Service Providers May Change Over Time

A customer typically has a choice of service providers. Over time, their choice may change. The system keeps track of a customer's service providers throughout time so that it can accurately cancel / rebill historical bills. This means that the service provider relationship is effective-dated.

The following diagram illustrates how a distribution company's system keeps track of a customer's service providers (notice the customer changed energy suppliers):

Over time, a customer may change service providers and the application keeps track of the customer's service providers to accurately cancel or rebill historical bills, making the service provider relationship "effective-dated".