11 tips for a future-proof software landscape for energy suppliers

Why digitalization is indispensable

The upcoming legal amendments, such as the GEG and the resulting enormous interest in energy solutions, make it clear that the energy transition can only be achieved very slowly, if at all, without digital and efficient overall processes. A future-proof software landscape is therefore needed.

The rush of requests combined with outdated processes and system landscapes results in an unmanageable workload. Fragmented software landscapes and data silos lead to the following vulnerabilities in particular:

1. Lack of efficiency due to lack of end-to-end digitalization of processes
2. Insufficient customer centricity due to a lack of transparency about customers and the customer journey

(Source of the figures:
BDEW study
)

The system must be running

Appropriate software solutions can help here. However, when introducing any software, there is no question that the software should not be considered in isolation, but rather the system architecture as a whole. It is therefore understandable that, as the person responsible, the decision to introduce new software and make a specific selection is not an easy one.

So what do you need to look out for?
First and foremost, the decision to use new software is a decision for greater efficiency.
In plain language: Nobody wants to have more work afterwards than before.

This applies to work within the systems, but also to communication between the systems.

In the following 11 tips for creating a modern and future-proof software landscape for energy suppliers, we reveal which approaches can help you:

Tip #1: Decide between setting up a parallel landscape or renewing existing systems

In the context of sustainability, it sounds paradoxical at first that renewing existing solutions is not always the best choice. In most cases, it makes more sense to set up a completely new system in the area of software systems. Of course, this depends on the individual circumstances of the energy supplier.

The following reasons often speak in favor of setting up a new parallel landscape: The new software landscape can be set up completely detached from complex, old structures. This makes it simpler and more flexible. As a result, setting up a new software landscape is very often significantly cheaper and faster than adapting the old system architecture.

Tip #2: Start focused

On the way to a modern system architecture, less is more. It is therefore advisable to set up the new software landscape with as few distributed systems as possible at the start. Over time, complex processes have often developed around a variety of systems and tools. These can now be fundamentally scrutinized and in many cases streamlined.

This keeps the complexity of the system at a low, easier-to-handle level, especially at the beginning. Modular software that can be expanded as required makes it much easier for you than a complex system consisting of many different individual solutions.

Tip #3: Build on a stable foundation for a future-proof software landscape

To ensure that the energy supplier’s new software landscape is future-proof, it should be built on a stable foundation. In other words: Before all the functions from your catalog of requirements are implemented at the same time, you should proceed step by step. Simultaneously implementing too many requirements with a high level of detail can jeopardize the scalability and stability of the new software landscape.

Try to keep the big picture in mind and set clear priorities. As a first step, for example, ensure that the requests for EDL are recorded in a scalable manner before you deal with the issue of bundling. In this way, your software landscape can be expanded in a stable and sustainable manner until it ultimately offers you end-to-end digitalization of the entire sales process.

Tip #4: Value high flexibility

New legal requirements are constantly being added, sometimes with very short implementation deadlines. Once a solid foundation has been laid, this does not mean that the future-proof software landscape is complete. Quite the opposite: the architecture should be flexible enough to be easily expanded in the future. This means that it can be continuously expanded in line with requirements.

Flexible software allows you to gradually develop and expand your portfolio in line with your B2C or B2B business strategy. For example, start with the digital sale of solar systems or heat pumps and gradually build a bridge to the classic commodity business.

Tip #5: Pay attention to the integration capability of the individual software solutions

It must therefore be ensured that the new software landscape has appropriately developed interfaces to common systems such as SAP, Wilken, Schleupen or SIV so that they can communicate with each other smoothly, because: Solutions that display a closed store mentality are not sustainable and are now on the decline.

By connecting third-party systems, the functional scope of a software is extended without having to constantly switch back and forth between several systems. For example, software can specialize in CRM and process management in the sale of commodity and non-commodity products, but be seamlessly linked to invoicing and processing via an ERP connection. This eliminates manual effort and creates an efficient end-to-end process. Today, suppliers and software providers therefore rely heavily on strategic partnerships.

(Source of the figures:
BDEW study
)

Tip #6: Reduce dependency on the IT department

A modern solution is also demonstrated by the fact that the software can be easily adapted to the company’s own requirements – without any IT knowledge. If the software has so-called no-code technology, this means that you and your team can easily implement changes yourself without any programming knowledge. The implementation of new products or services, the adaptation of processes and automation as well as the visual design of customer touchpoints with the integration of your own corporate design are thus very easy to implement.

