Utilities and regulated industries are operating in
Read More
When the lights go out, customers expect timely, accurate information. For municipal utilities, delivering those communications quickly and reliably can be challenging, especially when existing systems rely on manual processes or broad, untargeted notifications.
That was the challenge facing Mansfield Municipal Electric Department (MMED), a public power utility serving approximately 10,000 customers in southeastern Massachusetts. As severe weather events became more frequent and ISO New England prepared for potential load curtailments, MMED needed a more responsive and localized way to notify residents about outages and maintenance events.
By implementing Convey Essentials, MMED transformed its outage communications strategy, improving operational efficiency while delivering a more personalized customer experience.
Utilities today face increasing pressure to provide real-time updates during service disruptions. Customers want proactive communication, and utility staff need tools that simplify notification workflows rather than adding more manual work.
Prior to implementing Convey Essentials, MMED faced several communication challenges:
MMED recognized that modern outage communications required more than simply sending alerts. They needed a solution that could integrate with operational systems, automate outreach, and provide visibility into customer engagement.
MMED selected Convey Essentials to modernize customer communications and create a more responsive outage notification program.
By integrating its Outage Management System (OMS) with Convey Essentials, MMED quickly established an automated communication workflow that enabled targeted, multi-channel outreach to affected customers.
Convey Essentials was deployed in just 45 days, allowing MMED to have the solution operational before critical spring and summer infrastructure work began.
Customers began receiving proactive outage and maintenance notifications through their preferred channels, including voice, text, and email. Each communication carried local branding, helping reinforce trust and familiarity within the community.
To make communications more relatable and community-focused, MMED leveraged personalization features such as text-to-speech messaging and recorded voice messages from town leadership. These capabilities helped create a stronger connection between the utility and its customers during critical events.
Convey Essentials provided insight into message delivery and customer engagement, enabling MMED to monitor performance and continuously improve communications.
The impact of the deployment was immediate.
Between January 1 and May 15, 2024, MMED used Convey Essentials to send more than 20,700 customer communications, achieving an impressive 99.4% delivery rate:
More importantly, customers received timely, relevant information during outage events, helping them make informed decisions and prepare for service disruptions.
With automated notifications providing outage details, restoration updates, and estimated restoration times, MMED strengthened customer confidence and trust during critical moments.
While MMED’s initial focus was outage management, the flexibility of Convey Essentials created opportunities for broader utility communications.
Future expansion possibilities include:
This scalability ensures that utilities can continue evolving their customer engagement strategies without replacing existing infrastructure.
For public power utilities, customer trust is built through consistent, reliable communication. Convey Essentials helps utilities strengthen that trust by delivering targeted outreach, operational efficiency, and an improved customer experience.
Send alerts based on outage data, meter topology, and affected service areas so customers receive information that is relevant to them.
Automated workflows reduce manual effort, accelerate response times, and allow utility staff to focus on restoration activities rather than communication logistics.
Provide customers with timely updates that help them prepare for and respond to outages with confidence.
Expand communications beyond electric operations to support additional utility services and community notifications as organizational needs evolve.
As customer expectations continue to rise, utilities need communication platforms that can keep pace with operational demands and community needs.
For Mansfield Municipal Electric Department, Convey Essentials delivered a modern, integrated approach to outage communications, enabling targeted outreach, operational efficiency, and a better customer experience. The result is a stronger connection with customers today and a scalable foundation for future engagement initiatives.
Open a shareable PDF version of the case study, ready to download and circulate across your teams.
Convey Essentials is a customer communication solution that helps utilities automate and personalize outreach across voice, text, and email channels. It integrates with operational systems to deliver timely, targeted communications during outages, maintenance events, and other customer-impacting situations.
MMED integrated Convey Essentials with its Outage Management System (OMS) to automate outage communications, send targeted notifications to affected customers, and monitor message delivery and engagement in real time.
The utility completed deployment in just 45 days, allowing the system to be operational before major seasonal infrastructure projects began.
Yes. The platform can be expanded to support water utility communications, GIS integrations, ERP-driven notifications, water main break alerts, boil water notices, planned maintenance communications, and other customer engagement use cases.
By automating communication workflows and integrating with existing operational systems, Convey Essentials reduces manual outreach tasks, improves efficiency, and allows staff to focus on restoration and customer service activities.
Customers have different communication preferences. Using voice, text, and email together increases the likelihood that critical information is received, improving awareness, trust, and overall customer satisfaction during outages and service events.
Read other insights and news from the Convey team.
For many community utilities, customer communication is still largely reactive. A member or customer notices a higher-than-expected bill, experiences an…
Across much of the United States, utilities are once again facing one of their greatest seasonal challenges: extreme heat. Record-breaking…
Convey is excited to welcome Jim Hansen as Chief Product Officer, bringing decades of experience leading product innovation for enterprise…
