Understanding which customers were eligible for smart meters had long been a challenge for a major utilities provider. Processes were fragmented, rules inconsistent, and operations heavily manual. Optima partnered with the organisation to deliver a centralised eligibility service, powered by an API, BigQuery dataset, and Tableau dashboard. The solution simplified smart meter rollout and built the governed data foundations needed to balance customer needs, regulatory requirements, and future growth.
Context:
Eligibility was difficult to track because responsibility was spread across multiple teams, each controlling data in different ways. Data sources were complex and poorly documented, with limited subject matter expertise.
This created confusion for stakeholders, slowed rollout plans, and increased workload for operational teams. The provider required a single source of truth that was transparent, auditable, and scalable for future energy initiatives.
Outcome:
Created a single source of truth for smart meter eligibility across the organisation
Significantly reduced operational workload by automating eligibility checks and rules
Enabled deeper business insight, including unlocking customer cohorts blocked by specific rules
Established a scalable, reusable data foundation already being applied to smart meter upgrade planning
What we delivered:
Centralised eligibility service combining API, BigQuery dataset, and Tableau dashboard
Production-ready framework with zero recommendations at penetration testing
Revamped overrides process that cut manual effort for the fulfilment team
Modular architecture designed to be reused for future smart meter initiatives
Testimonial: “This project was about creating clarity where there had been complexity. By building a single, governed service for smart meter eligibility, we reduced manual effort, improved accuracy, and gave the client a scalable data foundation they can reuse for future energy initiatives.”
— Andrew Donald, Optima Partners – Director of Engineering