This brings real relief to the IT team and more autonomy to the specialist departments. It also allows you to react to changing market requirements or requests faster than before and optimize your time-to-market. An essential factor for a future-proof software landscape.

Tip #7: Pay attention to extensive analysis options

Data analysis is important for identifying optimization potential and estimating market potential. Nevertheless, according to
BDEW
less than 30% of all utilities regularly review their processes to evaluate digitalization. With appropriate analysis tools, you can quickly find answers to questions such as: Why is it that many customers are interested in EDL, but comparatively few inquiries are generated? Why is the wallbox offer doing better than battery storage? Which products and services are my customers missing?

With the right software, answers to questions like these are finally no longer a black box. The data is broken down in a visually appealing and understandable way on corresponding dashboards, giving suppliers the opportunity to better understand their customers and adapt products and services to demand.

Tip #8: Prioritize an excellent customer experience for your new software landscape

One aspect that should play a central role in your decision for a new and future-proof software landscape is a good Customer Experience for your customers: Because with a system that claims to be the End-to-end sales process completely, it also depends on what kind of experience your customers want to have at the various Touchpoints e.g. how intuitive and user-friendly they find them.

With the high and continuously increasing flood of inquiries for EDL solutions, it is therefore advisable to consider a professional customer portal as part of your software architecture, for example, in order to automatically inform customers about progress in processing their inquiries or about other offers in the EDL and commodity area. You should therefore think early on about how you can successfully acquire new customers with your new software architecture and retain existing customers in the long term, even if it is implemented step by step.

Tip #9: Optimize your team’s internal and external collaboration

First and foremost, transparency is essential for efficient working methods. This also means always being able to provide your customers with information quickly: What is the status of the photovoltaic system? When is the installer coming for the wallbox? It is a great relief for your employees (and a huge efficiency gain and therefore cost saving for you) if the software clearly provides all the information they need.

This also applies to cooperation with the installation company, which is always in the picture thanks to the corresponding interfaces and knows who needs to take action and when. This also lays the foundation for better customer service that will satisfy your customers in the long term. They will thank you for this optimized communication with loyalty and possibly new contracts.

Tip #10: Take your employees with you into the new software landscape

(Source of the figures:
BDEW
)

However, even the best software landscape is useless if there is a lack of acceptance. If the people who are supposed to work with the system are afraid of using it, the software is unlikely to catch on – and the desired increases in efficiency will not materialize. What is the key to acceptance? First and foremost is the desire for more efficiency and time for the really important tasks in customer service. And these are not decreasing: according to a recent
study
of the BDEW, 50% of utilities expect annual sales growth of over 10% in at least one of their green and sustainable business areas by the end of 2025. However, service employees are already overworked.

Show them concrete process steps and use cases from other energy suppliers (

like this one

) to show them how a modern software landscape and a holistic system will simplify their daily work. A high level of user-friendliness through intuitive operation and clear user interfaces is the be-all and end-all. In times when remote work has become a matter of course, you should also make sure that the solution runs smoothly as cloud software from anywhere and on any device.

Tip #11: Set safety standards in advance

There is also another important factor to consider: Wherever people work, mistakes happen. This is normal and cannot be avoided. However, higher demands can certainly be placed on a modern and future-proof software landscape. Especially when it comes to a cloud solution.

It should meet the highest standards in terms of data security and data protection and be hosted by reputable cloud infrastructure providers in Germany. Ideally, it should also have special seals of approval, such as Trusted Cloud or certifications such as ISO certificates. After all, the margin of error for customer data is zero – and rightly so.

Conclusion

Building a future-proof software landscape from one day to the next is not possible. Energy suppliers work with very complex processes that have usually evolved over decades. However, it is essential for every energy supply company to position itself digitally and future-proof in order to remain successful despite major changes in the market and to implement the energy transition in good time.

Our tips will help you to define the requirements for your future software landscape more clearly and take the first step. We have also summarized the 5 biggest challenges facing energy supply companies in scaling the energy transition in another

article here

for you.

Would you like to find out more about the benefits of an integrated software solution for EDL and sales products? Then find out more

here

or contact us directly:

epilot.cloud/contact