, because of their
expertise they may have suggestions for
services
I dont think they should be driving change, the
industry has to drive the change. They can be
there in support, with new functionality, but in
terms of the changes its Electralink as the
maintainer of the DTS the service ... In
terms of changing it, no, they shouldnt be.
Suggesting new things, new tools, ... we
shouldnt be looking to stand still, and there
are new opportunities
if theres anything Electralink can see that
would benefit the industry, they should be out
there canvassing the industry, then its up to
the gateway contract managers to decide
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DTS The Future Of The DTS The Role For
Electralink.
Qualitative

• Some respondents knew little about the reality of
  this at present, others knew a bit but when
  those quite close to Electralink felt unsure as
  to exactly where they were represented
• A few (the more strategic in respect of their
  role / thinking) want Electralink to be much more
  involved and active
• The DTS is just one outsourced service amidst a
  plethora of others, in a market that is about to
  enter the first significant period of change
  since 1998
• If there are changes afoot, the best knowledge
  expertise in the industry needs to be applied to
  the process of designing the future and
  Electralink should surely be part of this
• In order to save the industry wasted effort, time
  and money designing new systems that might be
  better done in other ways
• Electralink runs good services delivered very
  effectively so is in a good place to offer
  advice, and to help shape the future in a way
  that is effective and efficient for industry
  parties

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ElectraLink Customer Survey DTS User Group
Presentation 19th January 2010