FairConsult 24|7 is your reliable partner for solving your issues in SAP IS-U. The service portfolio of our experts ranges from support in the implementation of regulatory requirements for energy supply companies to software implementation projects and process optimization.
Smart Meter Gateway and SAP IM4G
The importance of metering management has steadily increased in recent years. The transition from classic Ferraris meters to modern metering equipment to smart metering systems is in full progress. Metering point operators have been assigned a wide range of tasks since the MAKO 2020. At least in the electricity sector, the metering point operator is also responsible for the plausibility check and substitute value formation of the metered values. For metering point charge settlements, many more specifications from the Metering Point Operation Act must now be considered than before. In this context, smart metering is a kind of basic requirement for smart grids and will also be integrated in the Redispatch 2.0 processes in the long term.
Smart grids (Redispatch 2.0)
Renewable energy feed-in management is only the beginning of smart grids. As in the near future, the large consumption devices that can be switched off will be included in the scope. The smart grid will also require more and more storage capacity to balance peak loads. Redispatch 2.0 brings a host of new tasks to the grid operator. The aim of Redispatch 2.0 is to optimize network management and reduce the costs of eliminating network bottlenecks. This will have to follow across all network levels. As determining the optimal redispatch measure may affect other network operators, network operator coordination plays a key role. To address a grid bottleneck, grid operators do not just exchange data, forecasts, and redispatch potential. Rather, the planning and calling of the redispatch measure is a joint coordination process and occurs on a daily basis. In order to carry out the balancing process, network operators are obliged to maintain a separate redispatch balancing group. The exchange of messages between the market partners takes place via XML messages.
Measured values as the basis for new digital services
Energy suppliers are increasingly discovering the opportunities to enter the energy market with the possibilities of a variable tariff. Customers are demanding digital services, so new market roles such as energy service providers (ESAs) are gaining in importance. As providers of these value-added services, new business areas are opening up. Energy service providers can help reduce consumption and offer visualization services in addition to consumption analysis. The new market role to be established, energy service provider, will be introduced with the GPKE 2022 and a new player will have to be adapted to the energy market.
Since the deregulation of the energy market in Germany began, the need for cross-company data exchange between market partners in the energy supply sector has grown steadily. Driven by the energy transition and the introduction of smart metering systems, there is no end in sight to this development for the time being.
The introduction of new market location identification numbers was the beginning of the creation of a European internal energy market. This was followed by Mako 2020, which aims to give end customers the opportunity to benefit from greater competition by changing suppliers with ever shorter deadlines. The developments in the electricity sector have not yet reached the other sectors by a long shot. The alignment of the GPKE processes with the Geli Gas processes is eagerly awaited. Major changes will also be seen in the EEG environment with the introduction of new storage technologies and electromobility.
Market communication is one of the core competencies of FairConsult 24|7. Our expert(s) are outstanding due to a combination of excellent SAP IS-U / ABAP know-how, as well as a cross-market understanding of the German energy industry. Whether supplier change (GPKE), change processes for producers (MPES), processes of balancing group accounting or change processes in metering, with our high-performance team we master all message formats. No matter if it is a format change or an implementation or optimization project in the SAP IS-U system, FairConsult 24|7 is your competent partner.
With the introduction of the new EU Data Protection Regulation in May 2018, most companies are facing a lot of multifaceted tasks. Of central importance is the question of data management. With SAP-ILM, you define a lifecycle for the data in your company from creation, use, subsequent archiving to final deletion. The SAP-ILM solution is based on the classic SAP solution for data archiving. The SAP-ILM experts of FairConsult 24|7 will accompany you during the implementation process, starting with the question of which archiving objects should be considered and providing you with the experience gained from previous projects. In addition to ensuring the protection of personal data, we also ask ourselves to what extent an ILM project can be optimally used to reduce the data inventory to what is necessary in order to maximize system performance in this regard and at the same time reduce data retention costs.
The SAP successor to the classic ERP system has been decided. SAP S/4 HANA will successively replace the old SAP IS-U solutions. A transformation of this kind offers the opportunity to look at processes across the company and make an optimized start to the new system landscape. Furthermore, this transformation will in all likelihood lead us to hybrid systems, so that companies will discover the advantages of cloud-based solutions for themselves.
We see the possibilities of real-time processing with the In Memory HANA database in the SAP S/4 HANA solution as a future technology driver. But an SAP S/4 HANA offers many more advantages. For example, embedding the PAL (Predictive Analytics Library) in the SAP HANA In Memory database technology enables access to numerous artificial intelligence algorithms. Already, many applications based on SAP S/4 HANA machine learning algorithms have been implemented. As an SAP HANA user, those who want to use algorithms to improve forecasting processes or anomaly identification do not need to purchase expensive machine learning software or set up database interfaces. Thanks to PAL, business analytics applications can be run directly on the SAP S/4 HANA database. The advantages are obvious. Another essence lies in the maximum possible support of the end users, when in the dialog processes the prepared data basis can facilitate their decision-making through OLAP reporting. In addition, a modern designed interface with Fiori Apps offers an access option for any kind of mobile use.
Digitalization will permeate every area of industries. With an SAP S/4 HANA system, the foundation is created to face the ever-faster pace of change. Above all, digitalization means speed. An SAP S/4 HANA system will meet the needs of a future-oriented ERP architecture. On the agenda at the same time are new technological drivers such as IOT (Internet of Things) or Blockchain. The SAP S/4 HANA Blockchain adapters are able to integrate and address every sensor.
