Volkswagen Group Charging GmbH (“Elli”) relies on powercloud 

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  • Development was geared towards a quick market-launch
  • powerApps enable efficient business processes
  • Platform is ready for European expansion

 

(powercloud, Offenburg, 13/10/2021) – Elli, a brand of the Volkswagen Group, has been offering its clients an intelligent household electricity tariff since August 2021. Implementation of the corresponding backend was facilitated by the SaaS platform powercloud in cooperation with powerApp partners and took less than five months.

Clients with Volkswagen e-cars and plug-in hybrids benefit from Volkswagen’s “Naturstrom Connect Tarif”, as their vehicles are prioritized when it comes to charging, as long as excess renewable energy is available in the grid. This is both more sustainable and also makes more financial sense.

“The focus is on app-based control of the charging process, where the client only has to enter their desired departure time in advance,” explains Ingo Müller, Head of Energy Solutions for the Volkswagen brand Elli. “A smart charging function then automatically optimizes the process. What’s more, clients also collect points in this manner, with which they can reduce their electricity bill by up to 100 Euros per year.” The overarching objective was to establish a European billing platform in the shortest possible time – this would enable Elli to achieve a successful market launch very quickly. Two factors were of vital importance in this regard: First of all, every powercloud implementation uses a standardized best-practices process with defined onboarding modules. The end-to-end solution is ready in just a few weeks, is scalable at any time, and can also be rolled out to new countries, for example. The powerApp store from powercloud also makes it possible to integrate the special business processes and innovative products into the complete service solution in a highly flexible manner – Elli simply adds the relevant apps to the core functions of powercloud and then uses other functions.

 

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“Established industry partners, startups, fintechs and global technology companies transfer their know-how into powerApps,” explains Marco Beicht, CEO of powercloud. “This approach was highly important for Elli. This means that not only was powercloud standard including migration implemented, but also an entire process landscape, featuring a range of powerApps and modules, since the complete service solution has to fulfill a series of conditions regarding process mining, the customer portal, reports, payment methods and more. The end result is that Elli now benefits from a highly efficient SaaS-platform.”

A closer look at the powerApps in use reveals a broad spectrum of technical possibilities and economic advantages. That is why Volkswagen Group Charging GmbH relies, for example, upon an efficient completion route to customer acquisitions and an extensive self-service customer portal. Both solutions from work digital are available “out of the box” in the powerApp Store. The same is true of the two apps from powerdata for connecting other systems with powercloud – including monitoring of integration – as well as real-time analysis of turnover, yields, gross margins and much more. In this context, the “Business Process Mining” app from Lana (acquired through Appian) is also useful: It makes it possible to optimize customer processes on the basis of AI and adapt them to new conditions. What’s more, the powerApp from PayPal as well as the app from the SCHUFA bureau for credit checks have also been integrated. The BPO service-team from hsag Heidelberger Services AG is responsible for the customer experience and back-office processes, and also brings their chat-bot Isa into the cooperation – including integrated live chat for churn prevention campaigns on the basis of the iAdvize conversational platform.

“We are very proud that by working with these partners, we have been able to provide an efficient complete solution for the backend of Volkswagen Group Charging GmbH,” is how Marco Beicht summarizes the situation. “What is critical in this regard is the fact that every app integration into our platform is done without the need for complex IT projects. Here, it is of central importance that the powerApp Store is an integral part of the powercloud operating model. This means the apps being used are automatically integrated into our transparent software-as-a-service model, and as the platform operator we ensure the quality standard of the apps. This idea enables us to create flexible IT systems, which make for a high level of investment security and competitiveness. This opens us a world of possibilities for companies, with which they can react radically and quickly to changes in markets and infrastructure.”

 

About Volkswagen Group Charging GmbH (“Elli”)

Elli is a provider of energy and charging solutions. Elli offers simple, convenient solutions at the interface between energy and mobility. The goal is to make it possible for anyone to become part of the energy transition – in a simple and transparent manner.

As part of the Volkswagen Group, Elli supplies households throughout Germany with Volkswagen Green Energy – 100% sustainable and from renewable sources. In turning to Volkswagen Green Energy Connect, customers can take advantage of intelligent charging to reduce the CO₂ emissions of electric vehicles during the use phase.

