Game-Changing Utilities of the Future, Presented by SAP

The buzz: “Consumers do not necessarily want to know how blockchain, specifically, benefits them.

The buzz: “Consumers do not necessarily want to know how blockchain, specifically, benefits them. They just want to know that their power will stay on regardless of who it comes from and … the correct amount of electricity used was billed” (Seyi Fabode). Blockchain is a potential major disruptor for the energy industry. Applications are being explored globally and a new ecosystem of energy startups is emerging. There is no defined limit to which this technology may be leveraged to provide solutions to problems persisting in various industries. Imagination is the only barrier. The experts speak. Stuart Ravens, Navigant: “There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how you use them” (Friedrich Nietzsche). Henry Bailey, SAP: “I’m reasonably confident that the blockchain will change a great deal of financial practice and exchange” (Larry Summers). Join us for Blockchain and Utilities: And The Impact, Please?

The buzz: “Consumers are not very tied with their utilities because they have very little interaction” [Abhay Gupta, Bidgely). In-memory computing, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Distributed Energy, oh my! Utilities can choose to embrace and take advantage of new opportunities sparked by such technology innovations – or stubbornly ignore them and attempt to maintain the status quo. But when you get down to basics, even if utilities evolve for the future, will we still NEED the utility other than to manage our pipes and wires? The experts speak. Robert Thiele, OpenText: “Entrepreneurship is…about transforming industries, creating millions of jobs, curing diseases and fighting global warming (Sundar Pichai). Marc Rosson, Snohomish County PUD #1: “As soon as you stop wanting something, you get it” (Andy Warhol). James McClelland, SAP: “I have never let schooling interfere with my education” (Mark Twain). Join us for New Technology and the Future of the Future Utility.

The buzz: “A friend contacted a local utility district to get water connected to his new house.. how he could electronically make his request. He could not” (Nathaniel Sheik, SoftSmiths). Utility customers today are smarter and more demanding than ever. Why? The emerging “energy prosumer” brings new levels of awareness and concerns about environmental and energy sustainability, reliability and pricing to utility-customer interactions, as well as greater addressable consumer spend. Will the adoption of cloud computing by Utilities help improve customer satisfaction? The experts speak. Vanessa Edmonds, TMG Consulting: “Every once in awhile, a new technology, an old problem, and a big idea turn into an innovation” (Dean Kamen). Dean Afzal, SAP Hybris: “Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end” (Robin Sharma). James McClelland, SAP: “Hey, you, get off of my cloud” (The Rolling Stones). Join us for Utilities Customer Engagement: Looking Better in the Cloud.

The buzz: “The International Energy Agency expects global energy demand to increase by 37% by 2040…utility companies are finding solutions thanks to the Internet of Things” (Andrew Meola). Yes! IoT is rescuing struggling Utilities. How? By enhancing renewable energy from solar and wind, boosting energy efficiencies with smart grids, smart meters, and home automation systems, and giving Utilities data to analyze and improve operations. The experts speak. Anil Parekh, Accenture: “Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road” (Stewart Brand). Tom Raftery, SAP: “When wireless is perfectly applied the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain, which in fact it is, all things being particles of a real and rhythmic whole” (Tesla). Ken Pierce, SAP: “It is not the strongest of species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one that is most adaptable to change” (Leon Megginson). Join us for IoT for Utilities: Run Smart!

The buzz: “We believe that energy utilities have an important role to play in ‘smart city’ initiatives” (ScottMadden). Smart city digital transformation stories are often about utilities-based municipal environmental services like electric mobility, smart grids, and even smart bins. To turn potential into practice, a city must embrace omni-channel citizen experience, harness assets and Internet of Things, engage smarter workforces, accelerate growth innovation, and re-platform core business processes. Coming to a city near you? The experts speak. Mike Eberhardt, SAP: “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat” (Sun Tzu). Joerg Ferchow, SAP: “The roadway to success is always under construction” (Lily Tomlin). Barbara Fluegge, SAP: “You take a watch apart and analyze its parts, but they won't tell you the time of day” (Ken Wilber). Join us for Smart Cities and Municipal Utilities: Digital Engagement of Citizens–Part 2.

