A Review of Customer Management Tools: The Energy Industry

In a deregulated electricity market, as the one formed by the current developments in the regulatory framework, where the electricity customers are able to choose their supplier freely, energy companies are expected to be more and more competitive, while changing the focal point of their activities from the traditional production-centered to a customer-centered. As part of this customer-centric evolution, energy companies are focusing their attention on software platforms that support closer customer relationships, enhance customer service, and reduce costs. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) constitutes a very attractive solution for addressing their customer management requirements. The present paper describes the tools incorporated in such a system and additional tools necessary for tackling future challenges.