 

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powercloud becomes silver member of TMG Research

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  • powercloud has become a Silver Member of TMG Research

 

(Atlanta, GA; October 5th, 2021) – powercloud, the fastest growing billing system in the energy and utilities industry, announced today that it will sponsor TMG Research, a division of TMG Consulting. Through independent, unbiased research, TMG Research creates an environment for industry professionals that will enable them to access business-critical information, objective data, and the tools they need to further the utility landscape.

 

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“TMG Research has proven its value in matching utility companies with innovative service providers,” explained Steven Dawson, Vice President of North American Sales at powercloud. “Working with TMG will play a prominent role in our growth in the North American market.”

“We are excited to have powercloud on board. We serve as a connecting point for solution providers, like powercloud, to get their message and thought leadership in front of utility professionals. We welcome the opportunity to help Steven as his team pushes the powercloud message out and look forward to finding new avenues to help them achieve their marketing goals,” said Ken Maness, VP of Marketing & Research at TMG Consulting.

 

About TMG Consulting (www.tmgconsulting.com)
TMG Consulting is an advisory and professional services firm working with utilities to plan, develop, implement, and manage their ecosystem of digital technology solutions and service providers. Over the past 29 years, TMG has worked with over 300 utilities, matching their business needs with digital solutions, systems integrators, and implementation services to maximize the value of their customers and optimize and de-risk their IT investments. TMG brings deep experience across all major IT domains including CIS, Metering, Asset Management, Work Management, Resource Planning, and ERP environments. TMG’s clients include Utilities of all sizes providing Water, Gas, Electric, and Municipal Services in both regulated, competitive, and public power markets.

 

 

PwC continues to develop its strategic partnership with platform provider powercloud

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  • PwC and market leader powercloud focus on successful cooperation
  • Together they are offering an accounting instance for municipal utilities
  • The common goal: Take the digital maturity of energy utilities to a new level

 

(Düsseldorf, September 29, 2021) – Auditing and consultancy company PwC and powercloud GmbH, provider of the leading digital platform for energy utilities, announced today that they will continue to strengthen their strategic partnership and in the future jointly offer an accounting instance to municipal utilities.

 

Making energy utilities fit for the future

The energy transition, advancing digitalization, and ever-increasing competition due to new digital players with customer-centric products and services are forcing energy utilities to develop completely new business models.

“Outdated IT-systems generally reach their limits here. As a consulting and solution partner of powercloud, we work together with our customers to transform the energy industry processes from customer-to-cash using the latest cloud technologies. As a digital platform, powercloud offers companies the opportunity to set up their IT according to the latest IT principles in the age of digitalization,” says Philipp Schmidt, Partner at PwC Germany in the area of digital utilities.

“Powercloud contains all the business processes and data necessary for the ‘machine room of energy utilities’ – an end-to-end solution where all services can also be booked individually. With our digital solution, we can rapidly support existing suppliers and municipal utilities, soon to include metering point operators, in fully automating their processes,” comments Marco Beicht, CEO of powercloud.

 

Accounting instance for energy utilities

The successful cooperation between PwC and powercloud so far has laid the foundation for expanding the existing cooperation.

“Together with powercloud, we offer our own accounting instance for energy utilities as PwC. Suppliers can benefit here from a comprehensive service for rapidly increasing their digital maturity: from strategic short assessments in which the functional, technical and economic fit of the powercloud solution is evaluated, through to the introduction of powercloud, up to the support service for their own powercloud accounting instance,” reports Schmidt.

The accounting instance bundles the metering points of numerous energy utilities. This is extremely interesting for energy utilities of all sizes, particularly due to the economies of scale that are realized. Companies thus not only benefit economically using the powercloud accounting instance but also by increasing their individual degree of digital maturity to ensure their competitiveness and maximum customer centricity.

“We are convinced that the energy market, and particularly the end customer market, will continue to change dramatically in the coming years, above all due to increasing digitalization and changes in customer demand,” explains Beicht. “This is why suppliers need to lay down the technical basis for the future to ensure they can keep their competitive edge. The community use of the accounting instance by energy utilities will make an important contribution to this,” adds Schmidt.

“We are therefore especially pleased to be working with PwC as a strategic partner to continue to advance the digitalization of companies in the coming years. Our technology expertise as a leading SaaS provider perfectly complements the well-founded PwC expertise in the energy industry and digitalization,” sums up Beicht.

 

About PwC

PwC sees its task as building social trust and solving key problems. More than 284,000 employees in 155 countries contribute to this mission with high-quality, industry-specific services in the fields of auditing, tax consulting, and business consulting.

