Introduction 

The utilities industry is facing a major shift, moving beyond traditional roles as suppliers of gas, water, and electricity. Now, utilities are transforming into full-service providers, offering solutions like e-mobility, smart homes, and energy management. However, achieving this shift requires robust digital infrastructure. RISE with SAP for Utilities is the ideal solution, offering real-time insights, operational efficiency, and adaptability for utilities as they navigate this transformation toward sustainability and innovation. 

This writing entails the industry-specific features for the Utilities industry offered by RISE with SAP’s business transformation service. Before jumping in, we should also know what the Utilities industry is planning for the sustainable industry 4.0 implementation in the years ahead with RISE initiative; Let’s begin by understanding RISE with SAP, 

What is RISE with SAP? 

Enterprises of the digital era have been seeking to operate their business computations through the cloud as digital transformation’s expedition has started for most enterprises. 

Many small and midsize enterprises have already transformed into intelligent enterprises, while large businesses with multiple ERP systems and other corporate applications are still in the process of transformation. 

RISE with SAP for Utilities

SAP RISE initiative offers you “business transformation as a service.” More than its basic ERP features, RISE with SAP is about ERP as a service powered by SAP S/4HANA, combined with other intelligent business services to create value. RISE with SAP’s strategy is designed to help you transition to an intelligent enterprise running on SAP S/4HANA Cloud, with access to SAP Business Network and services to meet your unique business requirements, including best practices, business process intelligence, transformation program planning, and a range of industry-specific cloud-based solutions. 

Now let’s understand the strategic priorities and their benefits offered by RISE with SAP for the Utilities industry! 

Overview of RISE with SAP for Utilities Industry 

Many utilities are transitioning from strictly “metering-oriented suppliers” of gas, water, and electricity to “customer-oriented full-service providers” with a diverse variety of services ranging from e-mobility and smart home solutions to fast data connections for private houses and even Industry 4.0. 

Meeting these issues requires a contemporary IT infrastructure, ideally in the cloud in whole or in part, dynamically deployable applications, and seamless connectivity. RISE with SAP meets the above requisites and offers you with: 

  • Improved master-data governance 
  • Real-time dashboards, visualizations, and predictive capabilities 
  • Accurate and integrated performance reporting 
  • New insights into customer data and demand 
  • A flexible platform that will adapt to changing requirements and future growth 

Most utilities are unable to make a complete transition to the cloud at this time, owing to the lack of a comprehensive, native cloud solution. As a result, a hybrid solution is now the best method for many businesses to become leaner, more flexible, and hence more competitive, and it will likely stay so in the future. 

Key Benefits of RISE with SAP for Utilities 

The SAP S/4HANA digital core and improved business analytic tools together offer game-changing capabilities for utilities as they strive for more business agility, greater customer-centricity, and new business models and revenue streams. The following are some of the benefits of the RISE with SAP platform: 

  • Predictable Income Streams

With the introduction of new services such as e-mobility, renewable energy plans, and smart home solutions, utilities can expand their revenue streams. It helps utilities enhance upsell and cross-sell opportunities through flexible billing, subscription models, and personalized energy services. This creates more predictable income streams while meeting evolving customer demands. 

  • Cost Efficiency and Operational Excellence 

By automating processes such as maintenance, billing, and resource management, it helps utilities reduce operational costs. The platform optimizes the cash conversion cycle, minimizes capital expenditure, and increases the uptime and utilization of critical assets. Intelligent automation improves decision-making, ensuring that resources are used effectively and that operations run smoothly.  

  • Intelligent and Autonomous Operations 

Empowers utilities to shift towards more autonomous operations by leveraging intelligent automation and predictive analytics. Automation reduces the need for manual intervention in routine tasks, while predictive insights enable utilities to foresee issues and address them before they impact performance. This approach ensures that mission-critical activities are carried out efficiently and with minimal risk. 

  • Sustainability and Compliance 

As utilities strive to meet their sustainability goals, it provides the tools necessary to reduce carbon emissions, optimize resource utilization, and improve environmental performance. The platform helps utilities manage compliance with environmental regulations, track their environmental impact, and integrate sustainable practices into their operations.  

