PMI

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Duquesne Light Company, which is the electrical distribution company for most of southwestern Pennsylvania. We have about 600,000 customers we provide safe and reliable electricity to. I’m on the communications team, working on any outward-facing communication for our customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PMI?

We’ve used them for many projects and we’re always trying to accomplish something different. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They are always able to tailor their service to fit exactly what we need and help get our messages across to our customers. We’ve had projects ranging from sustainability to customer experience and everything in between. Their team provides video production services for the last few years across these projects. 

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a company, we knew it was important to get our message out to our customers directly from our CEO. They helped us create a video out in the field to show some of the critical work our frontline workers are doing. 

What is the team composition?

I usually interact with around three people from their team. They are really hands-on and I work directly with them through different stages of the project, going to different people depending on the stage. 

How did you come to work with PMI?

I’m unsure exactly how our engagement started but PMI is locally based, which is a large reason why we continue working with them. They know our customers and live right here in Pittsburgh with us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in 2016 when I joined the company, but they’ve been working with this company longer than that. Our engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The video they produced during COVID-19 gave our CEO an opportunity to speak directly to our customers about how we were keeping employees safe and providing critical service to not only homes, but to hospitals, emergency facilities, and businesses. The video was extremely impactful and was created with tight turnaround time. 

How did PMI perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically communicate through the entire project and use email. Since it’s a virtual world we’re living in right now, we’ve had many video calls, especially whenever we’re kicking off a project. We make sure we’re all on the same page and they understand what we’re looking for. They’re also right on set with us when we’re actually filming the videos, too. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The main thing is how they understand our customers since they’re a Pittsburgh-based company, too. Their performance makes them stand out — there is a reason we’ve worked with them time and time again. They consistently deliver high-quality videos. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they are always there for us and responsive to our needs. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them a bit of flexibility. We’ve had some really creative ideas come from their team, so allow them to express their ideas. They’ve shared helpful things we hadn’t thought of, so I recommend being open to not locking in your direction without their feedback.