FAQ

Quick answers to common questions

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Features
Integrations
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Communal Heating
District Heating
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BPO
Is the platform GDPR compliant?

Yes, you can rest assured. GDPR compliance is very important to us as we handle sensitive financial and customer information. Our data centers are also located within the EU.

Can we integrate the Zero Friction SaaS solution with our current accountancy software?

The Zero Friction platform offers API management, allowing you to seamlessly integrate your existing applications of choice. Zero Friction can assist you with this integration, or you can utilize your own software supplier or internal IT department.

What are the reporting options?

From within the platform, all data can be exported to Excel. In addition, we offer Reporting. We provide ready-to-use embedded Power BI reports as a reporting-as-a-service option. Alternatively, we can share the prepared data with your data warehouse, allowing you to build your own custom reports using your preferred report builder.

What is the cost of the platform?

Our pricing model consists of two components: a highly competitive one-time implementation cost for the initial onboarding of a new project and a monthly recurring all-in price for the usage of the platform. The monthly all-in price is determined based on the number of connections and users of the platform. As the volume increases, the monthly price per connection decreases.

Is the price an all-in price or can we expect extra charges on top?

Our one-time onboarding is offered as a fixed-price project. The monthly costs are truly all-inclusive, allowing you to easily budget your annual IT expenses.

How does Zero Friction handle possible legislation changes which have impact on the platform? And is there any additional cost involved?

Our brand promise is that the platform will always be legislation compliant for the country specific heat legislation which have impact on the meter to cash process. This is included in our monthly all-in price and no additional costs are charged to our customers.

Can Zero Friction platform handle 100K+ connections? What is the maximum limit of connections which the platform can handle?

There is no maximum limit on the number of connections the platform can handle. Our Zero Friction platform is designed to be highly scalable, ensuring optimal performance across a wide range of connection volumes, from small to high.

How secure is the platform in times where cyber security attacks are very common?

You can rest assured that Zero Friction is ISO 27001 certified. Annually, during the certificate renewal process, we conduct penetration testing on the platform to minimize the risk of cyber attacks.

How long does it takes to get the Zero Friction platform up & running?

We utilize our own Zero Friction fast-track project methodology for the onboarding of new projects. On average, the project duration is approximately 3 months, though this timeline may vary depending on required integrations and the number of connections, which can impact data migration. Planning and requirements are captured upfront in our proposal document, which includes an overview of the IT landscape and an interface catalogue.

How easy can we integrate Zero Friction in our own IT landscape?

With our open API capabilities, we can easily integrate our Zero Friction platform into your existing IT landscape. The potential integrations are documented upfront in our proposal document. Together with our customers, we define the landscape and responsibilities. Based on this proposal and IT landscape document, we offer a fixed-price project.

Which integrations does Zero Friction offer as standard?

An overview of the standard integrations is available on our integrations overview page.

Can we send out communications from within Zero Friction itself?

Within the Zero Friction platform, invoices can be sent either via email or by post. Additionally, all documents can be accessed in the Zero Friction end customer portal, allowing customers to view them at their convenience.

Are heat suppliers able to configure and update templates themselves?

Yes, the Zero Friction platform is fully configurable by the customer. There are numerous possibilities, typically managed by an administrator assigned by the customer. Additionally, every document and email template can be customized by the customer.

Can we customize the platform or add custom features?

Except for custom integrations, we do not support any custom development. All customers utilize the same SaaS solution, benefiting from its continuously expanding feature set. However, customers can easily log new feature requests or vote on existing ones. Our dedicated product manager oversees the roadmap and prioritizes features based on customer input or votes.

Does ZF support local language and currency?

Yes, Zero Friction has no limitations in supporting any local language and/or currency of choice.

Is the end customer portal optional?

The end customer portal is also available as a SaaS solution and is optional. Additionally, we can easily integrate with your existing end customer portal.

Which frequency of metering data can Zero Friction handle?

Zero Friction supports as standard hourly metering data.