The name PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of the legally independent network companies. More details are available at www.pwc.com/structure.

 

 

Natuvion as powercloud moving partner

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  • Make use of best practices and avoid risks
  • A focus on tools and aids for moving data
  • Precisely plan the IT moving process

 

(powercloud, Offenburg, 9/27/2021) – Data are valuable – they are the assets of a modern company and the basis of product development, service processes and many other subsequent processes. That’s why it’s important to tread very carefully when business-critical data and processes need to be transferred from one IT platform to another.

This is what is behind the special range of services offered by Natuvion: The specialists, with headquarters in Walldorf and locations all over the globe, see themselves as “digital moving businesses,” who help companies always run their data and processes on the latest and most innovative platforms. For this, Natuvion offers a well proven moving service comprising best practice processes and a special moving tool. The company has been an integration partner of powercloud for many years and supports them in quickly implementing and establishing the successful SaaS platform on the market. But how does it work in detail?

 

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“Ultimately this topic is relevant to every energy utility that sooner or later decides on a transformation. The existing IT systems of many utilities face the end of support contracts or need to be replaced. The move needs to be well prepared and used to its best advantage,” says Marcus Petzold from Natuvion, describing the initial situation. His company always takes a holistic approach in this respect: At the beginning, Natuvion consults on central questions regarding data security, data protection and data quality, before moving on to identify all existing data, ensure standardized mapping and secure the transformation meeting numerous quality standards. “Our central tool, the Natuvion DCS, is the “lifting hoist” for every data move. We ensure the relocation of data to a new platform takes place successfully and provide information on what needs to be taken into consideration during the planning phases,” says Roland Storbeck from Natuvion.

Within this context, it also becomes clear why the implementation by powercloud can be carried out for utility companies in just a few weeks – depending on the initial situation. “We rely on a standardized best-practice process with defined onboarding modules. The modular system is tailored precisely to the customer’s needs, thanks to a modern integration layer, finished adapters and out-of-the-box apps,” explains Thayabaran Thanabalasingham, Head of Partner Sales at powercloud. The new system is ready to use after just a short downtime and with no lost work days. It is always scalable, which allows it to be introduced in other countries, for instance. At the same time, the solution is in no way a ‘plug-in’. Stability, speed, and cost-efficiency all remain excellent. This is what makes Natuvion very important for us,” says Thanabalasingham. “Together, we would like to help utilities get ready for the growing cost pressures in the coming years.” The secure transformation of their IT systems is an essential factor in this.”

 

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About Natuvion

Natuvion is a digital moving company. They do not transport desks, filing cabinets or chairs. Natuvion moves business-critical data and processes from one technology platform to another! This enables Natuvion customers to always use data and processes on the most modern and innovative platforms. Natuvion will organize your relocation successfully, seamlessly and save costs. Irrespective of which platform you want to migrate to or where you are coming from: Natuvion supports you every step of the way.

 

 

Download Case Study today: How Ostrom plans to take over the German energy market

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These days, talk about the ‘digital future’ of utilities is hard to avoid. It will be shaped by automated IT systems, rapid change processes and innovative products outside of the classic energy contract. But how close are we to this future? The start-up Ostrom has an incredible answer to this question: Since April, the Berlin-based company has been operating as an independent energy provider concentrated fully on mobile, digital channels – just like the Uber app. If you want to know more, be sure to download our new Case Study on Ostrom!

Maximum customer orientation, extremely simple tariffs and highly automated IT processes – this is the foundation with which Ostrom aims to take over the German energy market. We present the strategy of the green tech start-up from Berlin in a new Case Study.

 

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Four interesting facts from the Case Study:

1. The motto: “The least expensive, and most climate-friendly power is the power that isn’t consumed” is Ostrom’s motto. Because of this, the company finances its activities exclusively via a monthly basic fee, passing the purchase price of green power entirely to the customer.

2. The market strategy: Within the market, Ostrom plays the role of the ‘Uber of the energy sector’ – an agile player that organizes all transactions with customers via a smartphone. All processes — from product development to customer service to marketing activities — are geared to customer needs.

3. The IT system: Ostrom uses powercloud and benefits from highly-automated IT processes, digital sales structures and innovative working methods. This is the basis of how products are developed and launched rapidly and customer processes handled quickly.