The buzz: “From alternative fuels to electric vehicles, smart cities depend on smarter movement of people and goods” (www.bv.com). Ah, smart cities! What makes them tick? Many innovative scenarios of digital transformation are utilities-based municipal waste and environmental services such as electric mobility, smart grids, and smart bins. But many cities are challenged to turn potential into practice. Five pillars to consider: citizen experience omni-channel; harness assets and IoT; smarter and engaged workforces; accelerate growth innovation; re-platform core business processes. The experts speak. Milke Eberhardt, SAP: “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. The best is yet to come” (Zig Ziglar). Raik Kulina, SAP: “That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex” (Steve Jobs). Joerg Ferchow, SAP: “The people are the city” (Shakespeare, Coriolanus). Join us for Smart Cities: Digital Engagement of Citizens and Municipal Utilities.

The buzz: “Imagine a world in which nothing gets thrown away. It’s about much more than just recycling” (Shane Ferro, 05/12/16). The circular economy is gaining traction and awareness, as evident in the recent announcement of a €24 billion EU Circular Economy Package. It’s an attractive concept, promising the efficient (re-)use of resources and a strong business case. However, many companies are challenged to turn the potential into practice. How to apply the concept to individual operations and resource streams? The experts speak. Michaela “Ela” Rose, Forum for the Future: “A system must consist of 3 kinds of things: elements, interconnections, and a function or purpose. Changing elements usually has the least effect on the system” (Donella Meadows). Raik Kulinna, SAP: “Life, however short, is made shorter by waste of time” (Samuel Johnson). James McClelland, SAP: “Waste not, want not” (“Topper Takes a Trip”). Join us for The Circular Economy: Creating Resourceful Business Models.

The buzz: “Your hires are only as good as your hiring process and those responsible for making hiring decisions” (Roberta Matuson).Digitization is a major disruptor throughout the utilities industry, with the impact on the workforce front and center. With an estimated 30-50% of utilities workers eligible for retirement within the next decade, the industry is facing a serious workforce shortage. The biggest challenge in all this is how to attract and retain the Millennial generation work staff. The experts speak. Robert Thiele, OpenText: “When you look at Millennials, in particular, in the workplace, they have an underlying desire to shape where they work; to make a contribution, to see that the role they play has a direct tie to a benefit in society” (Jim Link, Randstad North America). James McClelland, SAP: “If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn’t change you” (Fred DeVito, Exhale Mind Body Spa). Join us for Impact of Digitization on the Utilities Workforce: How We Do Work – Part 2.

The buzz: “The thing I lose patience with the most is the clock. Its hands move too fast” (T. Edison). Lamplighters were made obsolete by the emergence of electricity. Utilities now face new disruption, with digitization impacting their aging workforce and how they work. Utilities have two choices: continue the well-worn path until the road runs out, or innovatively pave the way for a new future. The experts speak. James McClelland, SAP: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything” (G.B.Shaw). Garrett Grooms, Metropolitan Utilities District: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different result” (A. Einstein). Nicholas Mauldin, OpenText: “As the Internet of things advances, the very notion of a clear dividing line between reality and virtual reality becomes blurred, sometimes in creative ways” (Geoff Mulgan). Join us for Utilities Work and Digitization: How We Do Work–Part 1.

The buzz: “We believe that electricity exists, because the electric company keeps sending us bills for it, but we cannot figure out how it travels inside wires” (Dave Barry). Utilities are facing immense pressure to do more for less. New entrants in the marketplace are pressing traditional Utilities to adopt new service delivery approaches or risk stagnant or declining revenue and margins. Digitalization of customer engagement, asset management, and financial optimization is pushing Utilities to rethink business models to drive revenue growth without employee growth. Is it doable? The experts speak. James McClelland, SAP: “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things” (Machiavelli). Jill Feblowitz, Feblowitz Energy Consulting: “You must do the things you think you cannot do” (Eleanor Roosevelt). Join us for Ain’t Your Grandmother’s Utility Anymore.