City of Richmond Reaches Milestone to Improve Customer Service Delivery

The City of Richmond has reached a milestone as it continues to focus on improving customer service delivery. The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has finalized an agreement with the Oracle Corporation to enhance the customer’s journey through modernized operations and increased self-service options. With Oracle Energy and Water’s “Software as a Service” (SaaS) solution set, DPU will modernize its Customer Information System (CIS) to provide a flexible, robust and rules-based solution designed to keep pace with the industry's rapidly changing trends.

Mayor Levar Stoney remarks, “As Mayor, I’m delighted to have reached this huge milestone that will continue my administration’s goal of improving City services and providing greater levels of service that our residents deserve. The City believes that Oracle provides a best in class, forward-looking solution that will deliver modern functionalities beyond what we currently have and I could not be more excited to see the progress.”

Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders adds that, “We were looking for a solution to enhance the customer experience that could keep up with our customers’ rapidly changing needs. We are excited to add this utility CIS replacement to the list of new technologies that will continue to enhance the everyday lives of our citizens.”

DPU will be implementing several components of Oracle’s platforms to provide greater support to the traditional gas, water, sewer and stormwater services in the Richmond region while delivering new tools and processes - which will lead to a more user-friendly bill redesign. This will allow DPU to deliver a unique and best-in-class customer experience that helps comply with current and future regulations while delivering continuous non-disruptive updates – and at the same time, keeping pace with the most current industry capabilities.

The Oracle solutions to be implemented will help the City of Richmond to lead implementation, adoption, and provide transformation services for the project.

Oracle was chosen because their solution is the most technologically advanced option compared to other solutions that were evaluated. DPU Senior Director April Bingham remarks, “We were impressed by Oracle’s capabilities, as well as their support for an omnichannel customer experience. We are confident in our choice and excited about the opportunity for success in upgrading our operations and the customer experience with Oracle.”

Implementation of this CIS will replace DPU’s aged Banner system, which is nearly 30 years old and reaching the end of its useful life. It will eliminate security risks associated with the current system and provide for enhanced disaster recovery efforts.

With the vendor selection final, the focus now shifts to the build out of the new system that will be customized for DPU’s gas and water customers. The anticipated go live date is Spring 2026.

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