BSI: A Reliable Ecosystem Partner for the Energy & Utilities Sector

The ongoing digital transformation demands a high degree of flexibility from energy and utilities companies (E&Us). On top of that, new challenges in IT architecture are emerging. What changes are already becoming apparent, and what can E&Us rely on with BSI? Our Energy & Utilities Community Manager, Sebastian Louis, discusses these topics in an insightful interview.

Interview with E&U Community Manager Sebastian Louis

"Sebastian, what aspects of digital transformation are currently shaping the industry?"

Sebastian: "First of all, we’re seeing a shift in business models: Consumers increasingly demand personalized services and real-time information. Regional E&Us, in particular, must differentiate themselves from national 'low-cost providers' through their services and bundled offerings to foster customer loyalty. Many companies are rethinking customer interaction and advisory processes. Additionally, data security is a pressing concern. E&U companies face enormous volumes of data and must implement reliable, secure systems to ensure integrity while complying with data protection regulations."

"How can BSI support E&U companies?"

Sebastian: "In the areas of sales, service, and marketing, the BSI Customer Suite provides all the tools necessary for excellent customer consultation and smart communication. Intelligent, AI-supported processes help reduce the workload on customer service teams while improving advisory quality and conserving resources. Moreover, our expertise in security is unparalleled — BSI even helps banks transition to the cloud. Security, data protection, and GDPR compliance are default features with us."

"What specific challenges does IT architecture face?"

Sebastian: "IT infrastructure complexity is a major challenge in any implementation project. Many E&Us are currently dealing with the transformation of SAP IS-U, which will no longer be supported after 2027 following 20 years of service. Such decommissioning has far-reaching implications for IT architecture."

"Is the replacement of SAP IS-U critical for the BSI Customer Suite?"

Sebastian: "No — and this is where we provide peace of mind to our customers. If an E&U company opts for SAP S/4HANA, BSI, as a reliable ecosystem partner, offers the right software solutions and connectors. The BSI Customer Suite is system-agnostic and integrates seamlessly into any existing system landscape. For SAP S/4HANA, for example, our partner DSC Unternehmensberatung und Software GmbH developed a connector that reliably integrates the BSI Customer Suite. DSC, an SAP IT service provider for the energy sector and an SAP Gold Partner, makes this connector available via the SAP Store."

BSI Customer Suite Connector for SAP S/4HANA [APP4UTILITIES]

Perfect-Fit Customer Platform: The SAP Connector enables the BSI Customer Suite to integrate seamlessly with both SAP S/4HANA Utilities Cloud Private Edition and SAP S/4HANA on-premise systems. The SAP Connector app can also be flexibly extended to accommodate future requirements and demands. Available on the SAP-Store.

"Why should E&U customers choose BSI now?"

Sebastian: "Challenging times call for reliable ecosystem partners and, above all, flexible solutions. Our dependable standard software offers a high level of security, configurability, and connectivity to adapt to changes with ease. The BSI Customer Suite is designed to maximize performance in marketing, service, and sales: achieving quick wins with out-of-the-box functionality, fostering growth by gradually digitalizing and redesigning customer relationships, and enabling secure, long-term investments. This is what makes BSI the enabler that turns software into comprehensive solutions."