4. The start: Ostrom has been using the completely new IT system since April 2021 – with strong results. This is shown, for example, by an extremely impressive Trustpilot score of 4.8.

 

Download our Ostrom Case Study today and learn more about the innovative business model and the IT solution from the green tech start-up.

 

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Partnership between powercloud and energieweit: Smart platform solutions with minimal CtS

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  • Update IT systems quickly before the end of support
  • Customer requirements are always in focus
  • Make innovative products and flexible rates possible

 

(powercloud, Offenburg, 13/09/2021) Many older IT systems used by utilities are nearing the end of their support or have grown into unwieldy hodgepodges of different IT programs that would best be dismantled now if the company wishes to remain competitive – and time to do that is running out, as the Tesla’s planned market launch makes clear. The car company is planning a combined portfolio of purchasing and leasing agreements for electric cars with wall-mounted box, solar system and electricity contract – all at aggressive prices. Established utilities need to react to these and similar competitors now. Creating system landscapes that are at once highly flexible and cost-effective is essential. In light of this, the cooperation between powercloud and the energieweit corporate group is the perfect solution for many utilities: This collaboration effectively brings together technical excellence, agile line support and the innovative SaaS solution for the utility machine room of the energy economy.

 

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“We are taking things step by step,” explains Dr. Dana Yma Faulenbach, CEO of energieweit. “We will begin with comprehensive planning of a customized solution focused on the individual organization and USPs of the company. Building on that basis, we will design and implement digital solutions from a streamlined mobile app to a highly flexible, scalable IT platform with modern Microservice architecture that will impress through high performance and an intuitive user experience. Our corporate advisors, technical specialists and software developers have many years of experience and a detailed understanding of market roles and business processes in the energy economy. For many years, we have been supporting utilities in successfully implementing key energy economy processes and services in the long-term, for instance for billing, market communication and payment transactions, through strategic outsourcing. However, our services don’t end with implementing a solution. Our experts are also happy to assist with system migration – for example by providing employee training. The individual modules of our outsourcing services can be adapted in a flexible manner.”

An essential criterion for any new IT solution is its flexibility: Solutions must be able to support individual price and rate structures, for instance, as well as modern billing requirements – and powercloud can do all of those things. That is why the SaaS solution is a key component in the energieweit IT concept. “We support the associated platform strategy completely,” confirms Thayabaran Thanabalasingham, Head of Partner Sales at powercloud. “The motto is always: Costs down, flexibility up! We have proven that we can achieve a cost to serve of 10 euros with our solution.” This is made possible through automated corporate processes, free format adjustments as a result of changing legal requirements, and a simple user interface with saved functions. Responsible managers can fully automatically design a billable product and publish it ad hoc on the market with just a few clicks. “Our common goal is to speed up the digitalization of municipal utilities and other suppliers. Innovative utility products and a strong focus on customers are always central,” explains Thanabalasingham.

 

About energieweit

The energieweit GmbH corporate group is a BROAD network of creative, excellent minds who want to design innovations with plenty of ENERGY, expertise and experience. Our three subsidiaries bofest consult, suportica and vantago serve as the foundation of this network. We were founded 20 years ago, with four steadily growing business fields of Consulting, Process Operations, Software Development, and IT Services. With over 200 specialists in the energy economy, today we serve as a partner to municipal utilities and energy groups, from planning digital solutions to implementation to support for regular operations. energieweit combines the right experts, thinkers, and trendsetters to meet exactly the needs and unique challenges of its customers, forming high-impact teams who can concentrate precisely on delivering in

powercloud and PSvdL Consulting: Securing the long-term competitiveness of utilities

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  • Strengthening the competitiveness of energy utilities
  • Integrating new digital processes from sales through to end-2-end billing
  • Efficiently enabling the requirements of the end customer

 

(powercloud, Offenburg, September 09, 2021) There are three questions that every European utility should now be asking itself: Can we offer what our customers want in future? Can I respond fast enough to the highly dynamic competition? And am I still competitive in the long run in terms of costs?

The competitive atmosphere for European utilities is becoming ever harsher. At the same time, the unavoidable digital transformation of the companies is presenting major organizational challenges. So how should we respond now to this situation? The new partnership between powercloud and PSvdL Consulting gives a precise answer to this question, one that addresses the individual needs of utilities. One objective remains at the center of this cooperation at all times: to secure the competitiveness of the utilities in the new European energy market.