Which different ways of billing does Zero Friction offer as a standard?

We support credit billing, cost allocations, and Pay-as-you-go billing principles from within the platform. Additionally, we offer the possibility to bill for services such as heat pump rentals or other fixed amount service costs. We provide flexibility with monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly billing periods. Users can configure product and tariff structures themselves without requiring intervention from the Zero Friction team.

As a multi-owner property manager (VVE/VME), can I also use the platform?

Yes, both building managers and heat suppliers can make use of our platform or service.

I am a very small district heating company. Can I also make use of the Zero Friction platform?

Yes, ofcource. Our smallest customer has 12 heat connections. Regardless of size, all customers have access to all functionalities from the beginning. Customers only pay a monthly fee based on the number of connections.

What makes Zero Friction different from other software packages?

We make the difference on several areas. We 100% focus on the heating & cooling market on one hand. We offer a 100% SaaS platform where we set the reference towards the whole market in order to scale and standardize processes in the most optimal way. And last but not least, we make things very easy, easy to buy, easy to implement and easy to use. Like this we work day in and day out towards a more sustainable future where affordable energy is available for everyone.

I am a very small district heating company. Can I also make use of the Zero Friction platform?

Yes, of course. Our smallest customer has 12 heat connections. Regardless of size, all customers have access to all functionalities from the beginning. Customers only pay a monthly fee based on the number of connections.

I am a heat supplier with more then 100.000 connections. Can Zero Friction support me as well?

Yes, for sure. Zero Friction platform can handle high number of heat connections without problems. The Zero Friction team has extensive experience in handling larger scale projects and we work together with the customer on defining the IT landscape, the transition and project plan beforehand. We are also happy to work together with your local IT department or with your own IT solutions partner as well.

What are the main benefits for me as a bigger heat supplier to switch from my current platform to Zero Friction?

There are several benefits but the two main benefits are reduction of your cost to serve and increase of customer satisfaction. Therefore we have proven references based on our 80+ happy customers. Some of our reference cases can be found here:

Does the Zero Friction platform support different ways of cost allocation?

Yes, the platform is flexible and can be set up to support different methods of cost allocations

Is there any way we could monitor heat losses in our buildings?

Monitoring heat losses and total consumption of the building is standard available as information within the platform. We are more then happy to demonstrate this functionality through our demo request page.

How easy can we add additional buildings in the platform?

This can be done very easily. We have scripts available describing how this can be done by yourself. Or we can always assist via our customer success team in setting up new projects in the platform.

Can we customize the platform or add custom features?

Except for custom integrations, we do not support any custom development. All customers utilize the same SaaS solution, benefiting from its continuously expanding feature set. However, customers can easily log new feature requests or vote on existing ones. Our dedicated product manager oversees the roadmap and prioritizes features based on customer input or votes.

How easy can we integrate Zero Friction in our own IT landscape?

With our open API capabilities, we can easily integrate our Zero Friction platform into your existing IT landscape. The potential integrations are documented upfront in our proposal document. Together with our customers, we define the landscape and responsibilities. Based on this proposal and IT landscape document, we offer a fixed-price project.

Can we try out the Zero Friction billing platform ourselves?

Yes, we can set up a separate and personalized demo environment via a trial agreement or we could provide you with access to a generic demo environment after accepting our terms & conditions.

Does Zero Friction offer BPO service outside of Benelux?

Our primary focus is to offer this service within Benelux. However Zero Friction is open to discuss this with the potential customers on how we could support within your local country. Our BPO model is scalable and standardized so we can implement this in other countries when needed.

Do you support technical interventions, or can you support us as well in case of technical installation issues?

We can provide support if the handling can be done via a clear scripting capability by phone or mail. But we do not offer technical maintenance or on-site support in case of issues.

Do we offer a 24/7 breakdown service?

Outside office hours (9h-17h CET), our staff is currently not available for support. However, can we redirect the service line outside office hours to a third party that supports 24/7 handling services by phone or mail.