Redwood Software’s RunMyJobs Joins SAP’s Industry Cloud for Utilities 

⇨ Redwood Software recently announced the integration of its RunMyJobs solution into SAP’s industry cloud for the utilities sector.

⇨ Prioritizing the automation of end-to-end processes, particularly in areas like meter-to-cash, is essential.

⇨ It is vital that companies in sectors like utilities utilize systems that offer real-time visibility into financial operations.

Redwood Software recently announced the integration of its RunMyJobs solution into SAP’s industry cloud for the utilities sector. Recognized as a preferred option by SAP Utilities leaders, RunMyJobs offers a solution for the meter-to-cash process, which SAP does not natively address. The platform manages large-scale transactions from meter data collection to customer billing and payments, enhancing process efficiency. 

Kevin Greene, CEO of Redwood Software, emphasizes the integration’s significance: “Utility companies service hundreds of thousands to millions of customers, making meter-to-cash a complex, mission-critical process. RunMyJobs’ integration with SAP systems automates these operations, ensuring accuracy and speed. This results in faster cash flow and improved customer experience.” 

Addressing Cash Visibility Challenges in Utility Organizations 

The utility industry continues to modernize, and with that evolution comes the challenge of processing an ever-increasing amount of data. The efficient management of cash is a particularly important task, yet achieving global visibility of it remains elusive for most utility companies. According to the SAPinsider Cash Management and Visibility report, few companies succeed in achieving this vital visibility, citing manual processes, non-integrated systems, and departmental silos as significant impediments. The solution to these challenges lies in automating and streamlining meter-to-cash processes through platforms like RunMyJobs. This step is crucial in accelerating operations, improving customer and employee services, and achieving global visibility of critical data in the utility industry. 

SAP’s Strategy for Utilities 

The integration of RunMyJobs into SAP’s utilities industry cloud is part of SAP’s strategy to expand industry-specific solutions through the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). This approach aims to create tailored solutions for the utilities sector, enhancing operational efficiency. By adding RunMyJobs, SAP strengthens its ability to automate complex processes in utilities, reflecting its commitment to addressing the unique challenges of this industry. 

Additionally, SAP’s strategy highlights its focus on digital transformation in utilities. Incorporating advanced solutions like RunMyJobs into its cloud portfolio demonstrates SAP’s effort to drive innovation and improve operations in this sector. This strategy aims to equip utility companies with the necessary tools and capabilities to adapt to market changes and future challenges, ensuring they are prepared for a digital-first environment. 

Detailed Benefits of the Integration 

• Seamless Integration and Easy Setup: RunMyJobs integrates with SAP Industry Solutions-Utilities (IS-U), S/4HANA Utilities, and Industry Cloud, offering easy setup of meter-to-cash workflows. 
• Improved Billing and Customer Support: The solution delivers reliable and accurate customer billing, reducing the need for customer support. 
• Enhanced Billing and Cash Flow Control: It provides full control over billing and cash flow optimization with real-time visibility. 
• Comprehensive SAP Certifications: RunMyJobs is certified for SAP S/4HANA, SAP Integration Suite, SAP Cloud Platform Integration, and SAP Data Services. 
• Support for RISE with SAP journey: It supports customers in their RISE with SAP journey with deep SAP integrations and specialized support. 
• Enterprise-Level Support: The solution ensures constant support and reliability with high service-level agreements. 

Devin Gharibian-Saki, Redwood’s Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy, remarks on the integration: “The inclusion of RunMyJobs by Redwood as part of SAP Industry Cloud for Utilities brings a lot of strategic advantages to all parties involved – Redwood, SAP, and utility providers. With RunMyJobs already SAP’s #1 recommended workload automation platform, this integration further deepens Redwood’s more than two decades-long partnership with SAP while enhancing SAP’s offerings with a crucial function for utilities: meter-to-cash orchestration.” 

Utility Industry Success Story: Stadtwerke München (SWM) 

Stadtwerke München (SWM), a major municipal utility in Germany,  integrated RunMyJobs with its SAP platform for critical processes, including meter-to-cash. Johannes Demmelhuber, IT System Manager at SWM, shares their experience: “Redwood offers an extensive range of possibilities for automation, and orchestration works excellently. But the best thing is — it just runs.” 

Devin Gharibian-Saki provides additional insights into SWM’s success with the integration, “To deliver this solution, data from more than 25 different applications and sources needs to be loaded into a central SAP HANA database, which is the foundation for this solution. This was particularly challenging as not only did SWM need to connect those data sources, but they also needed to ensure that the data is loaded in the right order for consistency. They needed to ensure that this load happened as quickly as possible so that the call center agents have the most accurate data at hand. Ultimately, this solution was only possible with the capabilities of RunMyJobs, which ensures that all of the above is achieved.” 

The announcement from Redwood Software is a crucial development for utility companies, offering opportunities to improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, and financial health. This update enables utility companies to automate essential processes like meter-to-cash orchestration and make faster, data-informed decisions. Integrating RunMyJobs into SAP’s Industry Cloud helps utility companies stay competitive and adapt to changing market conditions in an industry with complex customer demands.

What does this mean for SAPinsiders? 

Prioritize end-to-end process automation. For finance leaders in utilities organizations running SAP finance systems, prioritizing the automation of end-to-end processes, particularly in areas like meter-to-cash, is essential. Automation tools can significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of complex, high-volume operations, improving cash flow management and operational efficiency. 

Integrate and streamline data management. Implement solutions that facilitate the integration and streamlined data processing from various sources. Efficient data management is crucial for maintaining accuracy in billing and financial reporting. Tools that can handle large volumes of data from diverse systems, ensuring timely and orderly processing, are invaluable in the utility sector. 

Leverage real-time data for financial decision-making. Utilize systems that offer real-time visibility into financial operations. In the fast-paced utility industry, having access to real-time data enables more precise financial control, better forecasting, and strategic decision-making. This approach is key for adapting to market changes and maintaining financial stability. 

Adapt to Enterprise Transformation trends in the Utilities Industry. Stay aligned with the broader trends of enterprise transformation in the utility industry. Embracing innovative solutions integrated with SAP’s offerings can help utility organizations stay competitive and efficient. Adapting to digital trends is about adopting new technologies and evolving operational models to meet the changing needs and customer expectations in the utilities sector.