Building an Efficient Solution Through Combined Accounting and Utility Billing Systems

Clinton (S.C.) Newberry Natural Gas Authority was using a custom-built accounting program running IBM’s AS/400 with a SQL database and required programmers to maintain it.

Finance Director Phillip Allison knew it was time to find a modern system that could provide the flexible and reliable reporting they required with modern technology and features to increase efficiency. 

They began looking for accounting and utility billing software because the solution they were using did not provide enough flexibility in reporting and was not easy to use and manage. It also required additional, often complicated, manual data manipulation to run reports and did not have the ability to accept credit card payments outside of the office.  

MIP Fund Accounting and CUSI Utility Billing have over 80 years of combined experience supporting private and local utilities, local governments, and Native nations streamline financial and billing operations with user-friendly applications that, when combined, create a truly comprehensive municipal accounting and utility billing solution.  

With these technologies, Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority can now:  

• Invoice and receive payments digitally – customers can fully manage their utility accounts and pay invoices online 
• Easily import transactions from billing application to accounting with a click 
• Save time and quickly generate accurate reports in-house  
• Produce specialized and uniquely configured financial reports Manage accounting and reporting across multiple funding sources, programs, and locations  
• Boost reporting and billing efficiency, and scale effectively, through modular accounting and utility billing software 
• Track the nature of restrictions on net assets 
• Document and report on future budget commitments accurately and automatically allocate costs between multiple cost centers, either directly or after-the-fact 
• Monitor transactions between funds 
• Maintain and report on binding budgets, satisfying any government regulation and enforcement 

Combining accounting with utility billing in an integrated approach to save time on financial reporting and increase efficiency with billing, Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority created a complete solution to help work towards its mission to be the provider of choice in its service territory. 

“Reporting is much stronger in both systems by far than what we were getting,” Allison said. “Anytime there was a special report that needed to be run, you had to call the programmers and get them to run the report, create the report. Whereas between [CUSI’s Utility Billing Software] and MIP, there’s not much that you can’t report out.”  

Allison and his team also found MIP and CUSI’s support teams to be “outstanding.”  

“Between the knowledge base in MIP and their support staff, and [CUSI’s SQL-based Utility Software] it has just been fantastic to work with on the tech support side. And the whole thing, really. It’s eased a lot of the pain points.” 

Allison would recommend any government organization in a similar situation to switch to MIP and CUSI.   

Summary 

Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority was looking for an accounting solution that was more efficient and could handle the demands of day-to-day operations.  

Challenges  

As a Special Purpose District, organizational leaders were looking for a more robust accounting platform that featured better support and could handle the demands of serving the public.  

Results 

Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority adopted MIP Fund Accounting and CUSI Utility Billing Software to create a powerful solution with top-notch reporting and stellar support.  

About Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority 

Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority has handled the natural gas needs of 13,000 customers in parts of three South Carolina counties since 1952. It’s the organization’s mission to deliver its customers safe, affordable, and reliable natural gas and complimentary services while promoting the communities it serves by ensuring good corporate citizenship through sound business practices, community involvement, stakeholder education, and pipeline safety awareness. 

Read Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority’s success story.