Customer Activity Score Calculation for Utility Engagement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Utility providers lack insight into customer engagement with their online services, limiting their ability to effectively manage customer interactions and improve user experience.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system for calculating a customer activity score (CAS) based on historic consumption data and behavior information, which provides a quantitative measure of engagement, allowing for customer segmentation and targeted communication strategies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If utility providers collect limited customer information, then data privacy and system simplicity are maintained, but customer engagement insight and service personalization capability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomer engagement insightVSAvoiddata collection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments customer information into multiple dimensions including consumption behavior patterns, online system interaction frequency, program participation status, and communication response history. This segmentation allows the system to collect comprehensive engagement data across different channels while maintaining organizational simplicity and clarity in data structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a unified customer profile system that serves multiple functions: tracking consumption patterns, monitoring online engagement, managing program enrollments, and personalizing communications. This multi-functional approach consolidates various data collection needs into a single integrated system, reducing overall complexity while improving customer insight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If utility providers implement comprehensive customer tracking systems, then customer engagement insight improves, but system complexity and implementation cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveengagement measurement accuracyVSAvoidtracking system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple tracking functions into a unified customer profile system that consolidates consumption data, online interaction records, program participation information, and communication history. This consolidation improves measurement accuracy by providing a comprehensive view of customer engagement while reducing system complexity through integrated data management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a customer profile as an intermediary layer that aggregates and standardizes data from multiple sources including consumption systems, online platforms, and program management systems. This intermediary structure enables precise engagement measurement without requiring direct complex integration between all underlying systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If utility providers use detailed behavior data for customer segmentation, then service personalization and targeted communication improve, but data processing complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice personalization capabilityVSAvoiddata processing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments customers into distinct groups based on multiple behavioral dimensions including consumption patterns, online engagement levels, program participation, and communication preferences. This segmentation enables highly personalized service delivery and targeted communications while maintaining manageable complexity through structured classification categories.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Measurement precision

If utility providers calculate comprehensive customer activity scores, then customer engagement understanding improves, but computational resources and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomer engagement measurementVSAvoidscore calculation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent calculates customer activity scores using a selective subset of behavioral indicators that provide sufficient engagement measurement accuracy without requiring analysis of every available data point. This partial action approach maintains measurement precision while reducing computational burden and processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs weighted parameters in the customer activity score calculation, where different behavioral indicators are assigned varying weights based on their significance to customer engagement. This parameter optimization allows the system to focus computational resources on the most impactful data points, improving calculation efficiency while maintaining measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11093950B2Customer activity score
Publication Date: 2021.08.17 OPOWER
  • US11093950B2 patent drawing
  • US11093950B2 patent drawing
  • US11093950B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Aspects of the subject technology relate to methods and systems for calculating a customer activity score (CAS). In some aspects, a method of the subject technology includes steps including aggregating behavior information for each of a plurality of utility customers, the behavior information including historic consumption data for at least one consumable resource, and calculating, and using the behavior information, a customer activity score (CAS) for one or more of the utility customers. In some aspects, the method can also include steps for generating customer content for at least one of utility customers based on a corresponding CAS value. In some aspects, systems and computer-readable media are provided.