PT PLN (Persero) wins two prestigious honours at the Asian Experience Awards 2023

These accolades affirm its dedication to delivering excellence in energy services whilst embracing the future with technology and sustainability at its core.

Indonesia's leading state-owned electricity company, PT PLN (Persero), secured two prestigious awards at the esteemed Asian Experience Awards 2023. It received the Indonesia Digital Experience of the Year - Energy and Indonesia User Experience of the Year - Energy awards. 

Digital Experience of the Year: "Corporate Transformation Based on End-to-End Digitalisation"

For 78 years, PT PLN (Persero), commonly known as PLN, has been a vital presence in Indonesia, serving over 85 million customers and providing electricity to 270 million people across the Indonesian archipelago. With assets exceeding US$110b and annual revenue exceeding US$30b, PLN manages a colossal 69 GW of power generation and a distribution line spanning 1 million km, equivalent to circling the Earth six times.

Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and global energy crises, PLN not only persevered but emerged stronger. Remarkably, the company reduced its debt by US$4b in just two years and achieved its best financial performance during the pandemic. It also established a highly reliable national electricity system, marking a historic milestone for Indonesia.

The transformation journey began three years ago under Darmawan Prasodjo’s leadership as CEO and centered on innovation, efficiency, and digitalisation. PLN embarked on an ambitious endeavor to digitise end-to-end business process from power generation, transmission, distribution, financial systems, procurement, payment systems, and customer services. The results speak for themselves: faster and more satisfying customer service, enhanced efficiency in financial and procurement systems, and significantly improved electrical operational reliability.

“Transformation is required to make PLN more agile and more robust in order to provide excellent customer service,” Darmawan said.

One of the concrete examples of PLN’s transformation is in primary energy sector. Following the coal crisis at the end of 2021, PLN has increased the resilience of the primary energy supply by digitising monitoring process ensuring the coal supply is sufficient. 

PLN has also changed the paradigm of coal supply control system from focusing on the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) at the unloading point to focusing on the loading point. An early warning system mechanism has also been established, so that the risk of delayed coal supply delivery can be minimised.

But the transformation didn't stop there; it extended throughout PLN's entire end-to-end business process. In transmission and distribution, a reliable operation system was established, replacing manual monitoring with digitalised dashboards for real-time issue detection and resolution. In customer service has transformed its mobile app, namely PLN Mobile, which once plagued with a 2.5 rating and numerous complaints, into a one-stop solution app for customers. It now boasts a 4.9 rating and has been downloaded almost 44 million times, lauded for its software sophistication and responsive service.

Every aspect of PLN's operations, from financial management to procurement, has been integrated into a streamlined digital dashboard, providing high visibility across the entire business process.
 
PLN's transformation goal is clear: to provide the best services, secure Indonesia's future, and embrace a digital-based approach to evolving customer needs. As renewable energy integrates into the grid, smart grid digitalisation will further enhance PLN's operations. The new PLN Mobile app aligns with the government's commitment to electric vehicles, catering to Indonesia's growing electric vehicle ecosystem.

User Experience of the Year: "Super Apps PLN Mobile, One-Stop Solution for Customer Needs"

In 2020, PLN faced the daunting challenge of serving over 85 million customers spread across the vast Indonesian archipelago. To bridge the gap between customer expectations and the services provided, PLN embarked on a journey of digital transformation.

The journey began with the development of PLN Mobile v1, the first version of the app’s issues included a lack of visibility and transparency, which didn’t meet customers’ expectation, it was developed only as software it was clear that a more customer-centric approach was needed. The visionary leadership of CEO Darmawan Prasodjo and the Commercial and Digital Team led to the creation of the New PLN Mobile, a super app focused on customer needs.

“Just three years ago, PLN faced numerous customer challenges, inefficient service, unreliable communication, manual processes—and a mobile app that exemplified all these issues. PLN’s digitalisation initiative to improve its customers’ mobile experience called for fast-paced response, convenience, and efficiency,” said Darmawan.

This transformative super app prioritised customer needs, and development initiatives were tailored accordingly. The initial phase introduced features like new customer requests and payment options, which received widespread acceptance. The second phase saw the development of outage management handling, empowering customers to report outages, track technician positions, monitor rehabilitation progress, and provide direct feedback through the New PLN Mobile.

The impact of the new PLN Mobile was profound. Response times to customer electrical disturbances improved significantly, with SAIDI dropping from 540.12 minutes per subscriber in 2021 to 463.2 minutes per subscriber in 2022. Customer satisfaction soared, as evidenced by the app's impressive 4.9/5 rating and almost 44 million downloads amongst PLN's 85 million customers, making it the most downloaded digital platform in Indonesia and one of the highest-ranked public service applications in the Google Play Store and Apple AppStore in Asia.

Currently, PLN Mobile continues to evolve in functionality and performance, aligning with PLN's role in energy transition and digital innovation. It will expand its features to encompass other PLN services such as photovoltaic, internet fiber optic, and home charging solutions.

The Asian Experience Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2024 awards programme and be acclaimed for providing meaningful brand experiences to stakeholders, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].