SONEDE vs STEG: two public utilities, two user experiences!

Article

A good user experience is not about the number of features, but about how simple the journey is.

Take a practical example: viewing and paying bills online.

SONEDE: in the journey I used, unpaid bills are visible after signing in. Users can view them or pay the full amount in a single operation. Simple, quick and effective.

STEG: in the journey I used, users access their subscription reference, browse the information and check whether a bill needs paying. Payments are made individually, one bill at a time.

Two public utilities, the same need, but two different experiences!

What if we went further?

A few UX improvements could make everyday life easier for citizens:

• Automatic notifications: receive an email when a new bill is available, with a reminder before the due date.
• Simpler payments: show unpaid bills immediately and allow users to pay them together.
• Accessible meter readings: help users read their meter with a visual guide or short video. Extending this option to SONEDE would also be worth exploring.
• Outage alerts: inform residents by area about planned or unexpected water and electricity interruptions, with available updates on service restoration.

What does digital transformation really mean?

It does not necessarily mean giving a website a new look or adding more features.

Above all, it means anticipating needs, removing unnecessary steps and making services more accessible.

SONEDE and STEG each have valuable initiatives. Why not share the best UX practices across our public services?

The best digital service is not the one with the most features, but the one that truly makes citizens' lives easier.

Khaled El Hmedi — UX/UI Design Expert | Leader UX Clever