Philipp L眉bcke, CIO at Th眉ringer Energie AG, has worked in the industry for 20 years and is thrilled by the dynamism it is currently going through. But that wasn鈥檛 always the case. 鈥淲hen I got started in the energy sector, the business was relatively static, and I鈥檒l admit that I was tempted by other industries over the last decade,鈥� he says. Today, he no longer sees any need to change. Just the opposite, in fact: in recent years, the business 鈥渉as become extremely exciting, and it will stay exciting,鈥� L眉bcke adds.

To understand his enthusiasm, all it takes is a look at his current employer, TEAG. The company, headquartered in Erfurt and with over 2,200 employees, supplies households and businesses with electricity, natural gas, heating, and water. It also added a telecommunications subsidiary to its portfolio several years ago, which offers broadband access, mobile telephony, and additional services such as storage. It has a new subsidiary for electromobility and another for photovoltaics.

In addition to these new business areas, the company鈥檚 core business鈥攕upplying electricity鈥攊s undergoing drastic changes. L眉bcke emphasizes: 鈥淭he energy transition is irreversible, and that doesn鈥檛 only mean the end of nuclear power, but also the end of coal-fired generation in the long term.鈥�

Decarbonization requires decentralization and digitalization

The future lies in the central supply of natural gas and hydrogen through power plants, along with decentralized power generation through photovoltaics and wind power, according to L眉bcke. 鈥淲e give the municipalities in Thuringia all the support we can when it comes to executing the transition locally,鈥� he says. To succeed, this energy transition requires perfect coordination of what experts refer to as 鈥渢he three big Ds鈥�: decarbonization requires decentralization, which in turn is only possible with maximum digitalization. 

Which brings us to 麻豆原创, TEAG鈥檚 largest and most important strategic partner. In 2022, TEAG decided to move all its core processes for the energy sector鈥攎eter reading, billing, device management, contract and customer management, information exchange, and subledger accounting鈥攖o 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud in the long term. 鈥淭hat made us the first energy supplier with a comprehensive聽,鈥� L眉bcke says. 鈥淭he energy sector is undergoing fundamental change, and data interchange within the companies will increase significantly. Decentralization and maximum digitalization mean that we will be processing much more data much faster, offering a variety of new cloud services based on AI, and creating many more automated decision-making processes.鈥� All of which will require maximum integration and high-quality master data. And they also need the right partner.

Learning to manage complex projects

TEAG intends to migrate all seven of its deployed systems that manage master data to the new platform incrementally, a plan that has been divided into three large-scale projects. The first involved the implementation of the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA core鈥攊nitially on premise鈥攊ncluding master data cleansing and version management of large amounts of legacy data. This project, which has been completed in the interim, involved around 200 internal employees and externals. Along the way, the team gained the ability to manage even complex 麻豆原创 projects.聽

In the second step, TEAG implemented 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Utilities, an ERP solution specifically for energy suppliers, together with the 麻豆原创 Customer Experience portfolio based on 麻豆原创 Service Cloud, divided into the three market roles of electricity supplier, grid operator, and metering point operation. This project has been underway for 18 months, and TEAG will go live with it on December 1, 2025, initially with the role of electricity supplier.

Last but not least, the third transformation project involves implementing聽 for workforce management. To this end, the company developed a road map in 2024, 鈥渟o we can optimally leverage everything we need for this,鈥� L眉bcke says.

Demographic change is forcing the transition

The utility company aims to decommission all its current 麻豆原创 systems by the end of 2027 and move them to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud. The fact that TEAG has decided to run its central applications in the cloud in the long term, in addition to going all-in on 麻豆原创, is a result of the fourth 鈥渂ig D鈥� in this story: demographics. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 be able to completely replace the many employees who will be retiring in the next 10 years,鈥� L眉bcke says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we need to become more independent of labor-intensive processes overall.鈥�

Working in the cloud means getting a boost from AI

The company鈥檚 cloud strategy supports this goal, because it means TEAG will not only need less expensive hardware in the future but it will also require fewer highly-trained people to run and provide the systems. 聽

And people who work in the cloud鈥攚ith the resulting consistent focus on platform strategy and standardization鈥攃an take advantage of artificial intelligence in many areas. Take , for example. This copilot is based on generative AI and learns from 麻豆原创 data to help give users context-sensitive support.

