Eneco outsources its SAP service desk to TheValueChain

Challenge

The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is accelerating, with a growing emphasis on local production, storage, and consumption. For the relevant processes and IT systems used in energy companies, these changes can be significant.

As the third-largest energy supplier in Belgium, Eneco leads the sector in sustainability. To maintain that leading role in the energy transition, the company leverages customer data collected through digital meters and artificial intelligence to advise consumers and companies on optimal energy usage. This strategy requires substantial investments in IT applications and infrastructure, as well as a flexible and scalable internal organisation.

Two years ago, Eneco established a synergy track from the Netherlands for the entire group, which included the migration of SAP ERP to the cloud. In Belgium, Eneco is deploying its own SAP expertise on the MIG 6 project, a manual for the new generation of market processes. Consequently, the team is not always available for operational tasks, such as daily system monitoring or handling incidents and change requests.

Moreover, Eneco is now encountering competition from unexpected directions, with companies like KBC, bol.com, Decathlon, and Coolblue jumping into the energy market. This shift requires SAP to continuously demonstrate its value, ensuring constant high-quality results, with every expenditure carefully scrutinised.

Solution

Eneco decided to outsource these tasks, prioritising local expertise as a top requirement. Legislation and regulations have their impact on the SAP landscape and differ from country to country. The Belgian energy market is particularly complex because of all the regions, languages, regulators, and ministers with differing agendas. Additionally, flexibility was a crucial selection criterion, given that Eneco’s business organisation requires a high degree of adaptability.

In May 2020, Eneco signed an SLA with TheValueChain for SAP Finance support, later extending it to include SAP IS-U in December 2020. TheValueChain replaced two freelancers with two dedicated consultants, working for Eneco at a fixed monthly cost (1.2 FTE). Eneco also benefited from additional service hours as needed, with TheValueChain’s experienced consultants increasing service quality.

Result

TheValueChain operated with transparency; if the consultants worked fewer hours than planned, the invoice was adjusted accordingly. Additionally, not all inquiries submitted to the service desk required senior expertise, leading to a 20-25% reduction in operational support costs.

Local expertise was also crucial for the implementation of IS-U. Eneco Netherlands does not use IS-U, so there was no functional expertise within the group for this system. For this purpose, Eneco relied on TheValueChain. An SAP Solution Architect from TheValueChain advised and guided Eneco with extensive industry knowledge and was closely involved in negotiations with Eneco Netherlands and myBrand, the infrastructure and hosting partner.

Eneco’s partnership with TheValueChain has been crucial in managing the transition to SAP S/4HANA and navigating the complexities of the Belgian energy market. Outsourcing the SAP service desk has provided greater flexibility, significant cost savings, and improved service quality, allowing Eneco to maintain its leadership in sustainability and adapt to the evolving energy landscape.