Comments
DHagar
4/19/2016 7:18:03 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
Mike, interesting results. I would think one of the key drivers is the rapid growth and development of smartphone apps and customer support platforms. It seems that the service providers' response to this growing market has positioned them to connect the billing systems effectively.
The business systems seem to be aligning with the customer service platforms as well. I would think the next challenge will also be the digital transformation that new technologies will introduce (ie IoT, 5G, etc.)
Ariella
4/20/2016 3:30:50 PM
User Rank Author
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
I really sympathize with the 11% here. With all the possibilities for automation, I don't know why we need to still work with manual billing systems. I have automatic payment set up for a number of different utilities instead of writing checks or even manually filling int the amount onine each month. The same kind of technollogy can be adapted for other forms of billing.
DHagar
4/20/2016 3:50:37 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
@Ariella, great points! The billing systems really lend themselves today to a payment platform that can better serve the customers - cheaper and more accurately.
I am thinking that is the recognition reflected in the polls, the manual systems no longer serve the purpose and the transition has already been made by the customers.
Ariella
4/20/2016 3:54:27 PM
User Rank Author
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
@Dhagar exactly. As someone who has has to invoice for my own work, I often wonder why clients set up systems that require so much paperwork and so many steps to get through that just cost time all around. It's really no necessary, particularly for those that have contracted for set amounts at set rates for set times.
DHagar
4/20/2016 3:59:06 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
@Ariella, excellent example. That is where I believe we can, and should, begin to recognize the redundancy in data gathering, processing, etc., that is a misuse of the human talent to just "process". We should automate the processes and move the humans down the "intelligence" line to adding value through knowledge of services, products, etc. Your clients pay you to "think" and provide value, not to "bill"!
JohnBarnes
4/21/2016 7:45:52 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
@Ariella,
Because many people don't have a regular or high enough income to be certain that there will always be enough money in the account, and they need the flexibility to stiff the less-essential bills in favor of the essential ones (and which ones are which should be their decision). Automatic fees follow in the wake of automatic billing, and they fall disproportionately on people in the margins of the economy.
So, yes, many people still need billing systems. Much of the lower half of the income bell curve relies on float at least a few times a year, and automated billing destroys float.
Slightly higher on the same income curve, there's also a strong need to know when a payment is going to hit and how much it's going to be because, frankly, large businesses cheat and gouge small consumers, relying on the hassle of recovering small amounts of improperly taken money back. Billing systems make larger companies vulnerable to billions of dollars in chargebacks a year, which isn't nearly enough, but it's a start.
dcawrey
4/25/2016 12:45:42 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
Yes, billing systems are needed. However, new technolgies should be able to foster innovationin this area. I don't think we're seeing enough development in customer service and flexible billing options, however. But their is promise in renewal, especially as legacy systems are replaced.
mpouraryan
4/20/2016 7:56:36 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
What you all have underscored is common sense. Some, though, may not perceive it as such as they want to make sure that they maintain control. Isn't it in the end what it is about? Control? We don't want to give it up folks.
mpouraryan
4/20/2016 7:56:37 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
What you all have underscored is common sense. Some, though, may not perceive it as such as they want to make sure that they maintain control. Isn't it in the end what it is about? Control? We don't want to give it up folks.
JohnBarnes
4/21/2016 7:52:23 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
@mpouryan, Giving up control of your money and not worrying about it is a luxury that you need quite a bit of money to afford. (I vividly remember my first in-laws giving X1 and me what they regarded as straightforward financial advice: putting $N in the checking account and forgetting it's there once a year, so that any fees or mistakes are just covered. N was a bit more than two and a half times our rent at the time).
A huge part of the consumer base can't afford that luxury; they need control so that when it's between the phone bill and groceries for the kids, they can choose the groceries. What looks like convenience and progress in the 68th percentile looks like aggression, control, and The Man in the 34th.
Ariella
4/21/2016 9:23:02 AM
User Rank Author
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
@JohnBarnes I go for a mix. I don't allow automatic payments for my auto and home insurance, for example, preferring to pay that on a semi-annual basis. I also pay manually input the online payments for electricity and gas, though I often run into frustration on the sites that keep making changes to maximize customer frustration. Also those amounts tend to vary quite a bit according to the season. Water is charged each month, and the amounts are always pretty close. My internet connection and phone are automatically paid by a credit card each month. The only thing I've noticed that sneaks in fees for such things is E-Z Pass. Even if you don't use it, it will charge you a certain amount each year to keep the account active.
mpouraryan
4/21/2016 2:06:29 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
Couldn't agree with you more sir--the sense of control is at the heart of what being a human is about--That's why no matter how digital we become, we have to maintain that semblance of humanity.
