E.ON Grid Solutions GmbH is a successful service company of the E.ON Group in the utility services sector. The company currently employs around 1,100 people in branches in eight German cities. The company's headquarters are in Hamburg.
The focus of E.ON Grid Solutions GmbH is, among other things, the implementation of customer processes for the regional companies Avacon AG, Bayernwerk AG, E.DIS AG and HanseWerk AG. The company is also dedicated to the development of innovative corporate projects that are intended to contribute to the sustainable development of the energy transition.
Uwe Knier
Head of Controlling
Experience report
Mapping complex planning structures
To manage the company's increasingly complex data and planning structure as a result of internal restructuring and expanded market requirements, E.ON Grid Solutions GmbH needed a new, innovative business intelligence solution. This should not only serve as a holistic collection point for planning-relevant data, but also enable decentralized data collection by several employees and largely independent administration in the future.
Highlights and future prospects
The business intelligence software Corporate Planner and the data analytics platform Qlik Sense were implemented quickly and efficiently in collaboration with TD Trusted Decisions GmbH and potential users of the new software were comprehensively trained by Trusted Decisions. Since its implementation, Corporate Planner has been successfully used as a planning system by all departments of the company. Extrapolations during the year are efficiently recorded in the system and thus make it possible to keep an eye on ongoing developments.
Case study
E.ON Grid Solutions GmbH implements the ideal software for complex planning structures
From multi-layered data to informed decisions: E.ON Grid Solutions GmbH chose Corporate Planner OC and CP-Dashboard (Analytics by Qlik) as the ideal business intelligence solution for complex planning structures. Thanks to the professional support of TD Trusted Decisions GmbH, this was implemented quickly and successfully in the company and planning processes were optimized efficiently.
The goal: to map complex structures and optimize planning processes
In the past, internal restructuring within E.ON Grid Solutions GmbH as well as expanded requirements from the market have led to an increasingly complex data and planning structure. These could only be mapped inadequately with the systems used to date.
On the one hand, the new system was to serve as an integrated collection point for planning-relevant data and thus as the sole data basis for planning, as well as for all plan deviation analyses. Furthermore, the new business intelligence solution should enable decentralized data collection by several employees.
In addition to optimizing the planning processes, the selection process also focused on making data entry as intuitive as possible: as the new software was to be used in all areas of the company, the system had to be able to be operated by people with different skill sets. The new software solution should also make it possible to adapt to changing planning structures asindependently as possible in order to avoid having to rely on external support in key planning phases.
On the recommendation of an external consultant, the cloud-based business intelligence software Corporate Planner OC and the CP Dashboard (Analytics by Qlik) were ultimately chosen. Following independent research, the certified partner company TD Trusted Decisions GmbH was chosen for the implementation.
Smooth implementation thanks to TD Trusted Decisions
The required structures were set up quickly and efficiently in collaboration with the TD team and the system was implemented quickly. Trusted Decisions then trained potential users of the new software: the group of company controllers (approx. 6 people) received comprehensive training in the use of the new system in three stages.
Two employees were also trained and supported over several months by an external consultant from the company to enable them to carry out more complex structural adjustments independently in the future. These colleagues then took over the training of the 25 operational users in the system.
Modern analyses, modern planning: Corporate Planner OC and Qlik Sense
Thanks to the support of Trusted Decisions, the new system solution was set up smoothly and largely without any problems. The selected programs themselves meet the previously defined requirements to our complete satisfaction:
Corporate Planner OC: mapping complex structures, making better decisions
The Corporate Planner OC controlling software can easily map complex internal company structures and various use cases. The flexible software solution enables dynamic data evaluation; the program's various planning options are used regularly, as is the integrated financial and profit planning, allowing informed planning decisions to be made.
Qlik Sense: effortless management in controlling
The intuitive business intelligence software facilitates the interpretation of important key figures thanks to comprehensible visualizations, making it possible to evaluate data holistically and identify hidden potential. Actual, plan and forecast data can be displayed in detail and across the board in the CP dashboard and easily transferred to different departments.
The intuitive business intelligence software facilitates the interpretation of important key figures thanks to comprehensible visualizations, making it possible to evaluate data holistically and identify hidden potential. Actual, plan and forecast data can be displayed in detail and across the board in the CP dashboard and easily transferred to different departments.
All advantages at a glance
The most important advantages of the new BI software solution can be summarized as follows:
Tailored to corporate structure- Mapping complex planning structures using visual dashboards
- Multidimensional analysis of all available data
- Intuitive user interface
- Independent, internal adaptation to changing structures possible
Challenges and solutions
The new software was introduced without any major problems. Minor difficulties at the start of using the system were also quickly resolved and the introduction phase was competently supported by the responsible TD employees. TD Trusted Decisions was also always on hand to help with minor adjustments and optimizations during the first few months.
Conclusion: structural adjustments could be implemented quickly in terms of planning
Since its implementation, Corporate Planner has been successfully used as a planning system by all departments at E.ON Grid Solutions GmbH. Extrapolations during the year are efficiently recorded in the system and thus make it possible to keep an eye on ongoing developments. The new system is currently operated regularly by around 30 employees. The software was well received by all users; only the detailed tree structure took some getting used to in the initial phase.