 

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The first jointly undertaken step is a review of the situation and precise formulation of the common objective, as explained here by Katja Munck, a partner with PSvdL Consulting: “With our energy industry know-how we offer consultancy to the specialist departments of the utilities during development of the process design and planning of the system integration. Valuable support is available to the customer during all phases of the project. We have extensive market knowledge, proven IT excellence and modern methodological expertise. On this basis we help our customers to define their way out of the costly and inflexible legacy systems of the past.”

As a result of this, new digital processes are created within the utility that secure its competitiveness in the long term. The focus is always on a firm orientation towards customer requirements and optimal time to market for new products. “It is ultimately decisive that the people in charge are able to respond to new market developments at any time. For this to be possible, the entire process chain, from ‘sales’ to ‘billing’, must be optimally matched. Only in this way can the full potential of a modern energy utility be exploited,” emphasizes Munck.

The end result is the end-to-end integration of an individual IT system landscape, in which powercloud always plays an important role. The SaaS solution can be implemented quickly with best-practice modules and tailored to the needs of a company with the help of a modern integration layer, ready-made adapters and apps. The individual elements of this modular system are thoroughly tried and tested. Utilities then benefit from an energy industry ‘engine room’ in which a wide range of business processes run in a streamlined, automated manner and new products can be configured in a few clicks. “This is the fundamental prerequisite for a market that is characterized by immensely fast developments,” says Thayabaran Thanabalasingham, Head of Partner Sales at powercloud. “Working together with the specialists at PSvdL Consulting, we will thus ensure that digitization in the energy industry continues and that the utilities are fit for a digital future.”

 

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About PSvdL Consulting

Since 2007 PSvdL Consulting GmbH has provided consulting to leading European energy utilities, municipal utilities and network and storage operators facing operational and commercial challenges, from the liberalization of the market through the energy transition to the digitization of the energy industry. PSvdL Consulting combines energy industry expertise with many years of consulting competence and has successfully created projects for leading market participants in Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, Italy, Austria, Romania, Latvia and the United Kingdom, in strategic areas such as the digital transformation, process excellence and IT implementations. A systematic, customer-oriented management forms the basis for long-lasting and successful relationships with its customers. New ideas, including in areas other than the energy industry, are developed in the Innovation Lab of the PSvdL Group.

 

Living the energy transition – the powercloud IT-Campus enters the construction phase

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  • Innovation campus with combined “smart living” work and living concept
  • Planned sample copy for energy utilities and the housing industry

 

(powercloud, Offenburg, 2021/08/31) The energy transition is possible – this is what powercloud CEO Marco Beicht wants to demonstrate with his construction project in Achern, Baden. The IT entrepreneur’s project has a model character: with its innovation campus, powercloud sets an example for digitally supported sustainability and work-life balance in urban planning.

Above ground, the 20,000-square-meter site is designed to be entirely vehicle-free. The infrastructure runs underground, including parking garages with charging stations for e-cars, e-bikes and e-scooters. The company intends to keep the complex’s residential and work buildings completely CO2-neutral. They offer space for a total of around 350 IT and software experts and their families. In addition, there is a conference hotel, a fitness and health studio, and a star-rated restaurant.

“The project will attract more companies to the region, creating new jobs,” says Marco Beicht. It is intended to offer highly sought-after experts in IT, AI and machine learning the necessary incentive to settle in Baden-Württemberg. “We wanted to find a place with a high quality of life, a place where talented people would enjoy living and working,” emphasizes the powercloud CEO. The new company location would create ideal conditions for a new software and high-tech cluster. The IT campus is intended to serve as a role model for energy utilities and the housing industry alike. For powercloud, this is a milestone on the way to becoming one of the leading German players in the energy transition.

 

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Marco Beicht focuses on radical sustainability

The flagship project is therefore all about implementing sustainable technology. The focus lies on unique benchmarks for CO2 neutrality and energy efficiency. This will involve electricity generation from photovoltaics and biomass, efficient use of intermediate battery storage, climate-friendly building insulation, thermal heat storage and passive building cooling. To ensure efficient use of resources, powercloud analyzes energy consumption and forecasts the consumption behavior of future employees and residents. Smart data use and incentives will be used to enable the targeted alignment of energy storage and consumption in the neighborhood. Beicht sees sustainable approaches for the energy transition in this approach – that is, in the intelligent symbiosis of collective and individual user behavior and the sustainable and data-supported use of resources.

