Uniper Wärme GmbH has completed a major transformation of its IT infrastructure, upgrading its SAP IS-U system P68 to the latest version with SAP S/4HANA Utilities.
This modernisation marks a significant step in future-proofing the company’s application landscape, enabling enhanced cloud capabilities and cost efficiencies, while positioning Uniper Wärme to meet the dynamic demands of the energy sector.
The primary goal of this initiative was to modernise Uniper Wärme’s SAP landscape, moving from its previous supplier to the SAP HANA database. The upgrade to SAP S/4HANA Utilities has provided the company with an efficient, flexible and scalable IT infrastructure, designed to support the business well into the future.
Uniper Wärme, which serves customers in the Ruhr region of Germany, embarked on the modernisation project to overhaul an ageing ERP system that had evolved over the years to include a multitude of SAP and non-SAP modules and interfaces. With growing demands in the energy sector, this system no longer met the company’s needs, and a seamless transition was critical for around 30 users.
A number of challenges were successfully navigated, including integrating existing system functions and ensuring the smooth migration from the previous database. Professional support and comprehensive testing were vital in achieving a smooth transition, ensuring uninterrupted service to ERP customers during the process.
The modernisation project has been a resounding success, with Uniper Wärme now benefitting from enhanced cloud maturity, improved infrastructure efficiency, and the adoption of modern database technologies. The transition has enabled the company to adapt swiftly to evolving market conditions, while continuing to provide a reliable and sustainable energy supply.
Principal advantages of the SAP S/4HANA upgrade were: increased cloud maturity; cost-effective infrastructure; and more flexible, future-proof solutions.
Tobias Beck, Account Director at adesso, said:”We are delighted to have supported Uniper in its transition to SAP S/4HANA and to have been able to implement a more cost-efficient infrastructure and modern database technologies in the Heat division. This will improve Uniper Wärme’s cloud maturity and enable the company to meet future challenges with agility. We are proud to be part of Uniper’s journey and look forward to our continued collaboration.”
Libero Raspa, Managing Director of adesso UK, said:”With adesso’s proven track record on major projects such as Uniper’s, we are well positioned to support UK organisations in their own SAP transformation and ensure they are prepared for future challenges with agility and efficiency. We look forward to bringing this expertise to the UK market and supporting our clients’ growth and innovation.”
With its modernised infrastructure, Uniper Wärme GmbH is well-positioned for continued success in a rapidly evolving energy sector, ensuring that it can meet future challenges with confidence and agility.
We asked Libero Raspa, Managing Director of adesso UK, further questions to find out more.
What were some of the key lessons learned from Uniper Wärme’s transition to SAP S/4HANA Utilities?
A brownfield conversion can also work well. Many customers want to take advantage of the ‘historic’ opportunity when converting to S/4HANA and are then overwhelmed by the complexity. We have learned that it can be worthwhile to focus on the purely technical conversion first and to tackle optimisations, innovations, and new features in a focused manner in the follow-up/productive operation. On the other hand, it is worth taking a simple approach and not getting lost in endless conceptual loops. True to the motto: We just do it!
How does adesso’s experience in the energy sector, such as your work with Uniper, influence your approach to SAP transformations for UK organisations in other industries?
For regulated sectors (such as electricity and gas), brownfield conversion is not possible due to downtime and the introduction of the SAP MaCo cloud. However, for non-regulated sectors, or in other countries with different regulatory requirements, this is a valid approach! The experience we have gained is valuable and helps us to offer successful and efficient transformations in the energy sector or other industries in the UK.
Given the challenges faced during the Uniper project, particularly around system integration and database migration, how does adesso ensure a smooth and seamless transition for its clients?
Through our wide experience in S/4HANA transformations and standardised project management approaches, we can ensure a successful transformation for brownfield, shell conversion and greenfield approach. In the case of the conversion at Uniper Heat, we used SAP standard tools and successfully transformed to S/4HANA Utilities using SUM DMO.
What do you see as the most critical factors in achieving cloud maturity for organisations like Uniper, and how can UK businesses benefit from similar modernisation efforts?
The key factors for achieving cloud maturity include a clear strategic vision, strong governance and investment in employee training. UK businesses can benefit from similar modernisation efforts by gaining increased agility, efficiency and innovation through cloud technologies. To achieve cloud maturity, organisations should implement a phased approach that includes assessing current capabilities, setting measurable goals, and continuously evaluating and optimising cloud services to align with evolving business needs.
Thanks to an efficient and effective brownfield conversion, the technical conditions for a switch to cloud products can be ensured quickly. When the end of maintenance and other factors no longer create pressure, the organisation can focus on these issues and map and implement them in long-term IT strategies.
How does adesso plan to leverage its experience with Uniper Wärme to support other companies in addressing the evolving demands of the energy sector?
Uniper Heat is not the only project that adesso is carrying out for its customers in the energy sector. Experience from a wide range of projects with different scopes, motivations and goals is taken into account when consulting our customers. Thanks to our experience, we know where the SAP standard and thus low-maintenance functionalities are sufficient for the growing requirements of the energy market and where they are not.
In addition, we know where targeted extensions and third-party solutions can be efficiently integrated and where it is better to rely on a custom solution. This diverse experience helps us to support other companies in dealing with the changing requirements in the energy sector.
