Data Flows Intelligently Connected: How Stadtwerk am See Automates Customer Retention with the Extended starmate-Wilken KIC Interface

Contract data as transactions: Status changes from Wilken KIC trigger campaigns in the EMS automatically.

• Interface: bidirectional and automated between Wilken KIC and starmate EMS
• Data availability: real-time synchronization of status and transaction changes
• Manual effort for selections: reduced to almost 0

Stadtwerk am See uses Wilken's Customer Information Cockpit (KIC) for contract and customer data, and the starmate EMS serves as the central CRM. Contract-relevant data such as terms, cancellation status or product types could not previously be transferred in a structured way.

• No structured transfer of contract data into the marketing CRM
• No automated customer outreach before contract end
• High manual effort for exports, cleansing and segmentation
• Untapped customer retention potential during the running contract cycle

Under the guiding principle “Contracts are made of people”, the data now flows automatically and bidirectionally:

• Address and profile management: All business partners with an email address are synchronized regularly. Contracts are stored on the contact as structured transactions (contract type, number, product such as electricity, gas or PV system, term, status).
• Campaign automation: Status and term serve as triggers. When a contract reaches a defined point before contract end, the EMS starts multi-stage campaigns.
• Email marketing: Customers receive emails tailored to product and contract status.
• Consent and info management: Current emails and consents from the EMS are displayed directly in the KIC interface, so customer service doesn't have to switch systems.

Stadtwerk am See combines relevant customer outreach with efficient processes in the background.

• Automated campaign control along the contract lifecycle
• Timely, tailored renewal offers to reduce cancellations
• Time savings from eliminating manual list exports and segmentation
• Personalized transactional communication at the right moment

“Extending the KIC interface is a real game changer in customer communication for us. We can finally use our valuable contract data from the Wilken system directly and fully automatically for our marketing campaigns. Our customers now receive a perfectly fitting, personalized offer at exactly the right moment, for example three months before contract end.”

Niclas Laabsch & Team, Stadtwerk am See

The contract data was sleeping in the Wilken billing system, while the marketing team had to kick off campaigns manually in the EMS. We wanted an interface that doesn't just reconcile addresses but tells transaction stories.

Every status change in the KIC, whether a contract expires, is cancelled or a product is newly booked, now triggers the matching campaign within seconds. The bidirectional integration was especially important: Customer service sees marketing consents and sent emails in the familiar KIC interface.

Consulting team

1. Process analysis & data mapping: Specification of the KIC contract fields and transaction structure in the EMS.
2. Programming the interface extension: Extending the connection code for status and term information.
3. Implementation of the KIC processes: Cyclical data transfer in the Wilken system, initially on the test environment.
4. Automation setup & testing: Campaign flows for contract end and EMS info views in the KIC interface.
5. Go-live: Release of the interface and start of the first automated renewal campaigns.