Energy industry – Smart meter rollout

"Thanks to consistency's expertise in the energy industry and their extensive competence in the introduction of agile methods, we were able to create the right framework for agile software development at an early stage. Their tireless commitment and respectful interaction with the teams significantly increased the acceptance of the new method and contributed to the dynamic and constructive collaboration. The scaling of Scrum on this scale would not have been conceivable without experienced consultants like those at consistency."

Jan-Wilm Buschkamp
Jan-Wilm BuschkampFormer Head of System Management

"The complexity of the extensive process and system adjustments as part of the smart meter rollout presented us with major challenges. The support of consistency's experienced consultants in the introduction and establishment of Scrum as a method was of crucial importance. The conviction and extraordinary commitment to this agile and constructive way of working, coupled with the high level of specialist and IT knowledge, enabled us to implement the complex requirements across many systems and participants in high quality."

Alexander TitzeHead of System Management - Mitnetz Strom
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The best of both worlds - the smart meter rollout proves that agility and stability are not mutually exclusive

Smart meter rollout at WESTNETZ and MITNETZ STROM

In order to master the energy transition, electricity generation, consumption and electricity grids must be intelligently networked. Intelligent metering systems (iMS) and modern metering equipment (mME) for the digital recording of consumption data, known as smart meters, play a key role in this. The Act on the Digitization of the Energy Transition will kick off the installation of smart meters in 2017.

Assignment

WESTNETZ GmbH and Mitteldeutsche Netzgesellschaft Strom mbH (MITNETZ STROM), two of the largest distribution grid operators in Germany, are planning to replace all old devices in their customers’ households and businesses with mME and iMS by 2032. As part of the smart meter rollout project, the technical and procedural implementation of hardware and software components for the installation, replacement and billing of mMEs and iMSs will be ensured across the board.

When integrating mME and iMS into the existing process and system landscapes of distribution system operators (DSOs) and basic metering point operators (gMSOs), it was important to keep a constant eye on the dynamic changes in legal and regulatory requirements, technical feasibility and market requirements. In the course of implementation, overarching process and system optimization potentials were also identified and implemented, in particular to avoid manual interventions. The five scrum teams also managed the introduction of the market location and metering location on 01.02.2018.

Implementation

In order to reliably master this challenge in the shortest possible time and with continuous quality assurance, the project management decided to implement the project in an agile manner in accordance with the Scrum framework. In the first project phase, the aim was to create the framework conditions for the implementation of agile projects. This included staffing the team, communicating a uniform understanding of the project plan, designing an application to map the Scrum artifacts and creating a comprehensive communication platform. Coaching and daily support for all roles (Chief Product Owner, Product Owner, Scrum Master, developer team, stakeholders) was crucial for the successful implementation of the Scrum framework. consistency took on the role of Scrum Coach and Scrum Master for several teams. Once the basic requirements for agile software development were in place, we started the implementation phase with five Scrum teams in August 2016. The first mMEs went live in spring 2017. The project spanned eight locations across Germany. Around 130 participants, spread across five Scrum teams, designed and developed new solutions across company boundaries with each sprint. Agile scaling was achieved with the help of tools such as the Product Owner Board, Scrum of Scrums, Scrum Master Boards, regular review workshops and Group-wide stakeholder exchanges.

Conclusion

The smart meter rollout shows how agile methods can be used to implement challenging regulatory requirements in established system environments. Early, regular deliveries and firmly established requirements processes are not in conflict with each other, but can be modeled. With this understanding and the willingness to take innovative measures, we are able to deliver fast, valuable results, increase transparency, improve communication and successfully implement the tasks set. In addition to creating a comprehensive technical system foundation to increase performance and quality, the project initiated a noticeable cultural change. The close, constructive and appreciative cooperation between the specialist departments and the IT service providers is a visible expression of this.

5

SCRUM Teams

8

Locations

130

Participants

1.000

User stories formulated

16

Sprints (implemented)

100%

Transparency

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Our core competency lies in the combination of agile methods and stable solutions for challenging management, organisational and transformation tasks. With this experience-based advantage and our very special cohesion, we achieve effective results and sustainable changes.

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