CSWEEK.png
Transform complexity into simplicity!
Gartner® Market Guide for Utility CIS 2025

Introducing Polaris: Smartflex’s game-changing digital adoption tool that simplifies employee system interactions

As utilities evolve into digital enterprises, so do the systems they use to run their operations. However, this transition can be challenging for employees who need to quickly and efficiently adapt to new software tools while staying proficient. With Smartflex, utilities obtain a digital adoption tool that leverages cutting-edge technologies to empower the workforce, increase employee engagement, and improve operational efficiency.

Interacting with new software or technologies is not an easy job. While training sessions and documentation can provide some guidance to employees, they sometimes fall short when it comes to real-time, day-to-day activities. For utilities, the challenge is imminent as they have been investing in modernizing their systems and operations to become smarter companies. While these digitalization efforts often offer more robust and feature-rich solutions, they can also result in a steep learning curve for users. Navigating and effectively utilizing these complex systems can slow down training, reduce employee productivity, and affect employee motivation.

So how can utilities deal with new system adoption? The answer may be easy, add more training hours – but this approach increases costs and takes more time, causing a potential decrease in workforce productivity.

With this in mind, Open Intelligence introduces Polaris, a digital adoption strategy integrated with Smartflex that makes system adoption easier than ever before. Polaris offers employees intuitive guides that simplify training, improves user experience, and ultimately ensure workforce proficiency. This tool also comes embedded with helpful resources throughout Smartflex, providing users with supplementary information on specific topics, like how to use a report, giving employees easy access to information in real-time.

Polaris provides a set of tasks to develop and train users according to their role. For example, if the trainee is a newly hired cashier, Polaris will only deploy cashiering tasks such as opening a cash desk, paying accounts, and generating cash desk reports. Polaris also provides a progress bar, allowing users to see how far they’ve come along in their training sessions. Each of these tasks comes with an interactive guide that provides users with a real-time walkthrough from their perspective, facilitating their Smartflex training process.

Additionally, Polaris offers an ask tab, where employees can ask for help at their discretion. When clicking on this tab, users can search questions or keywords in the search bar, activating Polaris’ guide. Users will receive clear, step-by-step guidance on how to complete the desired process. Employees can proceed to the next step or revisit previous ones at their own pace. It is worth mentioning that the user can deactivate Polaris at any time.

Smartflex’s digital adoption strategy, Polaris, allows utilities to offer their employees a robust and flexible platform while benefiting from efficient training and enhanced employee satisfaction. With this strategy, utilities create a total experience in which happier employees result in better customer service with satisfied customers.

Polaris is truly a unique feature in Smartflex that utilities are looking for. It helps them empower their workforce, increase employee engagement, and improve operational efficiency.

Empower your workforce while improving employee engagement and operational efficiency now!

Share:

The All-in-one Utility CX & Billing Solution

Smartflex is a comprehensive platform for energy, water, gas, and non-traditional utilities, providing integrated solutions for customer information (CIS), self-service (CSS), meter data (MDM), and mobile workforce management (MWM). With native integration and embedded AI, it reduces costs, streamlines operations, and minimizes upgrade efforts. Smartflex accelerates digital transformation, fosters new business models, and enhances customer experience through its rule-based design and predefined workflows.

Related posts

Utilities are under pressure from every angle with tighter margins, stricter regulation, and competition, all while customers demand immediate resolution and seamless digital experiences. It’s no surprise that AI has become a strategic priority in almost every boardroom. However, a different reality often emerges: AI stuck in pilots, innovation labs, or isolated chatbots that never integrate into the core of day-to-day operations. Insights are generated, dashboards are built, but billing errors still occur, collections still linger, and field crews still respond to avoidable visits.
The energy sector is undergoing a deep transition, marked by changes that modify how energy is produced, distributed, and consumed. This creates challenges ranging from the decentralization of power grids to demand growth, which is driven by digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI). With this landscape in mind, a utility's adaptability no longer depends only on physical infrastructure but on the platform that supports all its business and customer management processes.
The energy sector is undergoing a period of accelerated evolution, marked by an adjustment in transition priorities and the increasing demand for renewable resources. This dynamic scenario presents both operational challenges and strategic opportunities for the most innovative utility companies. The key to navigating this environment lies in each company's agility, efficiency, and adaptability.