All in all, 鈥淚T will take center stage more than ever for energy suppliers,鈥� L眉bcke says. 鈥淎nd business IT is also getting closer to key business decisions than ever before. That鈥檚 what gives the job so much variety and makes it so exciting.鈥�

And it will certainly protect the TEAG CIO from temptation from other industries in the future.

According to a report from the German government on business and human rights published in October 2021, 80% of midsize to large companies in Germany are not doing enough due diligence on their supply chains. Under the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, in effect January 1, 2023, companies must take responsibility for the actions of all their supply chain partners — from suppliers of components to the businesses that further process or sell the products manufactured.

Here, we look at the companies the act applies to, how it affects them, what they should do, how 麻豆原创 can support them, and more — including explaining how the new law is an opportunity for businesses.

What are the standards in the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act based on?

The due diligence act is based on the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) indicators that are leading to new laws worldwide. Human rights due diligence, for instance, is anchored in section two of the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and is already regulated by law in some countries.

Germany is following suit with its Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which aims to increase transparency, boost human rights, and foster legal certainty and fair competition. Companies that fail to comply face high penalties.

What are some of the unethical practices the new law seeks to eliminate from the supply chain?

• Child labor, forced labor, forms of slavery
• Disregard of workplace safety standards
• Denial of a decent wage

What kinds of environmental harm will it outlaw?

• Contamination of soil, water, and air, as well as noise pollution and excessive water consumption
• Manufacture of mercury-added products, use of mercury and mercury compounds, and treatment of mercury waste (Minamata Convention)
• Production and use of persistent organic pollutants (Stockholm Convention, POPs Convention)

Which companies are bound by the act?

As of January 2023, all companies in Germany that employ more than 3,000 people must comply with the act. From January 1, 2024, a lower threshold of 1,000 employees will apply. Businesses with a smaller workforce might also be affected by the act if they are part of a larger company鈥檚 supply chain.

What penalties do companies face for noncompliance?

Businesses that become aware of violations and take no remedial action face a financial penalty of up to 鈧�50,000 and administrative fines of up to two percent of their average annual revenue if it is greater than 鈧�400 million.

Under the act, companies can also be excluded from the award process for public procurement contracts for up to three years. Companies also have to disclose information and data.

How is this act also an opportunity for businesses?

The standards described are now defining public discourse, and more and more stakeholders are demanding that companies comply. That is why we are also seeing a shift toward sustainable investments in the capital markets.

As such, reputation matters more than ever, and any damage to it caused by violating the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act might turn out to be more costly than the fines imposed. Compliance offers companies a significant opportunity to stand out from competitors by demonstrating their integrity and resilience.

Equivalent legislation for the European Union is already in the pipeline and is expected to come into force after 2024. Tougher than Germany鈥檚 act, its scope will be broader and impose due diligence obligations that reach beyond immediate suppliers and civil liability. By implementing the German act as quickly as possible, businesses can ensure they are ready for whatever comes next.

How can 麻豆原创 support businesses here?

Sustainability has been central to 麻豆原创鈥檚 business and product strategies for years. We are working closely with customers on a solution to help companies of any size and in any industry comply with the new law in an efficient and effective way.

This solution is part of our product vision for risk-aware procurement. We focus on three key value drivers: risk transparency in core process, full information transparency, and digital collaboration.

Most companies try to avoid preferring suppliers with a high-risk profile. Therefore, we share up-to-date supplier risk scores within supplier selection activities in the spend management process. Additionally, to achieve a comprehensive supplier risk profile across all immediate suppliers, we work on incorporating many internal and external data sources. And once identified, risks should be reduced and documented in close collaboration with suppliers.

