Gartner states that CIOs must move beyond creating digital awareness in the organization. For a successful digital business transformation, they must develop digital business principles, a digital business blueprint and a digital business execution plan.
To help Utility leaders make sure they are not left in the dark and off the grid when it comes to digital transformation, SAP published the Digital Utilities whitepaper to help create a digital business blueprint and execution plan. As described in the paper, the three key drivers of the digital transformation are:
- Reimagine business models to find new revenue and profit sources by offering innovative supply, load balancing, and smart home/business energy services
- Reimagine business processes and use digital technology to optimize business outcomes by converging information and operational technologies
- Reimagine the role and structure of the workforce to support future business by incorporating wearable technology, 3D printers, and geospatial technologies
During my keynote at the SAP International Utility Conference in The Hague, I will highlight examples of “Reimagining” of the utilities business models and discuss what will shape the Digital Energy Network that overlays and complements the power supply system.
All participants - utilities, consumers, and new non-utility players - will use digital innovation to anticipate real-time demand and supply, operate self-healing grids, and innovate the customer experience and the Internet of Things (IoT) is at the heart of this transformation.
Utilities are one of the major industries to realize the next revolution from IoT because of the IT/OT convergence driven by the deployment of new equipment on the grid such as advanced meters, complex transformers as well as advanced power and communication networks all containing hundreds if not thousands of microprocessors providing lots and lots of data, big data, to be used in multiple ways. Big data around analytics and, with lots of data, predictability is the ultimate goal of the Internet of Things.
SAP’s vision is to help the world use energy and natural resources responsibly today and tomorrow while providing reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy for all people. This requires access to the Digital Energy Network for all participants. SAP will offer the digital foundation and the digital gateways that integrate the core solutions of each market participant to the Digital Energy Network.
I am looking forward to meeting you in the Hague!
Stay tuned for more details, and remember to sign up for the conference! To get regular updates, follow us on Twitter SAP Industries #SAPUtilities.