DEWA: a success story with state-of-the-art digital infrastructure

/ Technology & Smart Cities / Sunday, 20 September 2020 04:58

The visionary approach of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to shape and anticipate the future has established an advanced digital environment in Dubai. This vision has enhanced the Emirate’s leadership to keep the pace with the changes flexibly, swiftly and competently, despite the coronavirus pandemic. This has become an opportunity to rethink our priorities and accelerate the digital transformation to make Dubai a smart and digital city.

DEWA’s state-of-the-art digital infrastructure has contributed to the continuity of all its services during the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, highlighted that DEWA adopts the latest Fourth Industrial Revolution applications and disruptive technologies. This enabled it to play a pivotal role in making DEWA fully ready to adopt working from home. It also enabled its customers to conduct their transactions anytime and anywhere easily and safely through smart channels, DEWA’s website and smart app without visiting the Customer Happiness Centres, to save their time and efforts. Smart adoption of DEWA’s services has reached 98% in the second half of 2020. DEWA’s customers have completed more than 5 million smart transactions from the beginning of this year and until the end of July 2020. Paperless transactions have reached 82%.

DEWA has managed to convert its Customer Happiness Centres into self-service centres 100%, becoming the first government organization that allows its customers to conduct their transactions themselves using smart devices. Customers can also communicate with employees from different divisions through video chat. DEWA redesigned these centres to ensure the continuity of its services according to the highest standards of availability, reliability, and accountability, while taking all precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of its customers.

DEWA presents an unconventional model of digital services through smart devices and programmes that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robots, including:

Smart Living

Through the Smart Living initiative, customers who have smart electricity and water meters can monitor home usage by themselves and get daily, monthly, and annual reports. They can log into their DEWA accounts on the website or smart app, check their digital dashboards to monitor consumption, know more about tariff slabs, get conservation tips, make the right conservation decisions, and develop their conservation plans. Customers can also benefit from the ‘My Sustainable Living’ programme, by comparing consumption with similar homes. They can also make use of DEWA Store offers to purchase energy and water-saving devices.

Smart Response

DEWA provides the Smart Response Service for electricity and water technical notifications in five different languages. The service includes several features, such as self-diagnosis for technical interruptions at homes and reducing the steps of handling notifications and follow-up on them, through the smart app and website. This enhances customer experience and service efficiency.

Rammas

Rammas, DEWA’s virtual employee that uses AI, responds to customers enquiries in English and Arabic. It is available round the clock on several channels, including DEWA’s smart app, website, Facebook page, Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, robots, and WhatsApp Business (046019999). DEWA is the first government organization in the UAE to verify its account on WhatsApp Business. From January 2017 to the end of July 2020, Rammas has responded to 3.9 million requests and queries.

‘Ash’ir’ and ‘Hayak’ digital communication channels

DEWA enables its People of Determination customers who have hearing difficulties to directly communicate with Customer Care centre staff via video chat using sign language round the clock, through Ash’ir service. DEWA also provides the Hayak written and visual communication service through its website round the clock.

Customer Care Centre

DEWA’s Customer Care Centre is available 24/7 for customer assistance through the number046019999 for customer service and enquiries and 991 for technical notifications. The centre received 629,453 calls from March till mid-August, 33.26% of which were handled by its Interactive Voice System (IVR). The quality of calls in terms of the speed handled by the Customer Care Centre has reached 95.14%.

Payment of Bills

Besides DEWA’s smart app and website, customers can pay their bills through other smart channels including Smart Dubai Government. These include DubaiNow app; Etisalat Public Payment Machines; Tayseer payment platform using cheques issued from different banks via Emirates NBD’s Cheque Deposit Machines all over the UAE; smart and electronic channels from the banks; as well as at ENOC and EPPCO stations.

 

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