These features are key to establishing risk aware procurement processes in the organization — and can be a first step to embark on a transformation journey toward resilient and sustainable value networks.

For more information, visit .

This story originally appeared on the 麻豆原创 Germany News Center.

There are companies with potential that are easy to spot. You can easily see their opportunity to disrupt a market at an early stage.

Sono Motors in Munich is such a company. Founded in 2016, it has been an 麻豆原创 customer since March 2021 and the team is out to change the automotive industry. Instead of sporty, heavy, and with as much horsepower as possible, the company’s solar electric vehicle 鈥淪ion鈥� is practical, spacious, and straightforward. Small repairs, for example, can be done by the customers themselves. Another highlight: the body of the car is nearly entirely covered by solar panels that charge the vehicle while driving. The energy extends the range and can be used to charge smartphones, other electric cars, or even power entire households. An integrated mobile app easily allows car- and seat-sharing with other users — a game-changer. Production is due to start in 2023.

Proven Structures for Fast Growth

Another example is Wingcopter. As the brand indicates, the autonomous cargo drones produced in Weiterstadt, Germany, can take off vertically from small areas and bridge long distances in forward flight; for example, to deliver urgently needed medical goods to rural areas that lack rail tracks or paved roads.

麻豆原创 wants to support companies such as Sono Motors and Wingcopter by providing direct access to knowledge the team has aggregated over the years.

鈥淲e provide ready-to-use best-practice solutions for founders and startups,鈥� explains Jan Gutknecht, senior business development specialist at 麻豆原创. “Those who apply them can built on proven structures and scale fast.”

To scale fast, companies need to gain a huge chunk of their target markets in the shortest time possible. This is only possible if you consider regulatory and tax requirements from day one, and if you are able to apply them in every new market without the need of running a sophisticated project.

Here, 麻豆原创 can help, both in providing software and in providing the expertise of dedicated teams which speak the startup鈥檚 language, understand their priorities, and have a lot of experience operating in dynamic environments. The 麻豆原创 team brings expertise in building scalable businesses onto the table — a domain early-stage startups often struggle with as they focus on building their product or service.

Optimizing Processes Over Time

As part of the engagement process, the requirements are discussed in workshops. Implementation partners are part of the journey from the very beginning. The team stays aboard when the pace increases, the company grows and matures, and new business models or revenue streams arise. That implies starting to think in end-to-end business processes early on, implementing them in a lean approach, and then focusing on optimizing them over time.

Sketching a draft of the future state system architecture at the earliest stage possible and envisioning what is needed in three to four years are important.

鈥淚f there is something that kills growth, it鈥檚 a scattered system landscape and manual process steps. Startups can circumvent piling up these technical debts if they are addressed early,鈥� says Tino Albrecht, business architect at 麻豆原创.

Operating Like a Startup

For Albrecht and his colleagues, the 麻豆原创 Hypergrowth Catalyst program is a 鈥渃ultural thing鈥� to support the startup ecosystem. That is why the team itself operates like a startup inside 麻豆原创.

鈥淲e have people in the team that understood that the startup market has its own rules, priorities, and requirements,鈥� Albrecht says.

Speed is an example: 麻豆原创 does not charge the program members for the team support. Subscriptions for usage of the cloud services need to be paid and the implementation partners receive their fees. Everything else is a front-loaded key account management — a leap of faith.

This story originally appeared on the 麻豆原创 Germany News Center.

Villeroy & Boch has been manufacturing porcelain and ceramic goods for more than 270 years 鈥� since 1748, to be precise. Today, the company employs almost 7,500 people, generated revenues of over 鈧�800 million in 2019, and sells its products in more than 125 countries. A business with such a long tradition 鈥� and its eyes set firmly on the future 鈥� needs one thing above all: a willingness to continuously embrace change and evolve.

