The Lowdown
Northumbrian Water, serving over 2.7m people in the North East of England, set out to become the utility industry’s most innovative company. Their partnership with hedgehog lab aimed not only to reshape customer engagement but also to advance their sustainability goals through digital transformation.
Discover
User interviews
Stakeholder interviews
Constraints
Explore
Persona building
Task analysis
Journey mapping
Test
User group outreach
Benchmark testing
Accessibility evaluation
Listen
Analytics Review
Usability bug Review
Feedback Review
The Problem
As a regulated monopoly under OFWAT, Northumbrian Water faced dual challenges: meeting strict regulatory requirements whilst managing resource-intensive customer enquiries at their call centres. Many of these queries concerned information readily available through digital channels, highlighting an opportunity to reduce operational waste and improve environmental efficiency.
The sustainability challenge was clear: how to deliver better customer service whilst reducing the carbon footprint of traditional communication methods and supporting water conservation through enhanced customer awareness.
The Solution
Whilst Northumbrian Water consistently achieved high customer satisfaction scores, the water industry had historically been hesitant to embrace technological innovation. Through discovery workshops and design sprints, our multidisciplinary team identified opportunities where digital technologies could deliver both customer service improvements and sustainability benefits.
The team recognised that voice-activated technology could revolutionise how customers engage with their water supplier, leading to the development of an industry-first Alexa skill.
This innovative approach promised several sustainability advantages:
- Operational Efficiency: Streamlining service updates to reduce waste in communication processes
- Reduced Carbon Footprint: Minimising the need for printed communications and travel to customer service centres
- Enhanced Water Conservation: Improving customer awareness of water usage and maintenance issues
- Resource Optimisation: Decreasing call centre energy usage by shifting simple queries to digital channels
The Product
The Product User research revealed that customers prioritised information about water usage and local disruptions – both crucial elements for promoting responsible water consumption and reducing waste through prompt issue resolution.
The solution integrated:
- Existing water facts database, optimised for voice interaction
- Live Twitter feed monitoring through Azure Logic App for real-time disruption updates
- Postcode-based targeting system for localised information delivery
Sustainability Outcomes:
- Operational Efficiency: Reduced energy consumption in customer service operations through automated digital solutions
- Improved Water Management: Customers can quickly identify and report issues, leading to faster resolution and reduced water waste
- Digital-First Communication: Reduced reliance on paper-based communications and physical resource consumption
- Enhanced Infrastructure Maintenance: Better informed customers can prepare for planned works, optimising resource allocation
- Community Awareness: Increased accessibility to water usage information promotes conservation behaviours
The Alexa skill is available through the Alexa Skills Store and it represents a significant step towards more sustainable utility management, combining improved customer service with reduced environmental impact.
