The energy supply in Germany is currently facing major changes and the goal of significantly reducing greenhouse gases emitted by production by 2050. At the same time, a smooth and reliable nationwide energy and power supply is to be ensured. In this context, power grid operators are an essential component for a smooth transition to a climate-friendly and sustainable energy supply and form the link between energy producers and customers.
As 4C GROUP, we do not want to abdicate our responsibility in the upcoming energy transition and want to make a valuable contribution through our expertise in the field of management consulting for power grid operators by accompanying power grid operators on their way to sustainable transformation. In order to be prepared for the diverse challenges, on the technical, regulatory and process level, we would like to contribute our many years of expertise in the energy industry and support the top decision-makers of the power grid operators to position themselves more sustainably and innovatively in the central fields of action.
Secure the Backbone - Decentralized infrastructures as the backbone of the energy transition
The intended energy turnaround is steadily increasing the importance of power grid operators and their infrastructure in Germany, as an ever more comprehensive energy supply is becoming necessary. This infrastructure forms the central backbone of the energy transition in Germany and is an essential component for a future-proof power supply. In order to meet the demands of comprehensive energy supply, modern and reliable networks are necessary, as is a high degree of automation and digitization.
However, cybercriminals are also increasingly recognizing the importance that power grid operators have for society and are deliberately seeking out those companies in the energy sector. These are usually particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks due to their decentralized structure, as well as the dependencies between the production and IT networks.
The geographical and structural complexity in particular makes it difficult for decision-makers to create the necessary transparency, especially at the interface between OT and IT networks, which is further increased by, for example, the nationwide expansion of electric charging stations for cars.
In order to master the challenges in the area of cybersecurity, we develop customized solutions and approaches together with our customers. This includes identifying critical business processes and evaluating their cybersecurity resilience. Similar to the business processes, the underlying data is also considered in depth. Since this data is rarely stored centrally in one place these days, but is often stored decentrally in a variety of different locations - in the cloud, at external service providers or on premise - an individual examination and assessment is necessary. This ensures that all data meets the right protection requirements and is protected from unauthorized access.
Expand the Expertise - Communication technology as a pioneer for the utility metwork of the future
The convergence of IT and OT networks is steadily increasing. This development does not stop at the energy sector and requires the right decisions, especially from operators of power grids in Germany.
More than 20 years ago, process and office communication networks were still strictly separated and the actual core business of the industry was in the area of process communication (so-called "utility communication"). Currently, a clear overlap of the two network segments can be seen more and more, as they are already connected at some points - especially for monitoring, maintenance purposes or remote access.
Looking into the future, it is highly likely that processes as well as office communication networks will have converged and integrated completely.
Conversely, this ongoing convergence means that the focus of power grid operators will move from operating a pure process data network to a conglomerate of OT and IT. A key insight here is that (network) technologies that are already used today in IT and office communication will form a fundamental pillar of utility communication in the future. For power grid operators, this means retaining, consolidating and further expanding the expert knowledge required for this within the company. It is therefore all the more important to address the forthcoming requirements in detail today in order to be able to operate the future joint production and IT network securely and in the long term.
Plan the Workforce - Finding and developing skilled personnel with strategic workforce planning & development
Demand from power grid operators for well-trained specialists - network engineers, IT specialists or cybersecurity engineers - is high and will continue to grow in the future. At the same time, however, the nationwide shortage of skilled workers presents companies with major challenges in finding and retaining suitable skilled personnel.
Strategic Workforce Planning helps to identify the right requirements for future employees and their necessary skills, derived from the corporate strategy, in order to position the company in the market with a secure future. The necessary prerequisite for this is a defined service portfolio, a coordinated sourcing strategy, and the definition of the individual vertical integration for each service (internal vs. external service provision).
Once the basic skills required to provide the services have been determined in Strategic Workforce Planning, the right measures for implementing the strategy are defined in Workforce Development. To do this, employees are first assigned to the defined job/skill profiles in order to identify possible action requirements. To do this, it is crucial to carry out an individual assessment of the development opportunities and areas of interest of each employee. The identified needs serve as the basis for a continuous build-up of competencies within the workforce (so-called "upskilling")
In addition to developing existing employees, it is also important to recruit qualified personnel. Accordingly, it is important to understand and actively address the requirements and needs of the relevant target groups. In addition, it is essential that those responsible actively participate in the recruiting process and develop suitable measures together with HR, as well as regularly review the success of the measures taken. This proactive approach enables personnel requirements to be identified in good time, applicants to be recruited in a targeted manner and understaffing to be reduced.
Enable the Leader- Targeted Transformation as the Basis for Future Issues
The current challenges of the energy industry, such as the increasing volatility of power generation through renewable energies, raw material shortages as a result of the Corona crisis, or the digital transformation of power grids into smart grids, require faster decisions and a clear leadership orientation.
In order to successfully address the future issues of the energy industry, far-reaching organizational, operational and technical changes must be implemented in the coming years. Such changes, whether initiated internally or due to external influences, require clear objectives, efficient processes and continuous management. With our management and industry expertise, we support our clients in all leadership topics for a successful transformation.
Especially in times of major change, it is important to know where your own strengths lie. Together with our clients, we develop a business capability map and identify differentiating capabilities that support their own business model today and in the future. Assessing the future viability and sustainability of the differentiating capabilities and technologies (e.g., through maturity analyses) provides information about the most important fields of action for innovation and transformation. Based on the strategic fields of action and goals, we identify the relevant project portfolio with our customers and moderate targeted decisions.
Due to increasingly ambitious energy targets and the restructuring of the energy sector, transformation projects must be implemented quickly and are also subject to growing public attention. Added to this is the responsibility for critical infrastructures and regulatory frameworks. The successful and efficient implementation of transformation projects is therefore subject to special challenges for power grid operators. With our many years of experience, both in project management and in the energy industry, we provide support in large-scale project management by setting up and managing an adequate project organization, board reporting and moderation of decision-making bodies, and by providing methodological expertise, among other things.
Our consulting services at a glance
We have proven expertise in the energy industry, specific technology know-how, as well as interdisciplinary competencies from other CxO areas. This broad repertoire distinguishes us and enables us to take a holistic view of our clients' challenges and to develop comprehensive and tailor-made solutions. As a management consultancy, we support our clients in strategic energy & utilities issues as well as in the management and implementation of future transformation. In doing so, we can draw on our many years of experience in the energy industry and our knowledge of the specific challenges faced by power grid operators.