The company’s digital aspirations are also expressed in the entire infrastructure, for example in the form of intelligent locking systems or a parcel station that can be used by all parcel services. The underground relocation of all utilities provides plenty of space for recreation above ground and is a prerequisite for the integration of the site into the surrounding natural environment. When planning the area, much emphasis was placed on preserving nature to the greatest possible extent.

New Work

The powercloud CEO describes his vision for the future of work and life as “smart living”. Employees are provided with a large residential area in a green space thanks to the flowing transition to the park area at the Mühlbach. The adjacent premises, measuring almost 30,000 square meters, are highly attractive in particular for families with children. It feels like a recreational area. The view stretches into the greenery. The 1164 meter high Black Forest mountain Hornisgrinde with its TV tower stands in the distance. The area will be connected with the city center by a bridge, which is still being built.

By bringing living and working closer together, powercloud aims to create a new standard of quality of life. Employees can avoid time-consuming commutes and benefit from the flexibility and family-friendliness that powercloud wants to offer with its new work models. This allows employees to get important things done between work hours and also to work from home. The exchange of international colleagues and joint activities between working hours and on weekends will also be promoted on the new campus. Specially created community zones between the housing complexes encourage people to do so.

 

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Job engine, regional investment

Beicht, the powercloud CEO and native of Achern, is providing an important stimulus in the region with the investment of around 85 million euros. Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of State Development and Housing Nicole Razavi made the following comments at the groundbreaking ceremony in July: “This is quite an accurate image of modern living and of the future. This is the best thing that can happen to us in a city like this, and what is being built here is truly groundbreaking.” Construction is scheduled for completion in 2024. The company will then relocate its main site from Offenburg to Achern.

With the plans for the IT campus, powercloud is continuing its success story as the fastest-growing energy industry billing system – used by more than 200 customers in Germany.

 

 

powerApp store: a world of business opportunities for the energy market of the future

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New business models, innovative products and efficient business processes in the twinkling of an eye – the powerAppstore from powercloud helps utilities accelerate their digitalization process and respond to market changes. Managers can avoid financial risks and the planning requirement within the company is minimal. How does this very flexible platform idea work and what makes it future-proof?

The introduction of smartphone app stores about 10 years ago changed the world: iPhone and the like became everyday life command centers. Economists refer to a veritable “app economy”, whose enormous scale is demonstrated in a study commissioned by Apple. According to the study, although app stores generated $519 billion in revenue in 2019, only a marginal percentage was attributable to direct app purchases! Physical goods and out-of-store services accounted for the lion’s share. We use apps to buy tours, take language courses, or book streaming services, thus dispensing with time-consuming installation programs and problems. Providers in turn benefit from a successful platform that guarantees them a direct (and stable) interface to the user.

 

Basic requirement for business success in the 21st century

The platform app idea has certainly become the IT role model for many industries, ranging from logistics applications to marketplaces for business needs through to Industry 4.0 implementation. But can it all be applied to B2B services in the dynamic energy industry with its host of regulations and complex market conditions? Powercloud answered this question some time ago with the impressive powerAppstore success story. The powerAppstore “platformizes” the utilities’ digital infrastructure and opens up a world of opportunities that allow companies to react extremely quickly to market and infrastructure changes – without expensive IT integration projects. They need only add the respective app to powercloud’s core functions to start benefiting from the use of new functions or services. This is ultimately the basic IT requirement for the success of utilities in the 21st century: a highly flexible energy market, whose detailed regulatory structure is still unknown today, cannot be taken on by monolithic IT solutions. Only a continuously adapting IT system can ensure investment security and competitiveness.

On the other hand, the rapidly growing powerAppstore is helping powercloud become a cross-industry interaction platform for ever more players and market participants. The participants compile new experiences that are incorporated into technological innovations and used to establish new business models, including models that were not feasible in the past for cost reasons. The motto now: go ahead and try it out, but avoid taking business risks. Depending on the application, the app functions can be available in a few hours. Rather than being a conventional marketplace – i.e. only the formal framework for a growing product range – the powerAppstore is an integral part of the powercloud operating model. Each app is automatically integrated into the transparent software-as-a-service model. Powercloud, as the platform operator, ensures the quality standard of the apps.

