Gulf Power introduced a new online tool for streetlight outage reporting and status updates. The tool, StreetLightOutages.com (SLO), was developed and implemented by iFactor Consulting. SLO provides a method for Gulf Power customers to easily locate streetlights by pole number, address, or general location by visiting http://www.gulfpower.com/commercial/lightsout.asp. Streetlights in Gulf Power’s service territory are displayed on a Microsoft Bing Maps platform, with each streetlight represented by a green icon. To submit a report, customers simply click on the icon and complete a short form. After the form is submitted, the streetlight icon on the map turns red, indicating that there is a known outage for the light and preventing submission of duplicate reports.
Once an outage report is completed in the SLO portal, an email notification is sent to Gulf Power that includes pertinent information about the outage. If the light report is linked to an asset in Gulf Power’s database, that light’s known attributes are included in the report, including items such as wattage, pole number, light type, etc. SLO also provides additional information such as a reverse-geocoded address, latitude and longitude, problem type, and contact information for the customer who submitted the report. These detailed reports increase the efficiency and speed with which Gulf Power crews can locate and fix streetlight outages.
Gulf Power has committed to repairing all streetlight reports within five days of submission, so the SLO tool is configured to automatically update an outage as repaired after five days. Once the light status changes to “repaired”, the icon on the map becomes green again, indicating a working light. For special cases that require more than five days repair time, a Gulf Power employee can use the SLO management console to change a light status to “in progress” and add a comment to the report. The comment and updated light status are automatically emailed to the customer who submitted the report, notifying them that the repair time will exceed the standard five day window.
Headquartered in beautiful Pensacola, FL, Gulf Power is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves 428,154 customers in 71 towns and communities throughout Northwest Florida. Their top priority is taking care of their customers. “With that in mind, the StreetLightOutages tool made perfect sense for us to implement,” says Kenny Folsom, Lighting Team Leader. “It enables our customers to quickly and easily notify us of a light in need of repair. With a couple of clicks of the mouse the light is reported to Gulf Power and the customer receives confirmation that ‘we got it’”.
About iFactor Consulting
iFactor Consulting is the leading provider of intelligent web and mobile solutions designed exclusively for the utility industry. Their integrated suite includes industry leading interactive outage maps, custom smartphone application development, proactive and interactive utility notifications via text, voice & e-mail and an interactive street light outage solution. They also offer consulting services on outage management and outage communications. iFactor solutions enhance the online customer experience and fully integrate with utility back office systems.
For More Information
iFactor Consulting Contact:
Jamie Downing
800-631-9839
jamie@ifactorconsulting.com
Are you curious to know what iFactor has been up to over the last few months? Check out the summer edition of the Informer!
iFactor’s first annual users conference, iConnect, was a huge success. The meeting took place at the beautiful Embassy Suites Paradise Village Resort in Scottsdale, AZ. The weather was perfect and the views from the grounds were magnificent.
Over 17 iFactor customers were in attendance this year, with several clients attending virtually. The festivities began the night before at Chase Stadium with food, fun, and baseball. We had a full agenda, featuring a customer roundtable discussion on transparency in customer communications with interactive solution sharing and reviews. Attendees also enjoyed iFactor product reviews including smart phones and mobile applications, Storm Center, StreetLightOutages.com, and Notifi.
Throughout the day, each customer in attendance shared examples of their iFactor product implementations with the group and talked about the impact iFactor technology has had on their organizations.
After an exciting day of presentations and discussions, there was a cocktail reception poolside before we boarded the bus to the Mission Restaurant in Scottsdale for a fun-filled customer appreciation banquet.
Based on all of the feedback we received from the attendees, the conference was a tremendous success. To foster open communications amongst our clients, we’ll be continuing to expand our outreach with webinars, open conference calls and online collaboration.
Our marketing team is already planning iConnect 2012, so start making plans now to join us next year!!!
It’s almost time for the first annual iConnect with iFactor Consulting on April 27th! We are putting together the final details for the event, and are very excited to share the latest updates with you. If you haven’t yet registered, please use the registration link below to provide us with your information.
iConnect will take place in the same hotel as the Chartwell Web and Mobile Customer Interaction Summit, so you can double the value of your travel dollars by staying through the week and attending both events!
Hotel rooms at the Embassy Suites Phoenix-Scottsdale are available under the group code “iConnect”. Reservations can be made by phone, call the hotel at (602) 765-5800. Please book by Wednesday, April 6th to access the group rate of $129 per night.
If you’re arriving on Tuesday, we’re hosting a pre-event welcome party at the Diamondbacks/Phillies game. Enjoy the game with us in a box suite at Chase field. Transportation to and from the hotel will be provided, with departure from the hotel at 5:00pm. If you’ll be flying in late on Tuesday, meet us at the field and we’ll provide transportation back to the hotel!
We’re looking forward to seeing you, please feel free to contact iFactor Consulting if you have additional questions or concerns about the iConnect event or the reservation process.
Did you miss us at DistribuTECH? Are you curious to learn more about the newest iFactor products? Would you love to see iFactor live? Watch Brad Sileo’s interview here!
