SAP for Energy and Utilities Conference Seville 2024: Energy for a Better Future

More than 42 case studies were presented to a total of over 950 participants. The actual conference was preceded by a pre-conference day with deep-dive workshops and open-door solution clinics with implementation tips and best practices. "The conference itself focused on the most pressing industry issues, especially how IT innovations can help the energy sector respond to current and future challenges," says Harald Wentsch, COO of the Implico Group, summarizing the motives of the participants from Seville. In addition to workshops and presentations, the two days in Andalusia provided a comprehensive insight into the future of the energy and utilities industry and the opportunity to meet old and new partners.

"How IT innovations are helping the energy sector to respond to current and future challenges."

Harald Wentsch,
COO,
Implico Group

It became clear that users are not interested in AI per se. Rather, the focus was always on the question of how the technology can help to improve or automate business processes. Against the backdrop of the SAP Clean Core strategy, there was an intensive exchange of experiences on modifications and add-ons on the Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). Automation is also the focus of business solutions in the energy industry, as this is the only way to overcome the challenges facing the sector in the future.

Speaking of change: With the diversification of the industry, SAP is also changing the name of the Industry Solution from IS Oil and Gas to IS Oil, Gas and Energy, thus taking into account the development that renewable fuels, electricity and topics such as CO₂ trading must be managed.

SAP rejected rumors that the maintenance and further development of the Industry Solution could be outsourced to a partner in the medium and long term, as has happened with IS HealthCare. SAP has invested almost one billion dollars in this industry over the past decades and wants to maintain and further develop the expertise it has built up. In addition, the major players in the industry in particular have called on SAP to develop IS Oil into an industry standard in order to be able to dispense with customer-specific solutions in future and thus save costs.

However, integration topics took up by far the most space. The energy industry in particular still makes heavy use of legacy systems and special industry applications in which it has invested a lot of development work. Their integration into S/4 is causing problems for many, especially as the changeover has not made it any easier to create interfaces. Many companies are taking a mixed approach. 90 percent are transferred to the cloud with a new architecture in a greenfield approach, while around ten percent of applications remain on legacy systems.

The professional exchange at this year's SAP Energy and Utilities Conference will have a lasting impact on the industry and drive innovation and improvements in energy supply and beyond.

implico.com