 

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A growing system for a complex market 

But what does the selection and the product range in the powerAppstore look like in concrete terms? The first answer is that the range is as large and growing as fast as the (ever increasing) number of new tasks and business models for utilities. Do you need to establish a tenant power model, calculate e-mobility in all its facets, or set up a purely “online customer journey” including a self-service customer portal, ordering process, and mobile app? Depending on the application, the solution is available “out of the box” within a few hours or days! This also dispenses with the costs for complex IT selection processes and integrations, unlike comparable projects that are part of traditional monolithic IT systems and often used to take more than three annual quarters to complete. Setting up a portal, for example, could take 18 months and cost up to 170,000 USD, not to mention interface-related operating problems.

 

Investment costs of under 5,900 USDs for customer portal

In contrast, utilities are given access to the advantages of the frequently booked customer portal app within powercloud in just three to five days, for example. And the technical provision of the customer portal takes only a few hours. Most of the time is spent on customizing the layout to ensure that all of the utility’s CI requirements are met. Users also need to define what customers can (and cannot) do via self-service. The end result is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art solution that includes complex self-service functions, enables cross- and upselling of non-commodity products, and is fully integrated into the backend. The one-off investment costs amount to less than 5,900 USD!

 

Ensuring long-term app quality and functioning

The associated organization and quality management show the importance of powerAppstore for the SaaS solution’s platform philosophy. For this purpose, powercloud has established its own organizational unit for integrating partner solutions. The experts take a step-by-step approach:

  • They start off with systematic scouting to identify new IT solutions for the energy market.
  • Potential partners are then subjected to an audit and accompanying qualification processes as a basic requirement for contracting and inclusion in the partner program.
  • Various technical integration processes ensure the trouble-free connection of each new app. Onboarding is the final step in this process – the app is made available to powercloud customers as an out-of-the-box solution.
  • Continuous monitoring is an important aspect of quality management. The functions (and susceptibility to errors) of the apps are monitored and optimized if necessary.
  • Last but not least, powercloud kick-starts collaboration with app partners in order to jointly develop new solutions for users.

 

Growing ecosystem

With that said, it is hardly surprising that powercloud’s growing ecosystem is characterized by a high level of diversity. Established industry partners, startups, fintechs and global technology companies transfer their know-how into the “co-products” – and powercloud’s holistic platform solution becomes the enabler for new business areas and models. The end result is measurable business success: a cost to serve of 11 USD per customer per year is realistic for utilities that rely on the powercloud platform.

Are you looking for an operating system that keeps all business opportunities open for the future while giving you access to a wide range of technological innovations? Rely on powercloud’s global partner network!

 

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The powerApp store at a glance

More than 80 powerApps covering a wide range of topics are already available. Below are some examples and topics:

  • Creating personalized customer interfaces: web tariff calculator, e-shop solutions, chatbot, smartphone app, omnichannel communication and output management.
  • Introducing new payment methods: digital direct debits, credit cards and online payment services (PayPal, amazonPay, Klarna and Alipay).
  • Strengthening customer loyalty: non-commodity fulfillment / logistics, voucher world and loyalty programs.
  • Simplifying creditworthiness and receivables handling: information, intelligent dunning procedures and collection services.
  • Optimizing B2B areas: sales partner management, intelligent forecasting, data-based B2B costing and quotation management.
  • Supporting new business areas: real estate industry, tenant power and e-mobility billing.

 

About the author

Steven Dawson, VP powercloud North America, brings more than 15 years of experience in the IT industry, working for SAP, Oracle, and Genesys. He is recognized for building Salesforce Energy & Utilities (formerly Vlocity) in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland from the bottom up. His new mission is focused on migrating energy and utilities companies in North America away from old on-premises/legacy systems to a new, modern architecture and billing platform in the cloud. Dawson established powercloud’s North American operations within the Atlanta Tech Village, one of the nation’s largest technology innovation workplaces. Companies that are dedicated to the growth of the energy and utilities sector in the southeast and especially within the Atlanta area. In all of his endeavors, he has helped energy companies reduce operational and acquisition costs while achieving the best possible Customer Experience.

 

 

 

 

Renewable energy: How utilities’ new green business models are becoming a success – and are simple to implement

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Renewable energy is booming. For example, the installation of solar roof panels has risen sharply over the previous year. Homeowners in particular have been opting for this technology. For utilities this means: Traditional customers are increasingly becoming active market players – and companies need new business models that break away from the conventional grid business. What is the role of the utilities’ IT systems in this context?