That applies, of course, not just to the products a company sells, but also to its business processes. Villeroy & Boch began operating its first serial production line back in 1767 and opened a state-of-the-art, mechanized dinnerware factory in 1801. Manufacturing has obviously come a long way between those early days and the introduction of intelligent robotic process automation. But there are parallels: Now, just as then, innovative machines aim to free staff from the burden of repetitive tasks and reduce the risk of human error.

Many More Potential Use Cases

麻豆原创 Intelligent RPA leverages capabilities of autonomous software robots 鈥� 鈥渂ots鈥� 鈥� and artificial intelligence (AI). The bot in daily use at Villeroy & Boch, for example, reads incoming e-mails, scans the attachments, uses trained algorithms to classify them, and saves them to the correct location. The system automatically distinguishes between invoices and payment reminders, meaning that employees no longer need to open those documents and classify them manually. In this way, the Document Classification service 鈥� part of 麻豆原创 AI Business Services 鈥� automatically prepares documents for further processing by employees.

At Villeroy & Boch, the technology now works in 鈥渦nattended鈥� mode, meaning that it completes tasks without human intervention and monitoring. The time saved is significant; the machine checks between 20 and 30 emails every day, and that number is rising.

鈥淚t was important for us, aside from leveraging the intelligent RPA functions, to be able to make decisions based on unstructured data as well. A combination of Document Classification and 麻豆原创 Intelligent RPA makes that possible,鈥� says Daniel Neuh盲user, head of ERP Core Solutions at Villeroy & Boch. The fact that a subscription for 麻豆原创 AI Business Service could be easily purchased on was another point in its favor.

Making Bots Even More Intelligent

Although there are currently no forerunners to learn from 鈥� Villeroy & Boch is the first 麻豆原创 customer to use the automatic Document Classification service 鈥� Neuh盲user sees still more potential for robotic process automation with intelligent services at his company, such as in finance, customer service, and purchasing.

To enhance the existing bot, he and his colleagues are already testing another 麻豆原创 AI Business Service, Document Information Extraction. This service allows the bot to read documents that have been classified, extract business-relevant information from them (invoice numbers, vendor names, and so on), and enrich this information with additional master data (such as business partner numbers). In the medium term, the company could use this service as a foundation to enable automated invoice processing and posting in 麻豆原创 ERP.

鈥淲e Reach Our Goals Much Faster鈥�

For Neuh盲user, there are two compelling benefits to RPA, the use of bots, and 麻豆原创 AI Business Services. First, bots can be built and deployed without changing the existing IT infrastructure. Second, bot-building requires less effort and expertise than conventional software development.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 need ERP experts for this,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat we need most of all are bot developers. And we reach our goals much faster.鈥� This is because key users are involved right from the start, and their feedback is channeled continuously into the development process, which means that the application is ready to go live very quickly.

And what part does the IT department play? 鈥淲e follow a mixed development approach,鈥� says Neuh盲user. 鈥淪ometimes IT is more closely involved, sometimes less. But the people who will use the solution always play a key role in development from the get-go.鈥�

Low Effort, High Impact

麻豆原创 Intelligent RPA helps optimize autonomous bots with artificial intelligence. Because it removes the need for human intervention after every step, this technology enables significant time savings. Also, it can be developed without changing the existing IT landscape 鈥� and without ERP expertise. 麻豆原创 Intelligent RPA helps to relieve teams from the burden of recurring administrative tasks, creating a long-lasting impact with comparatively little effort.

This story originally appeared on the 麻豆原创 Germany News Center.
Top image courtesy of Villeroy & Boch.

At 7:00 p.m. on March 17, Rui Nogueira was working from his home in Walldorf and about to log off for the evening when he received an e-mail from 麻豆原创 Executive Board Member Juergen Mueller. The moment he read the chief technology officer鈥檚 message, he realized he would not be logging off any time soon. Nogueira told his wife he had a long night鈥檚 work ahead of him.

The night would last nearly 24 hours. But by the time it ended, Nogueira, chief product expert for 麻豆原创 Cloud Platform, and a team of around 40 colleagues across three time zones had made a small but vitally important contribution to dealing with the effects of COVID-19.

