Eskom Online Vending Pilot Lessons Learnt

Brian Mokgele and

Kevin Venketiah

Eskom Online Vending Pilot Lessons Learnt


Discussion Items• Introduction• Current Vending in Eskom• Vending Process• Offline Vending Issues• Key Change Drivers• Pilot Objectives• System Architecture • Pilot Site Requirements• Pilot Results • Impressions and Intentions



Introduction• Eskom has over 3 million prepaid

customers, served by almost 1600 Vendors

• The intention is to grow this vendor base improving customer service using online vending

• This paper presents the findings of the online vending pilot



Current Vending in Eskom• Credit dispensing units are offline and

geographically dispersed• Distributed databases• Data transfers are achieved via disk transfer

or modem• Vendors have been migrated from credit

vending to the Upfront vending model• Credit is managed in the CDU hardware



$

Bank

CDU

SMS

$$

$

Customer

Financial System

$ $$

VendorBanks

CTMS

$$

$

Customer

Customer Database

Vending Process


Vendor Banks upfront

Bank deposits received

Credit encrypted

Credit file sent to CDU via SMS

Vending permitted

Data transfers


Offline Vending Issues• Customer data not synchronized• Transactions not uploaded regularly• Vending points not always easily

accessible• Vendor credit management• Opportunities for fraud• Theft of equipment


Key Change Drivers• Increasing vending footprint• Technology advancements and the

reduction in comms costs• Evolving customer requirements• Reducing security risks


Pilot Objectives• Server compliance• Evaluate the XML Vend specification• Establish comms performance and

reliability• Determine costs• Identify potential risks and contingencies• Impact on business processes• Supplier support capabilities


GPRS Network

Online VendingServer

Online VendingClients

Firewall

System Architecture

Server:VendingCustomer dbCredit Mang.

System security:Prevents unauthorized access

XML Vend comms protocolover GPRS Network

Vending Clients:Desktop PC loaded with the vending application


Server specs• Hewlett Packard Web Server• Oracle Database (on a separate machine)• Security module cluster• IAS Server

Client/terminal information• Hewlett Packard Pentium 4• MT-85 card reader/writer• USB based sim card for the (SSL Private key and X509 certificate• Epson receipt printer• UPS backup


Pilot Site Requirements• Six geographically dispersed pilot sites• Sites were rural and urban• Customers should have STS meters• Vendors were on an Upfront contract• GPRS communications must be

available• Sites should be easily accessible if

support is required


Jane Furse

Bishop Lavis

Warrenton

Newlands

Margate

Vereeniging

Pilot Sites

Server: Bellville


Pilot ResultsStatistics

Evaluation Criteria Value Expected Results

ActualResults

Server uptime 1920 hrs 99% 99.73%

Transactions vended 67 187 99% 99.93%

Credit file processing 145 99% 97.24%

Customer file download 69 90% 100%

Transaction uploads 34 90% 91.18%


Typical Problems• Most problems related to the vending

client, but not part of this evaluation• Server configuration problems

• Transaction duplication• Demo tokens

• XML Vend shortcomings• Vendor unable to view credit updates• Vendor cannot reprint bank batches• Provision to make ad hoc bank deposits


Benefits Achieved• Centralised customer database

improves customer services• Accessibility• FBE

• Improved vendor credit management• Real-time availability of transaction

data and other statistical information• Reduced risk of secure module theft


Lessons Learnt• Server uptime was satisfactory but system

redundancy is required for 99.99% availability• Network is stable but not perfect • Slow communications can be frustrating• Client user interfaces should be simple• XMLVend specification shortfalls identified• Server location and system monitoring• Technology must supported by strong business

processes


Impressions and Intentions

Brian Mokgele


Thank You

Documents

Eskom Online Vending Pilot Lessons Learnt