Digital Transformation at EVNSPC: Enhancing Business Performance and Customer Service Quality

Southern Power Corporation (EVNSPC) generated 83 billion kWh of commercial electricity in 2022, serving over 9.1 million customers. The company signed 98.31% of contracts electronically and received over 98% of electricity service requests via the Internet. Quality indicators such as reliability, power loss, and customer satisfaction also improved, demonstrating EVNSPC’s efforts to apply science and technology, information technology, digitization, and digital transformation in recent years.

Monitoring operations of an unmanned substation at Kien Giang Power Company

EVNSPC’s application of information technology and new technologies has been concretized in Project 261. This project aims to develop private IT and telecom systems, information security, and 4.0 technology applications to operation, production, and business in 2021-2025. Project 261 has shaped a certain direction and legal basis for the development of information technology, private telecom networks, information security, and digital transformation infrastructure. It has also built a roadmap for synchronous implementation with EVNSPC’s business activities in 2021-2025. After two years, despite facing numerous difficulties, EVNSPC has accomplished key project objectives.

The private transmission infrastructure connects EVNSPC Office with its 21 member power companies, 203 district/city power companies, 21 remote operation control centers, 243 110kV substations, and nine affiliated units. The bandwidth ranges from 1Gbps to 10Gbps, with a 1+1 physical redundancy of fiber optic cable on 85% of the connection line. The fiber optic network is operating on over 15,000 km of mixed optical cable (OPGW: 4,177 km, ADSS/F8: 7,899 km, and shared optical cable with carriers: 3,191 km).

EVNSPC stores its shared software applications in a database, which is integrated into the shared data warehouse and managed by the EVNSPC Data Center. The company also applies IT to improve corporate governance capacity. Notably, the videoconferencing system connected from the Head Office of EVNSPC to 203 district/town/city power companies has reduced cost and ensured smooth, uninterrupted power production and supply. In corporate governance, EVNSPC initially built and utilized big data. This helped successfully launch a series of IT application systems to enhance connectivity. These systems serve as the foundation for EVNSPC and each member power company to adopt the e-business roadmap as scheduled. This includes electronic transactions with customers, businesses, and government agencies.

On January 21, 2022, Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) launched the EVNCONNECT Digital Ecosystem. This marked an important step for EVN on the roadmap to become a digital business by 2025. As a member of EVN, EVNSPC defines digital transformation as the most important key program. It is a strong driving force to sharpen competitiveness, boost growth, and enhance credibility among customers.

In this program, EVNSPC is implementing digital transformation in accordance with the EVN Digital Transformation Master Plan for 2022 and beyond. The company’s digital transformation efforts in 2021-2022 include the following:

Completing the technical connection to integrate authentication service and share citizen identity information with the National Population Database through the National Public Service Portal for 21 member power companies; Connecting with the General Department of Taxation and over 28 intermediary payment organizations to launch the electronic invoice service and noncash payment; Connecting the internal electronic document system with the document system of the State Capital Management Committee and preparing infrastructure to connect with People’s Committees of southern provinces and cities as planned.

Customers in Ba Ria–Vung Tau province looking up e-invoices on the mobile application

In business and customer service, digital transformation has revolutionized operating methods, leadership styles, working processes, business models, and business methods by transitioning to electronic transactions. The application of information technology and digitization of business and customer services has enabled EVNSPC to modernize its metering system. The company operates a remote electronic metering data collection software connected to the CMIS system to support data recording and invoicing for customers. It has also facilitated metering system management of the electricity industry and helped customers actively monitor, look up, and calibrate their power consumption in the most reasonable way.

EVNSPC has promoted online power supply services on online channels such as the National Public Service Portal, Zalo application, mobile applications, and websites. Customers can access electricity service anytime, anywhere with just a few clicks on their computer or some touches on mobile phones. This helps customers save travel costs and access electricity services in the network environment in a clear, public, and transparent manner.

To facilitate customers to pay electricity bills, EVNSPC has diversified forms of electronic bill payment like automatic banking and internet banking via commercial banks, e-wallets via intermediary entities such as Payoo, MoMo, VNPT, VNpay, Viettel Bankplus, and Zalo Pay.

In construction investment, digital transformation is also defined by EVNSPC as one of the important goals and core solutions to enhance labor productivity, work quality, and efficiency in each stage of construction investment. This is based on the Construction Investment Management software system (IMIS 2.0). Accordingly, EVNSPC has completed specific objectives: 1,883 bidding packages were implemented online; 1,645 contracts were evaluated and scored in 2022. 274 projects were applied electronic diaries with 24,324 electronic diaries recorded. 630 projects were applied AI technology in image analysis to assess construction quality. 241 projects were applied Microsoft Project to manage progress. Over 1,400 projects were archived in electronic records.

At the same time, EVNSPC has actively and effectively adopted digital transformation in all business fields such as internal management, technique, safety, administration, and operation. With the resolve and consensus of the Party Committee, the Executive Board, all departments and every employee, EVNSPC has completed digital transformation in five key areas in the first phase.

EVNSPC defines digital transformation as a large-scale, long-term roadmap from the corporation to each member unit. This requires a lot of changes and quick adaptation, with a clear divergent strategy on resources to reduce risks and challenges and successfully capture opportunities on the digital journey in the next period.

By Dinh Hoang, Vietnam Business Forum