Simple, fast, convenient: online payments in the BKW customer portal

Paying a bill online using a credit card or Twint has become indispensable in today’s world. In order to expand the self-service offering in the BKW customer portal and at the same time increase the willingness to pay for electricity bills, the billing module of the self-service platform was to be expanded to include this key function. With the my.bkw Online Payment solution, we created a win-win situation: simple handling for the platform users, no additional effort for the financial accountants in the SAP IS-U system.

THE CHALLENGES

The aim of the new solution was to generate relevant added value for BKW customers: The payment of open invoices was to be made easier and faster, thus making the online self-service offering more attractive. At the same time, the requirement was that the new function should not cause any additional expense – such as payment provider fees, administrative activities, corrections/refunds, etc. – for the portal operator or biller.

Paying an invoice online is child's play. However, the system architecture behind it is often all the more complex, in which various interfaces must communicate with each other seamlessly and without errors. The payment process schema in the image carousel shows which stakeholders and processes are behind such a solution.

THE CHALLENGES

The aim of the new solution was to generate relevant added value for BKW customers: The payment of open invoices was to be made easier and faster, thus making the online self-service offering more attractive. At the same time, the requirement was that the new function should not cause any additional expense – such as payment provider fees, administrative activities, corrections/refunds, etc. – for the portal operator or biller.

Paying an invoice online is child’s play. However, the system architecture behind it is often all the more complex, in which various interfaces must communicate with each other seamlessly and without errors. The payment process schema in the image carousel shows which stakeholders and processes are behind such a solution.

OUR APPROACH

Thanks to the connection of a payment service provider PSP (Payrexx), we were able to massively reduce complexity and focus on the core functionality, namely booking a payment in the SAP IS-U system.

 

We integrated the solution seamlessly into the existing my.bkw customer portal with one or two interface extensions in the SAP system. In order for the customer to be able to process payments from the front end (Angular Framework), the Payrexx Payment Service Provider (PSP) connection had to be embedded and extended in our already established e.tility middleware landscape.

 

It was important to us not to temporarily store a state, e.g. "transaction ID", in our "stateless" architecture at any time. Therefore, when instantiating a new payment, it was essential to select the parameters in such a way that the payment could always be recognized and forwarded to the SAP system for posting during Payrexx feedback via a so-called "web hook" – and thus the transaction security remained guaranteed.

 

In concrete terms, this meant that between Friday morning and Saturday night, 34 people with migration responsibility (often supported by an entire team) worked to execute 87 previously agreed migration steps correctly and on time. The correctness of the migration was then validated by 24 testers using a total of 158 visual and process tests and documented for a later audit. An exemplary team performance!

OUR APPROACH

Thanks to the connection of a payment service provider PSP (Payrexx), we were able to massively reduce complexity and focus on the core functionality, namely booking a payment in the SAP IS-U system.

We integrated the solution seamlessly into the existing my.bkw customer portal with one or two interface extensions in the SAP system. In order for the customer to be able to process payments from the front end (Angular Framework), the Payrexx Payment Service Provider (PSP) connection had to be embedded and extended in our already established e.tility middleware landscape.

It was important to us not to temporarily store a state, e.g. “transaction ID”, in our “stateless” architecture at any time. Therefore, when instantiating a new payment, it was essential to select the parameters in such a way that the payment could always be recognized and forwarded to the SAP system for posting during Payrexx feedback via a so-called “web hook” – and thus the transaction security remained guaranteed.

In concrete terms, this meant that between Friday morning and Saturday night, 34 people with migration responsibility (often supported by an entire team) worked to execute 87 previously agreed migration steps correctly and on time. The correctness of the migration was then validated by 24 testers using a total of 158 visual and process tests and documented for a later audit. An exemplary team performance!

THE RESULT

With the launch of the new my.bkw online payment solution, customers can now settle their BKW bills easily and conveniently. The new payment function was already in high use on the day of release. After the monthly billing run at the latest, the curve of payments made online rose sharply. The posting in SAP is running smoothly. Against this background, the feedback from CCE/BKW is positive all round.

THE RESULT

With the launch of the new my.bkw online payment solution, customers can now settle their BKW bills easily and conveniently. The new payment function was already in high use on the day of release. After the monthly billing run at the latest, the curve of payments made online rose sharply. The posting in SAP is running smoothly. Against this background, the feedback from CCE/BKW is positive all round.

ABOUT CC ENERGIE

cc energie supports Swiss energy supply companies with ranging services and specialized know-how about customer service centers, billing, business change management and marketing services. cc energie was founded in 2005 as a subsidiary of the renowned energy enterprises BKW Energie AG and Groupe E AG.

ABOUT BKW

The BKW Group is an internationally active energy and infrastructure company headquartered in Bern. It employs around 10,500 people. Thanks to its network of companies and its innovative technologies, it offers its customers comprehensive expertise in the areas of infrastructure, buildings and energy. It plans, builds and operates energy production and supply infrastructures for companies, private individuals and the public sector, and offers digital business models for renewable energies. Today, the BKW Group’s portfolio ranges from planning and consulting in engineering for energy, infrastructure and environmental projects to integrated offerings in the field of building technology and the construction, service and maintenance of energy, telecommunications, transport and water networks.

LEARN MORE

YOUR CONTACT PARTNER

MATTHIAS ARN

SAP Senior Development Consultant

Contact

LEARN MORE

YOUR CONTACT PARTNER

MATTHIAS ARN

SAP Senior Development Consultant

Contact

MATTHIAS ARN

SAP Senior Development Consultant

Contact