Over 560 public and private utility organisations globally, including Eskom, are using the SAP Utilities enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to help streamline operations and improve efficiencies. These organisations, of all types and sizes, see other benefits including enhancing decision support, integrating business processes, supporting business expansion, enhancing customer service and supporting new billing and product offerings.
Among these, more than 90 customers have chosen the new SAP Utilities - Customer Care and Service solution (IS-U/CCS), available since the latter half of 1998, as their front office and billing system for the future.
According to Laurence Green, account manager: utilities and telecommunications at SAP Southern Africa, Africa now has six customers live on the SAP solution, including Water Utilities Corporation Botswana, not only the first live SAP site in Botswana, but also the first in Africa to implement the new SAP Utilities solution.
"Other local live SAP customers include the Namibian Water Corporation, Kenya Power and Lighting Corporation (KPLC), Kengen, the Lesotho Highland Development Authority and Eskom.
"Eskom is one of largest SAP projects around the world, with 7 500 users. The utility which serves as the South African Government electrical utility, is the 5th largest in the world in terms of generating capacity and sales. The only larger utilities in terms of sales are EDF France, TEPCO Japan, ENEL Italy, and Korea Electric Power Company."
Green says in the United States in particular, the utility industry is undergoing rapid evolution as states move toward deregulation. "Utility companies are re-engineering their organisations to prepare for a competitive future, and seeking business and decision-support solutions that will best equip them for the future environment,"
To date, more than 40 North American utility organisations have selected the SAP Utilities solution. New customers include GPU, Montana Power, Nebraska Public Power, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, SEMPRA Energy and TECO Energy, Inc. Newly productive North American customers include PJM Interconnection, LLC and Providence (R.I.) Energy/Providence Gas.
"Our strategy includes investing in products that dominate their marketplace. SAP R/3, combined with the AcceleratedSAP implementation methodology, has been a great way for us to execute this strategy. Within six month, we were up and running significant portions of our business," says Peter Gill, vice president of information technology, Providence Energy/Providence Gas. "We now have access to the functionality that once was only afforded to the big companies."
"SAP R/3 allows us to more efficiently integrate our utility operations and provides a platform for growth for assimilating new acquisitions and new unregulated lines of business," says Gary Paul, SAP program director, Sempra Energy.
Looking at the European utility market, Green says it is facing similar changes and challenges as the Americas. "As the Latin American utilities market continues to experience privatisation upheaval, the need for streamlined business processes continues to grow. Within Europe, rampant mergers and acquisitions, deregulation, globalisation and greater customer choice are forcing utility companies to look for new software solutions to help them streamline their businesses processes," he says.
New customers in Europe and the Middle East include: Stadtwerke Frankfurt, Stadtwerke T"ubingen and Stadtwerke Bremen (Germany); Electric Supply Board (Ireland); Electricidad de Portugal (Portugal); Edon (the Netherlands); Electricia (Romania); Habas (Turkey); Enel and Sei (Italy); Yorkshire Water (United Kingdom), Krymenergo (Ukraine) and Vychodeska Plynarenska (Czech Republic).
According to Mick Leahy, project manager at Ireland`s ESB: "The SAP Utilities solution helps ESB meet the challenges of the forthcoming deregulation of the Irish electricity market."
New Latin American customers include in Argentina, Camuzzi Argentina S.A. and Empresa Distribuidora de Electricidad de Mondoza S.A.; Centrais Eletricas do Norte Brasil and Eletropaulo Metropolitana - Electricidade de Sao Paulo S.A. in Brazil; in Chile, ELECTROANDINA S.A. and Enagas S.A.; in Columbia, Compañía Elétrica de Sochagota, S.A. and Cia de Electricidad de Tulua, S.A.; in Peru, Egenor, S.A.; in Venezuela, Electricidad de Caracas S.A.C.A; and in the Carribean, N.V. Gemeenschappelijk Elektricite-itsbedrijf BOVENWINDSE EILANDEN.
"With SAP R/3, we have on-line information that supports us to make the best business decision and our employees have a global vision of the business operations and corporate needs, understanding that their work is fundamental and affects the entire organization," says Pedro Cullen, ERP project leader, Electricidad de Caracas S.A.C.A.
Customers that have recently selected the SAP Utilities solution in the Asia-Pacific region include in China, Zhejiang Electric Power Co.; China Light & Gas in Hong Kong; Power Supply in Singapore; and SABA in Malaysia. In New Zealand, new customers include TransAlta Corporation and Energy Auckland; and in Australia, ETSA, Australian Gas & Light and Alinta Gas.
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