JohnBarnes
4/21/2016 7:18:22 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
Humanity -- and groceries!
mpouraryan
4/21/2016 9:25:05 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Billing Systems Up for Transformation
Amen to that Sir--I was reflecting upon this very thing today as Tom Brokaw of NBC noted recently how in the "noise" of the current campaign we're faced it, no one is noting that some 40,000 people have lost their jobs in the Banking Sector due to automation--and that's just a sector that supposedly was a "growth sector". We have some true profound challenges before us as we are witness to Transformation ever more.
elizabethv
4/21/2016 7:57:39 AM
User Rank Platinum
But just because it CAN be done, does that mean it should?
My husband and I both refuse to use automatic payments because we've both been burned in the past. In one instance, I was paying a company but had accidently put in the wrong account number to pay. It was setup for automatic payments when the company contacted me, stating they hadn't received a payment for several months. I was confused as to how this could be possible. It took multiple, very frustrating phone conversations to find out what had happened and get the situation recitifed. Technology is without a doubt amazing and makes our lives easier. But where my money is concerned, I just don't have the financial flexibility to rely on a system that has no fail safe.
Ariella
4/21/2016 9:18:13 AM
User Rank Author
Re: But just because it CAN be done, does that mean it should?
@elizabethv that's odd that the company allowed it to go on for that long. Often there's a test of an account to be sure that it is valid and that the money for payments will be there. My credit card company rep told me that gas stations will even do a test amount of $1 or $2 in addition to what you put on the card for your gas to be sure the account works. She assured me that extra $1 charge will come off. It's the first time I've ever heard of that for a credit card charge, though I know that some businesses do a test involving small amounts with bank accounts.
elizabethv
4/22/2016 8:01:53 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: But just because it CAN be done, does that mean it should?
@Ariella - the incorrect number was the account number for our doctor's office, not the number out of my bank account. So it was getting paid from my account, but it was being applied to the wrong account. A few different types of charges run a "ghost charge" on your card when you try to use it. I always heard that gas can run a "ghost charge" of around $100, so there are times when a card might be declined even when you have money in your account. In those situations, I've heard you have to go into the station and ask them to charge a specific amount. But I know hotels do something similar, and rental car agencies. Actually, I think rental car agencies just "hold" $500 while you have the car, and release it when you return it. That's why they recommend paying with a credit card over a debit card. I like the point John Barnes gives though, paying, instead of using automation, allows us to have human control over a process. I definitely prefer that.
Ariella
4/22/2016 9:53:38 AM
User Rank Author
Re: But just because it CAN be done, does that mean it should?
@elizabethv I'm really surprised a mistake like that could even happen. But maybe I shouldn't be, considering the level of incompetence I've seen at some doctors' offices.
The credit card rep said the charges made for tests at gas stations were always small. She said the highest she's heard of is $2. Certainly, for debit card accounts some people would have under $100 available balance. I don't use debit cards myself, though, so this test was done for the credit card function.
dlr5288
4/25/2016 8:01:33 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: But just because it CAN be done, does that mean it should?
I agree with you!
I think it's awesome that technology is evolving and becoming a bigger part in day to day life. However it can also be difficult to deal with, especially when money is involved. It's sometimes hard to trust. Technology does make things quicker/easier to a certain degree, but it can mess things up in a big way.
freehe
4/26/2016 9:12:19 PM
User Rank Platinum
Billing Systems
elizabethv, good points.
No billing systems are not keeping pace. Sometimes I pay my bills online but each provider has a different billing issue.
When paying my auto loan I cannot pay online, I can only go into the branch or mail my payment.
When paying my utility bills I can pay online but can only pay via my checking account using my bank account and routing number.
When paying my credit card bill I can pay online but I cannot make multiple payments within a 24 hour period.
With another service provider if I make a payment after 5:00pm it will be applied the next business day.
Automatic payments don't always work out in your favor. It is difficult to stop automatic payments and sometimes companies double dip in the same month.
I think standardization regarding billing system would transform the industy and help customers.
I see why some people still write checks, it's much easier!
Real Time Charging or bust? Not so fast
Good points across the board, but 2 comments...
1, since 0% of the the respondents said that Billing Systems are ready today, that should showcase a huge flag that they are NOT up for true digital transformation. True digital transformation for Telco's means they will be expanding into the eCom type of world...which requires driving innovation and huge partner system ecosystem expansion. (which includes most likely selling products that are not theirs) The BSS of the past, including 'converged billing', was not designed to deliver the Amazon, Uber, AirBNB type of model. But on the flip side, those companies BSS are not set up well to handle true Telco offers as well. So the ones who truly evolve will produce a completely new approach to Billing/BSS/OSS that isn't just about Billing for a product.
2, for those who believe that billing should go away even for just traditional Telco services, it may make sense for certain scenarios, but if you are a business that has 1+ million accounts that pay you on a monthly basis (similar to what the other poster said about loan model)...would you be willing to simply pull the plug on your subscriptions and move to a charging based model only? Your shareholders most likely would not be so keen when you drop your quarterly revenue guidance confidence...
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