  • Enhanced Customer Engagement and Satisfaction 

With the growing emphasis on personalized energy services, it allows utilities to offer flexible pricing models, real-time usage data, and proactive customer support. Automated self-service portals and digital communication channels enable customers to manage their energy consumption more effectively, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

Utilities Industry’s outcome-driven results from RISE with SAP 

  • 92% of client contacts are automated on a self-service portal with lower expenses and higher customer satisfaction 
  • Customer satisfaction improved from 15% to 40% 
  • Due to automated procedures and a single data source, operational data is processed 30% faster 
  • Customer billing, credit, and collection costs will be reduced by 5% to 50% 
  • An increase in overall equipment efficacy from 5% to 25% is possible 

(Note: Data was taken from SAP’s statistics) 

Future of the Utilities Industry with RISE 

Future of Utilities Industry with RISE 

  • Deregulation of the energy sector:

New players are causing havoc in the once-stable energy business. Utilities must digitalize their outdated systems or risk losing market share to more nimble rivals that can make use of distributed energy resources (DER), decentralized networks, and energy management at the “grid edge.” Traditional suppliers can diversify their business models and generate new revenue sources by upgrading. 

  • Challenges of Decarbonization:

Renewable energy is becoming more inexpensive and appealing. However, as utilities transform into sustainable energy businesses, they confront additional issues, such as weather-controlled power output uncertainty and the resulting influence on-demand models. To efficiently offer the sustainable energy that customers need, they require precise, real-time data. 

  • Decentralization:

Prosumers own distributed energy resources (DERs), which include rooftop solar systems, battery storage, and electric vehicle chargers. They want their utility bill to reflect both the electricity they consume and the power they create. Billing must now go from being a mechanism of collection to a point of connection and conversation with customers. 

  • Digitalization for sustainability:

Grid resilience is crucial at a time when weather disasters are at an all-time high. Energy businesses with old physical assets and paper-based legacy systems, on the other hand, are unable to take advantage of advances like smart grids, smart metering, and local energy balancing that improve dependability. They require a sophisticated, integrated, cloud-based system immediately. 

Time to look into the innovations offered by RISE with SAP for the Utilities industry; 

Innovations of RISE with SAP for the Utilities Industry 

RISE with SAP for Utilities

The utilities industry is at the forefront of a tremendous worldwide transition toward sustainability and renewable energy. Reduce risk, save costs, and shorten time to market to meet changing market needs. You may add value to your RISE with SAP solution by increasing company innovation with the following: 

  • SAP Predictive Asset Insights 

This solution uses IoT to enable proactive asset management by predicting maintenance needs, reducing downtime, and minimizing costs through real-time monitoring. 

  • SAP Asset Manager 

A mobile-enabled tool allowing field technicians to manage assets remotely, improving response times, asset reliability, and reducing operational costs. 

  • SAP Cloud for Energy 

This cloud solution analyzes Big Data from smart meters and energy resources to optimize grid balancing, enhance energy efficiency, and support renewable integration. 

  • SAP Subscription Billing 

Automates billing processes, enabling flexible, usage-based pricing models for services like e-mobility and smart home packages, improving accuracy and profitability. 

  • SAP Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) 

Helps utilities manage compliance, reduce environmental impact, and ensure safe operations, enhancing transparency and reducing risks.  

To sum up, RISE with SAP can accelerate the pace of digital transformation and your transition to green energy, optimize the environmental impact, increase asset utilization, reduce waste, build sustainable products, and increase compliance. 

By enabling smart energy solutions and improving operational efficiency, utilities can lead the charge toward a sustainable future. To learn more about industry-specific solutions, partner with KaarTech and leverage the full potential of RISE with SAP for your utilities business transformation. Contact us to know more! 

 

 

FAQ’s 

1. How RISE with SAP helps Utilities?

RISE with SAP is a cloud-based solution that helps utility companies modernize their operations, offering real-time insights, improved customer services, and support for sustainable energy initiatives. 

2. How does RISE with SAP enhance customer satisfaction for utilities?

RISE with SAP allows utilities to automate self-service portals, offer flexible pricing models, and provide real-time energy usage data, improving customer satisfaction through better service and engagement. 

3. How does RISE with SAP support sustainability goals in the utilities industry?

RISE with SAP provides tools to reduce carbon emissions, optimize resource utilization, and ensure compliance with environmental regulations, helping utilities integrate sustainable practices into their operations. 

4. What are the key innovations of RISE with SAP for utilities?

Key innovations include SAP Predictive Asset Insights for proactive asset management, SAP Cloud for Energy for real-time data analysis, and SAP Subscription Billing for flexible, usage-based pricing models.