Widespread Quarantine: Stable Platform Is Vital

With travel restrictions in place, reports rose of Germans camping at airports in Mexico because the hotels are closed, not knowing when there will be another flight back home. Others are forbidden to leave their tiny huts in the Philippines, not even to go to the beach, and have no idea when or how they will be able to get to the next major airport. More are quarantined in a hotel in northern Cyprus. The list is long, and they all want to return to Germany as soon as possible.

With moods swinging between resignation and panic, the stranded were counting on the German government’s repatriation program to come to their aid. They registered via an app on the ELEFAND list, an emergency contact list administered by the German Foreign Ministry for German citizens living and traveling abroad.

But the underlying platform had been designed for use in isolated emergencies and according to Nogueira 鈥渨as not built to cope with huge numbers of people trying to log on.鈥� A growing number of stranded Germans got no more than a 鈥渟erver unavailable鈥� message, and eventually the platform crashed completely.

Emergency Repatriation Program: Teamwork Is Crucial

Help was needed urgently, without a second to lose. 麻豆原创 received a call from the German Foreign Ministry late in the afternoon on March 17 and Nogueira was contacted that evening. Having spent seven years involved with 麻豆原创 Cloud Platform, Nogueira not only knows the technology inside-out, he also knows the people who work in that environment and their skillsets.

The first meeting 鈥� held virtually, of course 鈥� took place at 7:30 p.m. An hour later, a core team of eight had been assembled. Each of its members, one of whom was in the U.S., began 鈥渞ecruiting鈥� additional 麻豆原创 specialists for specific tasks.

鈥淲hat we needed at that moment was a combination of expertise and a willingness to drop everything and 鈥榤ake a night of it,鈥欌�� Nogueira says. It wasn鈥檛 hard to get everyone on board. 鈥淔irst off, it鈥檚 common practice at 麻豆原创 for people to help each other; secondly, almost everyone wants to do something to help solve the current problems; and, thirdly, who says no when the CTO asks for help?鈥�

Communication and coordination took place in a Microsoft Teams room, which was kept open for the customer too. This meant that Foreign Ministry personnel could watch the solution gradually taking shape. In multiple meetings scheduled at intervals during the night, the project partners checked the current status against requirements and made adjustments as and where needed.

New App Built on 麻豆原创 Cloud Platform

The aim was not only to develop the app but above all ensure it was scalable and would run securely on 麻豆原创 Cloud Platform. Data protection requirements were the toughest challenge. 鈥淲hen describing their situation, people obviously can鈥檛 avoid posting personal data on the platform. That data has to be secure,鈥� Nogueira explains.

To make sure any security flaws were detected and resolved at the development stage, before the app went live, the team鈥檚 data protection experts were asked to try and 鈥渂reak鈥� the application. They could not, but their penetration testing uncovered one or two weaknesses, which the team were then able to correct early on.

Almost 24 hours after the initial request, the 麻豆原创 solution for the German Foreign Ministry was complete and accessible worldwide at rueckholprogramm.de, thanks to an impressive team effort that surpassed anything Nogueira had ever experienced in terms of intensity and time pressure.

What did he take away from the project? The first aspect he stresses is community spirit, the way people really do pull together when it matters. The second is that a global network is more vital than ever in situations like these. 鈥淲e hit a problem we couldn鈥檛 solve at about 3:00 a.m.,鈥� he shares. 鈥淪o we contacted colleagues in India, who came up with a quick and pragmatic solution.鈥�

鈥淭he Real Work Is Only Just Beginning鈥�

The project also showed that if properly organized, remote teams function well 鈥� even in exceptional situations. In this case, having live contact with the customer was patently also both crucial and instructive, and it helped 麻豆原创 build precisely what the German Foreign Ministry needed at such short notice. Currently, an 麻豆原创 team is engaged in making the solution available to other countries as well.

