Nov 21, 2023
•4 minute read
Utilities
Utilities describes a market sector that encompasses organizations that provide products and services in the areas of fundamental amenities like electricity, natural gas, water, and sewage. Due to the nature of services provided, this is a very large sector and organizations in this sector usually have complex business operations. These organizations generally constitute a major part of the economy of any country. Utility companies in U.S. had a market capitalization of approximately $1.5 trillion in March 2021.
Technology in the Utility Industry
Utilities describes a market sector that encompasses organizations that provide products and services in the areas of fundamental amenities like electricity, natural gas, water, and sewage. Due to the nature of services provided, this is a very large sector and organizations in this sector usually have complex business operations. These organizations generally constitute a major part of the economy of any country. Utility companies in U.S. had a market capitalization of approximately $1.5 trillion in March 2021.
Technology in the Utility Industry
Like every other industry, technology is playing a key role in utility industry as well. Due to the nature of the services provided, there is an imperative to provide reliable, safe, and affordable services. The utility industry has long leveraged technology to meet these goals. New and emerging technologies are paving way to help build utility companies build new capabilities in areas like business continuity, operations, distribution, and infrastructure management. While utility companies have already invested in technology and innovation, new technologies like AI and IoT create opportunities to discover more.
Key Considerations for SAPinsiders
SAP and partner technologies are helping utility companies in the following areas:
Business operations systems: With productions like SAP S/4HANA, utilities companies get the ability to run their end-to-end business, and key operations like metering, billing, and customer engagement. Capabilities like SAP Fiori helps generate insights into aspects billing and helps provide opportunities to streamline these processes. There are customized, utility industry specific processes in various modules, like interaction center for the role of a customer service agent.
Intelligent Enterprise: Advances in technology allow utility organizations to evolve into digital energy networks that can allow them to develop new business models and processes, assimilate the prosumer and transform the way these companies work in a competitive and collaborative business environment in this industry today. Specific technologies that help enable this are technology platforms like SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud, process automation & intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), and enterprise analytics.
Solutions? Applications? [RH1]
Redwood Software’s RunMyJobs Joins SAP’s Industry Cloud for Utilities 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. To help with these issues, Redwood Software recently announced the integration of its RunMyJobs solution into SAP’s industry cloud for the utilities sector. The platform manages large-scale transactions from meter data collection to customer billing and payments, enhancing process efficiency. In this blog, we will explore what capabilities this integration will deliver, as well as highlight several success stories relating to the new functionality.
IBM and KPMG Alliance: Strengthening Business Transformations in the Energy and Utilities SectorTwo of the largest organizations in the SAP ecosystem, IBM and KPMG recently unveiled a new and deeper alliance aimed to help energy and utility companies maximize the value of their SAP systems. Between IBM’s decades of solutions experience and the technical knowledge that KPMG has in business transformation, companies can expect significant value from the partnership.
At the crux of the announcement are energy and utility companies and their needs from an SAP S/4HANA implementations. IBM Consulting helps accelerate business transformation through hybrid cloud and AI technologies, leveraging their open ecosystem.
In this article, SAPinsider research director Ogo Nwanyanwu explains the key aspects of the announcements, while offering insights on how this new initiative can benefit SAP organizations in the relevant sectors.
Oct 26, 2023
•2 minute read
EU Tech Sovereignty Package Poses New Cloud and AI Questions for SAP CustomersThe European Commission’s proposed technology sovereignty package could affect how SAP customers in Europe evaluate cloud infrastructure, AI compute, open-source dependencies, and digital supply chain risk. The package remains subject to negotiations, but it signals growing EU scrutiny of the infrastructure and software layers behind enterprise systems.
Jun 11, 2026
•4 minute read
Zero-Day Risk Reshapes SAP Security as Attacks Grow Faster and More ComplexZero-day vulnerabilities are becoming expected in SAP environments. At SAPinsider Las Vegas 2026, experts explained how rising attack frequency, identity-based threats, and patching limitations are reshaping enterprise security strategies.
Mar 20, 2026
•4 minute read
ENGIE elevates its billing process with SAP S/4HANA®ENGIE transformed its billing and customer care processes by migrating from a legacy SAP ERP system to a new SAP S/4HANA Utilities solution with the help of TCS, resulting in enhanced user experiences, improved operational efficiency, and a significant reduction in digital carbon footprint.
Mar 12, 2026
•3 minute read
How SAP Supports Mandated E-Invoicing Compliance Across Global JurisdictionsMandated e-invoicing is reshaping invoice processing, regulatory reporting, and system architecture. This article explains how SAP Business Network and SAP Document and Reporting Compliance support clearance, reporting, and global mandate variation.
Feb 26, 2026
•5 minute read
How Cloud-First Transformation Delivers Strong ROICloud-native architecture is transforming the economics of digital transformation for capital-intensive industries by enabling organizations to replace complex legacy systems with integrated platforms like SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
Feb 23, 2026
•3 minute read
AI, SAP, and 2027: Why Identity Architecture Is Now a Program-Level DecisionAI agents are already operating inside SAP systems, yet most organizations lack visibility and effective control over their privileges. As S/4HANA migration and SAP Identity Management retirement approach, identity architecture is no longer an operational afterthought. It is becoming a structural decision that shapes automation risk, segregation-of-duties integrity, and audit resilience.
Feb 18, 2026
•4 minute read
How a Utility Company Achieved 25% Portfolio Forecasting ImprovementA utility company enhanced portfolio forecasting and scheduling by 25% after implementing an integrated SAP Business Technology Platform solution, replacing fragmented legacy systems, eliminating manual processes and achieving significant future cost reductions.
Feb 16, 2026
•2 minute read
NorthWestern Energy powers digital transformation with SAP S/4HANA®NorthWestern Energy is undergoing a significant transition in the energy industry, collaborating with SNP to migrate its 20-year-old SAP ECC system to SAP S/4HANA, completing the upgrade in just nine months using a rapid implementation approach, which enhances operational efficiency and positions the company for future technological advancements.
Feb 11, 2026
•2 minute read
ADS-TEC Energy Goes Live on SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud to Standardize Global OperationsADS-TEC Energy has gone live on SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud to standardize global finance and operations. The deployment shows how SAP’s public cloud ERP can support complex, project-driven industrial environments.
Jan 28, 2026
•2 minute read
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