Riverina Water cuts billing times with Infor CloudSuite rollout

Riverina Water has reported positive operational and financial outcomes following the first phase implementation of Infor CloudSuite Public Sector.

The New South Wales local council adopted Infor's cloud-based technology suite in July 2023, integrating Infor Financials & Supply Management, Infor CIS Billing, and Infor Enterprise Performance Management for better financial control, planning, and analytics.

Riverina Water says that transitioning its rates certificate processing online has resulted in a more than six-day reduction in turnaround times. Customers now use a self-service portal, with meter reading data entered live via a mobile application, which has also reduced manual tasks for staff.

Andrew Crakanthorp, Chief Executive Officer at Riverina Water, emphasised the platform's broader organisational impact. "Infor's deep industry knowledge has been a key factor in transforming our legacy architecture into an agile, efficient platform that meets current and future needs, and has enabled process consistency and greater transparency throughout our organisation," Crakanthorp said. "Thanks to Infor, Riverina Water has continued its progress as one of the leading local utilities in New South Wales, providing safe and reliable drinking water to our growing region."

Customer request management has also been digitised and moved from an Electronic Document Management System to the Infor platform. This shift has lowered manual handling and allows Riverina Water to analyse data such as response times and service trends, capabilities that were previously unavailable.

There have been notable changes in bill payment processes. By leveraging the billing features of Infor CloudSuite Public Sector, Riverina Water has reduced bill payment times by 30 per cent year-on-year. The system has also contributed to increased billing accuracy across the customer base.

More than 136,000 meter readings were reviewed using Infor CloudSuite Public Sector's algorithms during this period, leading to improved accuracy of customer billing.

Emily Tonacia, Director Corporate Services at Riverina Water, highlighted the benefits for both staff and the broader community. "Since rolling out Infor CloudSuite, we've seen a real transformation in how we deliver services — faster, smarter, and more connected. From frontline teams to external stakeholders, everyone's benefiting. Infor's technology is helping us streamline operations, boost customer experiences, and unlock powerful insights through real-time data in CloudSuite Public Sector," Tonacia said.

Terry Smagh, Senior Vice President & General Manager Asia Pacific & Japan at Infor, commented on the broader significance for the utilities sector. "It's very gratifying to see such strong results for Riverina Water after the first phase of Infor CloudSuite Public Sector went live. In today's world customers expect 24/7, always-on functionality with real-time capabilities, and Infor CloudSuite Public Sector is key to achieving that. With Infor CloudSuite Public Sector, Riverina Water has overcome the challenges of legacy systems and can now better control costs, future-proof IT investments and enhance service delivery," Smagh said.

With the first phase now completed, Riverina Water is reportedly preparing to extend its digital transformation with Infor. Planned next steps include introducing advanced asset management and greater automation, aiming to improve operational efficiency and inform decision-making for over 77,000 customers.

Infor CloudSuite Public Sector is also used by other water authorities and regional councils across Australia and internationally, with customers including Watercare and Waikato Regional Council in New Zealand, several Victorian water corporations, and Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District in the United States.