USAID Sector Reform and Utility Commercialization (SRUC) Task Order Papua New Guinea Power Limited (PPL) Support on Data Management, Metering, and Customer Engagement – Component 4: Large Customer Engagement Strategy (LCES)

The training aimed to increase granularity of customer segmentation and develop a large customer outreach plan. The training agenda included a review of customer profiles from the Customer Segmentation Exercise, which identified key attributes and characteristics of large customers in Papua New Guinea. The exercise categorized customers into four main groups: hospitals/pharmacies, manufacturing, real estate, and extractive industries. Each group had distinct operational schedules, electricity demands, backup power needs, primary uses, and critical power-consuming equipment. Customer profiles for hospitals/pharmacies, such as Pacific Palm Properties, highlighted their 24-hour operational schedules, high electricity demands, and backup power needs. These customers have growth potential, with Pacific Palm Properties expanding rapidly in recent years. Additional considerations included issues with metering systems, diversity of business, and the need for PPL to be aware of their history with the utility and past problems. Manufacturing customers, such as K92 Mining (Ramu Grid), operate 24/7 and have very high electricity demands. They have large diesel generators for backup power and critical power-consuming equipment, including ball mills and crushing machines. These customers have strong growth forecasts and require reliable power supply. Real estate customers, such as STAR MOUNTAINS PLAZA LTD, have 24-hour power usage and peak demands during the day. They have diesel generators for backup power and critical power-consuming equipment, including air conditioning and kitchen equipment. These customers have growth potential, with new developments and expansions underway. Banks and financial institutions, such as BANK OF SOUTH PACIFIC, have 24-hour power usage and low electricity demands at night. They have diesel generators for backup power and critical power-consuming equipment, including air conditioning and security equipment. These customers have plans to expand into real estate and require reliable power supply to support their growth. The training also covered the development of a large customer outreach plan, which included the selection of key performance indicators (KPIs) and the procurement and implementation of a customer relationship management (CRM) system or the expansion of existing systems. The training aimed to establish a statistical baseline on customer support performance and develop KPIs to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty.