Grid Requirement tackled
- Due to the focus on renewable energy sources, an increasing number of infrastructure construction, maintenance and customer connection projects have to be evaluated, planned and executed. This leads to a shortage of experienced project planners and therefore requires digitization of the planning process and improved, data-driven decision support.
- The different nature of investments requires a wholistic overview about investments (Capex) but also expenditures (Opex) to have the full picture.
- An increasing amount of data from network assets and smart meters has to be taken into account in the decision and planning process.
- Further targets influencing the asset investment strategy include higher energy efficiency, shift to renewable gas and to a circular economy.
Approach & solution
- Approach: Provide an integrated solution landscape that enables strategic asset investment planning and the simulation of different business models based on real-time insights. Planning is seamlessly integrated with portfolio management and project execution. The solution landscape allows full traceability to enhance transparency, supports investment and project planners, standardizes the overall process and enables data driven decisions.
- Solution: The solution landscape combines an ERP solution (SAP S/4HANA) with integrated Portfolio and Project Management (SAP EPPM) and an analytical solution (SAP SAC). Unisys Integrated Portfolio and Investment Management (IPIM) extends the solutions with an overlay that creates a native integration between modules, allows mass data upload, an improved user handling and additional technical accelerators as well as comprehensive process knowledge.
- Implementation: 6 months implementation as part of an SAP S4/HANA transformation to drive overall digitalization of the business led by the ERP and Finance team from the customer. It was started with the investment and budgeting processes to show quick wins during the transformation. Change comes often with resistance. When centralizing and standardizing processes a key challenge is to have all stakeholders on board and continuously
Benefits
- Benefits for the end-customer: Ensure security of supply in spite of increasing volatile renewable energy sources and provide clean energy.
- Benefits for the DSO:
- Consolidate and standardize global processes covering strategy, expenditures, investments and operations
- 30% increase of PMO (Project Management Office) efficiency: Better manage high quantity and frequency of investments and divestments and integrate with other processes.
- 25% quicker planning process: Real-time monitoring of investments, providing increased transparency and allowing faster and more-effective decision-making
- Better data reliability and availability as all data resides in one platform and a reduced risk of tool interdependencies. The result is increased agility, data transparency on all organizational levels and aligned goals.
- Benefits for the energy system: Better manage investments required for the shift to renewable energy sources. Leverage investments to boost energy efficiency and implement a circular economy.