TWU plans big upgrade to software

New $400,000 system will improve service

Texarkana Water Utilities plans to spend almost $400,000 on new billing software expected to simplify operations, improve customer service and save money.

The upgrade promises customers faster account setup, lower payment fees and a more user-friendly website accessible by smartphone, TWU Finance Director Jim Cornelius told the Texarkana, Texas, City Council at its meeting Monday.

“It’s about convenience and giving them a modern portal that they can use,” he said.

The change would also improve TWU’s internal processes, including shortening from 10 days to 10 minutes the time required to prepare some reports.

Payment for the software has already been allocated to TWU’s technology fund, so the cost will not be passed on to customers. The money has been available for seven or eight years, Cornelius said, but TWU waited to move until an optimal time for staff to tackle such a big, time-consuming project.

Working around the current software is no longer an option, and it’s time to fully replace the obsolete system, he said.

“It’s an old legacy software. It’s basically stuck in about 2006. It’s 1990s technology that we’re unable to update without going to other versions that cause even more problems. So we just want to get away from the current software altogether,” Cornelius said. “We want to move forward as soon as possible and try to get off to a more stable platform.”

Continental Utility Solutions Inc. of Jonesboro, Ark., submitted the winning proposal to provide new software, priced at $398,410. Texarkana, Texas’ portion would be $294,524.18.

The purchase must be approved by both the Texas-side City Council and the Arkansasside Board of Directors before TWU can proceed. Installation, conversion and training will

take nine to 12 months after that. A Texas-side vote on the proposal is scheduled for April 10, and it will probably come before the Arkansas-side board at its next meeting on March 6.

TWU expects efficiencies created by the new software to save the utility more than $68,000 a year, so it will pay for itself in less than six years.

Once the new software is up and running, the customer fee for paying a water bill by debit card, credit card or electronic check will decrease by 25 cents. The fee for paying online or by phone will decrease by $1.50.

Choosing the right software was a thorough process. A TWU committee invited three companies to demonstrate their software, and from them chose CUSI as its top finalist. The committee contacted CUSI customers, who all were highly satisfied with the product. Committee members then visited Seguin, Texas, and Brushy Creek, Texas, to observe the software in operation, and finally, CUSI performed an onsite analysis to determine how the company best could help TWU.

The software upgrade will probably prompt a redesign of TWU’s paper bills to make them more readable, and its website is overdue for an update, too, Cornelius said.

“That thing’s caught in the ’90s, as well. We’re going to need to be addressing that in this coming year,” he said.

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