This qualitative research study focused on learning how real-life half-hourly data affects businesses and uncovering their data needs. Working alongside a marketing team and another researcher from my team, I thoroughly enjoyed this project because it allowed me to connect directly with SSE’s customers. I was responsible for leading the project, organising interview sessions, conducting interviews, and writing the report, which gave me a lot of responsibility and made the experience incredibly rewarding.

Background

SSE, one of the UK’s leading energy companies, provides tailored gas and electricity solutions to businesses of all sizes. SSE Business Energy serves two main client types:

• Direct Customers: Businesses that directly purchase energy from SSE, ranging from small SMEs to large industrial corporations.

• Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs): Energy brokers who negotiate energy contracts on behalf of businesses across various industries.

To empower its customers, SSE offers SSE Clarity, a powerful energy management platform. SSE Clarity uses smart meter data to help businesses measure, manage, and forecast their energy usage. This tool provides real-time insights, enabling companies to optimize energy efficiency, reduce costs, and plan for the future. By offering clear, actionable data, SSE Clarity supports better energy management and more sustainable business practices.

Scope

In this research, we interviewed businesses to understand how they use SSE Clarity for their data needs. The goal was to gain insights into how the platform supports their energy management and decision-making processes, helping us identify areas for improvement and future development.

As a leading energy company, SSE recognised a lack of sufficient user input despite their market prominence. Through actively seeking end-user feedback, we aimed to deeply understand SSE's customer needs, preferences, and trends. This user-focused strategy enabled us to make data-driven decisions and optimise SSE's product offerings, improving customer satisfaction and their competitiveness in the market.

Process

We recruited 10 customers and Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs) from various business sizes through the Clarity portal. After making introductory phone calls, we conducted online interviews using a discussion guide that we created in collaboration with the business. To encourage participation, we offered incentives for taking part in the interviews.

Once the interviews were completed, we gathered and analyzed the data from these conversations. Finally, we prepared a comprehensive research presentation to share our findings with major business stakeholders, providing valuable insights into user experiences across different company scales.

Impact

The research report received amazing feedback and caught the attention of many heads of SSE, as it provided valuable insights into customer data usage and needs.

By applying these insights, we were able to enhance multiple data products, resulting in improved usability and user experiences across SSE's offerings. The changes led to significant cost savings of millions annually for SSE.

This project highlighted the powerful impact of a user-centred process, showing that basing product decisions on direct user feedback can lead to optimized solutions that benefit both customers and the business.