Although everyone involved is delighted with the project and its outcome, 麻豆原创 CTO Juergen Mueller is quick to put the company鈥檚 contribution in perspective. 鈥淭he real work 鈥� the task of actually getting people home 鈥� is only just beginning,鈥� he says.

This story originally appeared on the 麻豆原创 Germany News Center.

Repeating its 2018 and 2019 successes, 麻豆原创 has once again earned top spot in the ranking of Germany鈥檚 most valuable brands. For 2020, 麻豆原创鈥檚 brand value remained constant at $50.88 billion. The second to fourth place brands are Deutsche Telekom, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, with the two carmakers swapping their 2019 positions in the ranking. Allianz has replaced Audi in the top 10.

The renowned is compiled by UK communications services group WPP and global research agency Kantar Millward Brown. It draws on a unique combination of detailed financial analyses and data garnered from 3.7 million consumers in more than 50 countries.

Consistent Brand Message

A key finding of BrandZ鈥檚 analysis of its 2020 ranking is that strong brands are those that are particularly good at creating a lasting memory of the company鈥檚 story and its image in customers鈥� minds. To do that, brands must be disruptive and creative leaders in their industry and seize on innovations as they emerge.

麻豆原创鈥檚 brand campaign 鈥淓xperience Management is Here 鈥� The Future of Business Has Feelings鈥� captures the spirit of the age. And the campaign message has hit the mark: Yet again, the company grew its brand appeal significantly, attracting approximately 24,000 new customers in 2019.

Closer to the Customer

According to Alicia Tillman, chief marketing officer of 麻豆原创, companies must now 鈥渨ork harder than ever before to truly understand their customers鈥� needs and expectations in order to deliver once-in-a-lifetime experiences. We live in an experience economy, where brands compete on the basis of experience, and 麻豆原创 is leading in enabling companies to build intelligent enterprises to run at their best to win the trust of customers for life.鈥�

What the BrandZ ranking also reveals is that strong brands are especially well-equipped to engage swiftly and smartly in growth areas — and 麻豆原创 is no exception. The company has evolved consistently over recent years, from an enterprise resource planning (ERP) service provider into an end-to-end cloud provider.

That has led to a change in target audiences, as Kerstin K枚der, head of Marketing for Middle and Eastern Europe at 麻豆原创, explains. 鈥淲e鈥檙e no longer concentrating on IT decision-makers. Increasingly, we need to reach a company鈥檚 line-of-business decision-makers and even its users, and pitch our solutions to them. That entails a fundamentally different approach: different messages, different channels, tactics, tools, and formats — and a much greater focus on business needs than on features and functions.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e thinking more and more in terms of holistic customer journeys,鈥� says K枚der. “We鈥檙e using our own technology, Experience Management solutions, to gain the best possible understanding of target audiences and customer groups — and their touch points with 麻豆原创 — and to optimize their customer experience accordingly.”

Moral Aspects Increasingly Important

That can only happen if customers fundamentally believe in a company. Christoph Prox, managing director of Kantar, says, 鈥淭oday, more than ever before, customers鈥� choices are influenced as much by their trust in a brand as by a first-class product experience.鈥� And this feeling of trust may well take moral aspects into account, such as whether the customer thinks a company treats its customers and employees fairly.

Once again, the extent to which a brand or company takes a stance on key issues played a central role in the BrandZ ranking in 2020. As the authors of the ranking point out, consumers of all ages attach great importance to this aspect. Notably, people over 50 are prominent among those gravitating toward brands that have a point of view on questions and trends that affect them, such as the environment and social issues.

The search for a context or central message from this year鈥檚 ranking leads rapidly to the concept of 鈥渉olism.鈥� Stefan Stumpp, CEO of Kantar, states in his editorial for the Brandz study that companies need to understand now, more than ever, that every brand is perceived today in its entirety, as the sum of all its parts.

Thus, products, product innovations, communications and touch point management, and the brand experience can no longer be viewed in isolation, but must be seen as a whole. They are intertwined and interdependent, and they have a powerful influence on brand growth and brand value.

BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable German Brands in 2020