Since its launch, the Utility Debt Relief Arrearage Forgiveness Program has been highly successful. In just the first 10 months, DCA processed approximately 50,000 applications, dispersing more than USD 127 million to New Jersey families. And the call center has been equally active in helping citizens navigate the process, taking over 273,000 calls in roughly the same timeframe.
“We’re able to get help to the people that need it,” notes Harrison. “That’s everything. And IBM was able to get an initial platform running in only weeks.”
At the same time, working with IBM Consulting, the DCA created a streamlined submission process that keeps applications moving quickly and frees up adjudication staff from routine processing to focus on more complicated requests. Similarly, the self-service capability offered by the IBM watsonx Assistant technology removes the need to answer an average 6,200 calls per month, which translates to over 800 hours in time saved.
“The analytics that IBM makes available to us have been critical in terms of business and executive management,” adds Harrison. “We know how many calls are coming in. We know when the busy times are, which helps with staff allocation. We know when our average call times are going up or down and can respond as needed. We even saw a dip in applications at one point, so we knew we needed a new mass email outreach campaign to get the message out there again to the public.”
And moving forward, the DCA is working to merge the portals and processes developed for the Utility Debt Relief Arrearage Forgiveness Program with its already existing assistance programs. Soon, citizens will have a much more streamlined and smooth application process, no matter the assistance program.
“IBM made it just that much easier for me,” concludes Harrison. “I already had confidence in the relationship due to previous collaborations. I was able to concentrate on other things and let this project work with a minimal amount of oversight, which is really the thing that you want when you outsource something.”