 

The next few years are going to be an interesting time for solar power and the change of the energy market will continue. Utilities must (continue) to change their range of products and services. There is a trend towards customized bundles – for example, comprising a PV system, battery, feed-in, marketing and residual power supply. This approach represents a major market opportunity for many utilities because they have the technical expertise needed to install and operate the “photovoltaic bundles”. This is precisely what residential, commercial, and industrial customers cannot do without: Who would have the courage, once the subsidy has expired, to install a solar system on their roof or to market it without specialist support? Regional suppliers are particularly well placed to thrive in this environment because they are known and trusted locally.

 

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Preparing the IT system for the “new world”

The utility’s IT system plays a strategic role in this context. It must facilitate much more flexible product creation and ensure automated billing processes – which is currently rarely the case. Instead, many use monolithic, rigid legacy systems that inhibit rapid product development. It can sometimes take months for a new product to be ready.

 

powercloud highlights the alternative:

New bundles can be created in a matter of hours using the commodity backend of the German Saas solution – which includes extensive product management.

  • Users only need a few clicks to design, fully automatically, a billable product and publish it ad hoc on the market. The entire product management is reimagined and consistently follows the agile approach. For example, you can define a photovoltaic bundle without the need for developers or complex configurations. Nor do you need time-consuming IT projects to implement new functions and business models.
  • All billing processes run automatically in the background. From completion to the self-service portal, even complex products can be billed in this way – for example, marketing surplus energy, storage solutions, wallbox, and conventional residual electricity tariffs. Regulatory changes are provided free of charge.
  • A number of workforce management tools from other service providers are available “off the shelf” and can be easily integrated into the powercloud to run the complete service solution.

 

Linking product ranges

This leads to customized solutions, on which ever more large and small utilities, start-ups, energy cooperatives and communities are relying. SENEC, a subsidiary of EnBW, is pursuing an innovative approach in Germany to the sale and generation of renewable energy. They offer solar modules, home battery storage and wallboxes, which are integrated with the SENEC.Cloud. Specifically: If you generate more electricity than you need in the summer, you can feed the surplus into the SENEC.Cloud. In the less sunny winter months, you get it back. In this way, the customer is not exposed to rising electricity prices. The technological platform for the entire package is EnBW‘s new IT infrastructure, which is geared to customer-specific products. SENEC’s home storage solutions were taken into account during development. The various product ranges are growing ever closer together. In the future, customers will no longer have just one product. They could, for example, have an e-mobility solution and a solar energy installation with home storage – the link being made via powercloud.

 

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A simple solution for a complex energy market

An interesting “solar example” is powercloud’s collaboration with sonnen GmbH, the global market leader that has already delivered more than 40,000 intelligent battery storage units for photovoltaic systems. This technology makes it possible to form decentralized energy communities, which offer their members the opportunity to self-generate, store, and share energy with other members. The sonnenCommunity thus also operates on the market as an energy provider and complies with all regulatory requirements of the German “Market processes for generating market locations (electricity)” (MPES). All billing is done via powercloud, and the system also includes an MPES implementation solution. The example of Q CELLS is similarly interesting. The company develops everything to generate solar power itself, but also offers various electricity tariffs for energy customers with Q.Energy. The solar specialists have been using powercloud’s billing processes since 2020. It only took 10 weeks to bring the system into live operation.

 

“Enabler” of new business models

All in all, powercloud is becoming the “enabler” for new business models at a growing number of utilities and energy providers, which will ultimately help deliver the energy transition and protect the climate. The “go-live” of an entire system can sometimes take place in just a few weeks. A standardized best-practice process with defined onboarding modules is used during implementation. In every partnership, the digitalization specialists draw on their extensive expertise in all aspects of platforms of the future and the associated business models.

 

About the author

Steven Dawson, VP powercloud North America, brings more than 15 years of experience in the IT industry, working for SAP, Oracle, and Genesys. He is recognized for building Salesforce Energy & Utilities (formerly Vlocity) in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland from the bottom up. His new mission is focused on migrating energy and utilities companies in North America away from old on-premises/legacy systems to a new, modern architecture and billing platform in the cloud. Dawson established powercloud’s North American operations within the Atlanta Tech Village, one of the nation’s largest technology innovation workplaces. Companies that are dedicated to the growth of the energy and utilities sector in the southeast and especially within the Atlanta area. In all of his endeavors, he has helped energy companies reduce operational and acquisition costs while achieving the best possible Customer Experience.