Daily Priorities

## **New Weekly Reporting Structure and Customer Oversight** A new standardized weekly reporting process has been implemented to provide comprehensive oversight of all customer accounts. This initiative involves both the download and operational sides of the business using a shared customer list template. The primary goal is to create a single source of truth for account status, proactively answer leadership questions, and eliminate frustration caused by data mismatches or missing information. The reports are intended to be high-level summaries rather than raw data dumps, providing leadership with actionable insights without needing to sift through numerous detailed documents. - **Implementation of a unified template:** A standardized template has been distributed and must be filled out weekly by the team. This is designed to wrap operational arms around all customers from initial download through final processing. - **Addressing account vs. meter data:** A key focus is reconciling the number of *accounts* versus *meters*, as invoices are processed by account. Initial discrepancies in the data are anticipated and will require investigation to align both teams on the true operational scope. - **Structured meeting schedule:** These reports will be reviewed in dedicated weekly one-hour meetings. The schedule is being adjusted, with plans to move to a regular Tuesday slot. ## **Customer Escalation: Aurora University Billing Data Dispute** A significant escalation occurred with Aurora University, centering on a dispute over the granularity of billing data accessible to the customer. The situation is complex due to conflicting internal and external communications about the core issue. ### **Conflicting Perceptions of the Problem** The customer's complaint, which escalated to senior leadership, framed the issue as an inability to extract usage data by meter from their invoices. Internally, however, the understanding is that the customer is requesting highly customized data widgets and analytics at the meter level, which would require new development work. - **Escalation to leadership:** The issue "blew up" via email, reaching high-level executives and creating urgency. Internal confusion persisted because the customer's stated problem did not match the team's understanding of the actual request. - **Potential root cause:** There is a strong suspicion that a sales or onboarding promise was made to the customer regarding data accessibility that the current system cannot fulfill without technical modifications. - **Next steps:** A meeting with the customer is being arranged for the following week to clarify their exact requirements, involve the development team to assess feasibility and potential cost, and determine a path forward. ## **System Functionality and Operational Checks** Concerns were raised about the stability and intended function of certain system safeguards, specifically within the billing extension process. A flag designed to halt invoices over $24,000 for customer approval was questioned, prompting a verification of its operational status. - **Verification of a critical control:** It was confirmed that the system flag for high-value invoices is still active and functioning, alleviating concerns that it had been accidentally disabled or removed. The inquiry appears to have stemmed from a one-off manual override or processing exception. - **Ongoing manual reporting:** Leadership has requested operator metrics from the UBM (Utility Bill Management) system. This report on individual operator clearance volumes is currently a manual process managed by a specific team member and has not yet been automated. ## **Holiday Schedule and Team Coverage** Coordination for the upcoming holiday period was discussed, with a focus on ensuring business continuity and managing customer expectations during days with reduced staffing. - **Overlapping time off:** Key team members have scheduled days off around Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Plans are being made to ensure coverage for critical tasks, with an emphasis on processing all invoices before the holiday to avoid disconnection risks. - **"Scream-free" policy:** A clear boundary was set for the holiday period: while team members may be online for processing work, they will not be attending meetings or responding to emails where customer "screaming" or high-intensity complaints are expected. The goal is to enforce a peaceful operational window. - **Awareness of external closures:** It was noted that many clients and utility providers may also be shut down during this period, which will naturally reduce the volume of commodity pricing updates and related work. ## **Pending Actions and Upcoming Discussions** Several items were flagged for immediate follow-up and coordination in the coming days, indicating a busy operational pipeline. - **Data report consolidation:** A combined report from Data Services and UBM is being shared to serve as a potential single source of truth, though its data still requires full verification from all operational angles. - **Urgent customer meeting scheduling:** Efforts are underway to schedule a meeting with the Aurora University customer for Wednesday or Friday of the current week. The preference is to resolve the issue quickly and avoid letting it linger. - **Team resource planning:** The departure of a contractor has forced a reassessment of hiring needs. Discussions will determine whether to shift an existing team member and hire for their previous role or to hire directly for the vacant position. - **Financial oversight gaps:** An admission was made that billing for carbon accounting services has likely lapsed due to bandwidth constraints, potentially representing lost revenue. This area requires immediate attention to rectify.