Integrating a web-based GIS in the optimization of the customer connection process for utility company: A case of Kenya Power; Lighting Company, Ltd.

Great strides have been made world over in the use of GIS as a tool for the management of resources and decision making in the utilities. Utilities are now integrating GIS with other company systems in a bid to reduce operational costs, maximize revenue as well as improve efficiency and care to customers. However, this use has been confined to ensuring optimised service delivery to existing customers and overlooks new prospective customers. With privatization and deregulations, utility companies are now faced with a new challenge to strive for the market share in the most efficient and cost-effective ways. This research sought to develop a complementary web-based GIS application that can be integrated with existing utility company systems to improve efficiency in the new customer connection process. Waterfall System Development Methodology (SDM) was adopted in this research. Its simplicity and straightforwardness gave it a niche over other SDMs in-terms of implementation as one only moved to the next stage once the previous stage had been fully completed and tested. Digital online map, counties information data, enquiry for supply forms as well as the supply contract forms were used as the main datasets in the study. The objectives of this research were achieved by the development of a geodatabase to record, store and retrieve customer information; and a web-based GIS application to facilitate recording and upload of this information. It is possible to develop a web based GIS application that can be integrated with existing company's systems. Through integration, the system will automate and augment most of the manual processes in the new connection work-flow. This development would greatly improve new customer connection efficiency, maximize revenue collection for the utility and elevate the customers' socio-economic statuses. The system would also provide a platform for the monitoring and analysis of the infrastructure development geared towards the achievement of Kenya's Vision 2030