 |
COSTA RICA |
| |
ICE
Competitive? Can You Imagine It?
an you imagine the Instituto Costarricense
de Electricidad (ICE) offering its customers
"customer service"? At least that is the
plan by the state institution to face the
coming of competition in the
telecommunications sector.
The program called "salvavidas" (lifeguard)
is a program by the Plan de Evolución de los
Sistemas de Soporte a las Operaciones del
Negocio (Pesso), an ambition of the
institution to change its processes and
better customer service.
Pesso is expected to introduce at least 7
programs costing the institution some us$150
million dollars as way to survive in a
competitive market which is soon coming to
Costa Rica.
The first of the Pesso programs is expected
in February 2010. "If we don't succeed we
cease to exist. It's that radical", Javier
León, director of program.
León explains that ICE has tried to bring
together its "popurri" (potpourri) of
services without success, especially in the
process of integrating applications and
technologies.
The major problem facing ICE is its ability
to react quickly to the competition.
León explained that if a competitor offers a
product, ICE is ill equipped to respond,
taking at times up to a year or more to
adjust. This has workerd well for ICE in the
past, since it has been the only provider of
telecommunications services. But, in the
face of competition knocking on Costa Rica's
door, ICE has to be able to respond quickly
of be left behind.
Without going into specific detail, ICE's
systems are for the most part propiatery and
difficult to integrate. Integrated billing
has been a major money loser for the state
institution, losing almost us$2 billion
dollars for not being able to integrate the
SIMP and Gitel systems.
One of the major ojbectives of the Pesso is
to focus on customer service. Of the seven
Pesso programs, the main focus is on the
Gestión de la Relación con los Clientes
(CRM), which focuses on understanding the
needs of the customer, customer service and
support. This program has already begun
operating but it won't be until next year
when it is fully integrated into company
policy.
Other programs inlcude network planning and
design, management of expenses and income,
billing and business applications.
The hope of ICE, with the Pesso program, is
to be able to quickly bring to market new
services and respond to consumer demand and
market changes.
Operators like Movistar, Tigo and Digicell
are all looking at the Costa Rican cellular
telephone market to compete with ICE.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
