LANHAM, Md., Oct. 17 -- Group 1 Software, Inc., a Pitney Bowes company, today announced that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has implemented DOC1 Series 5 and components of its e2 Suite of online solutions, the e2 Vault and e2 Service, to improve its customer billing operations and customer service. SFPUC is using DOC1 Series 5 to design, generate and produce easy-to- understand utility bills - over 90,000 bills each month. The improved bill helps reduce billing-related inquiries into the utility's call center. Customer documents are stored in Group 1's e2 Vault, a high-speed archive and retrieval system and key product of its e2 Suite of online solutions. The e2 Vault provides real-time indexing, compression, storage and retrieval of documents and data in their native format, delivering a fast and seamless online deployment and quick access to all documents, regardless of size or age. Using e2 Service, SFPUC customer service agents can gain fast access to customer bills online, enabling faster call closure and fewer call backs. The solution integrates with the utility's existing CIS system, allowing the CSR (customer service representative), who is viewing a customer record, to quickly call up the last monthly bill. As additional months are stored, the CSRs are be able to review up to seven years of bills and store up to 210,000 pages per month. "We were experiencing an increased number of incoming calls with billing questions specific to the detailed calculation of water and wastewater charges, including the rate structures," said Marge Vizcarra, SFPUC's manager of customer service. "We knew we had to redesign our bills. With Group 1's DOC1 solution, our bills are clean and easy-to-read. In addition, we've added more detailed account information, as well as a graphical annual consumption history. All our customers now have more easy-to-read billing information readily available. And, if they have a question, our CSRs can access exact replica documents to quickly resolve it." DOC1 Series 5 and the e2 Suite are cornerstone components of Group 1's Customer Communications Management (CCM) solution, which simplifies the gathering and manipulation of data, streamlines document creation and distribution, and ensures that information is accessible and secure. DOC1 Series 5 enables businesses to easily design and generate high-volume, personalized communications for multi-channel delivery. The e2 Suite provides electronic distribution and document management, a secure, high-performance vault for storing and retrieving all customer data and documents, and e- billing, online account management and call center service capabilities. "Utilities worldwide that want to enhance both their bills and their customer service continue to turn to Group 1 and our CCM solution," said Chris Baker, president of Group 1 Software. "San Francisco Water has joined a growing list of utility, telecommunications, and other customers in choosing Group 1 solutions to reduce costs and maximize the effectiveness of their customer communications."