With the new year arriving, it is a good opportunity to check on your previous discussions.  Identify those which are still open and which have been solved, either through your own ingenuity or via the help of a forum member.  Identify the solution and mark the response with the correct answer, or add a posting with the information you found which solved your issue.  This will go a long way toward making the forum more beneficial to everyone - and will also help yourselves, since soon there likely will be a return to the limits on the number of open threads per user.  Get ahead of this and make the Utilities space even better for 2015!

Forward-thinking companies in the utilities, oil and gas, mining, chemical and mill products industries are responding to market changes in sometimes suprising ways. Discover how SAP helps energy and natural resources companies innovate rapidly, simplify their business, and respond quickly and profitably to market dynamics.

Please have a look at this video from Peter Maier, General Manager Energy and Natural Resources Industries at SAP on sap.com: Energy and Natural Resources Industries: Thriving in the Face of Market Changes

Check out this new video including perspectives from Energy and Natural Resources customers about innovation, cloud, predictive maintenance.

Customer's include Alliander, Vantage Drilling, Southern California Edison, Pacific Drilling

http://www.sap.com/asset/detail.2014-12-dec.energy-and-natural-resources-industries-thriving-in-the-face-of-market-changes-us-mp4.html

My car is now 17 years old, close to 200k kms, I love it and keep it running. Of course, maintenance and repair is an ongoing issue. Recently, the ‘check engine’ light came on and it stays on. Of course, I could go to an auto repair shop and simply throw money at it. But that bothers me, I'd like to understand what the problem might be. The orange 'check engine' light means that the engine control unit decided there is a significant problem based on sensor data. All cars sold in the US since ’96 and the EU since ’01 must have a standardized onboard diagnostic system (OBD-II) that collects error codes and shows the yellow warning light in case of major trouble. I would like to know the details, then do some research and decide if I try to fix it myself. Reading in a car forum, one guess is that the oxygen sensors are worn (easy to fix) or the catalytic converters need to be replaced (exceeds what I can do). But that’s all guess work, if I could only read the error codes. There are 100+ possible detailed codes like ‘P0135 Oxygen O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1, Sensor 1)’ but all I can see is an orange light in the dashboard. The OBD-II connector in my car is easily accessible next to the cup holder, but I don’t have a way to use it.

What are my options, which solutions are out there?

If I went to a dealership to have it diagnosed, it is $100 for a one time reading of trouble codes and they probably give me the translation of what they suggest to do, not even directly the error codes. They would have connected the interface with a cable to a station or a device in fancy tool case. Those diagnose units are 100s or 1,000s of $.

If I bought a small unit, the cost is $100 - 300, but there are some functional limitations what I read, the usability is low and if there was any trouble, I could only return the unit and get a different one.

Or I could buy an OBD-II adaptor cable for a PC and software for about $50 – 100. I would need to borrow a laptop from my daughter because unfortunately this type of software runs on Windows only.

But there is a new mobile solution. I can buy a small standard OBD-II adapter with Wifi or Bluetooth plus a mobile app than can do all of what I need, the cost is $15 for the adapter and $15 for the app. The risk is low, countless reviews in a car forum suggest it works. Why would I go for any of the other options? I can’t believe it, it’s only $30 to diagnose the engine control unit directly in the car with my phone from now on. It uses the least amount of additional hardware. This is the newest solution on the market and it comes in first.

Mobile wins - why?

Mobility is part of what IDC calls the 3^rd platform (cloud, social and big data are the other parts). Almost all new application development is on the 3^rd platform. Compared to classic applications, mobile solutions are typically simplified, highly usable, cross platform, standardized and easy to deploy. That makes them superior. The term ‘mobile first’ is used very often now but I think it is rather a ‘3^rd platform’ first.

The ‘how to read and reset car trouble codes’ mobile solution above is clearly a 3^rd platform solution if you look at the context. It’s a standard mobile app, it’s marketed and supported via a forum (social & cloud) and I got it from an app store onto my phone (cloud).

The solution is somewhere between a consumer scenario and a professional one with the path to replace the professional solutions. It’s not available in the typical car parts store and the big dealership might not use it because they still have the old diagnostic units from 1996 or so. But if they needed to service or replace their old unit, again, why would they invest hundreds or thousands if the new solution is better?

It’s not very different in the enterprise business context. Think about what it takes to roll out a new solution for maintenance, field service or reporting to employees or contractors. Compare the traditional ‘not 3^rd platform’ solution including client server, desktop, etc. to a ‘3^rd platform’ one using mobile, cloud, social and big data.

How do we from SAP industry solutions look at mobile solutions?

We use the same approach: You want to improve a process or solve a business problem? Together we go into details using personas and understand the context and the expected user experience by an employee, customer or partner. Then we look at standard applications, platforms, integration, application enhancements or development, security and deployment options and present a solution. Now in most cases, the solution includes or is a 3^rd platform solution.

Our mobile portfolio shows this very well, it has evolved and will continue to change. If you are interested to learn more, please contact me or join a workshop. The next one is at the International SAP Conference for Utilities in April in Berlin, Germany:

http://uk.tacook.com/events/conferences/details/international-sap-conference-for-utilities/pre-conference-workshops-monday-13-april-2015.html

Cheers, Robert

To prosper and grow, utilities companies must rethink their business models, and upgrade technology to better serve their customers.

Want to know more. Read Henry Bailey´s blog on SAP Business Innovation:

See also the summary of Henry´s blogs on Insights with Henry

The future of business in the digital information age is now. A network of networks – across social, business, and devices – is creating revolutionary conditions which are creating new opportunities that touch every aspect of the digital value chain regardless of what industry you are in.

The utilities industry is poised to take advantage of new opportunities in the digital age.  From connecting  Suppliers to connecting plants to grids to connecting delivery to connecting customers, IT/OT convergence...new business opportunities abound.  New business opportunities will drive a new economy, an economy that will forever change the utilities industry.  The utilities industry will no longer be just an "industry" but a connected part of the world!

Companies that react and adopt quickly will quickly disrupt the status quo.   These companies will place barriers in the way of slower adopters that will be difficult for the competition to surmount.  And along the way they will grow share and revenue!

Take a look at the CEO perspective on the impacts of the Internet of Things for Utilities.

http://www.sap.com/bin/sapcom/en_us/downloadasset.2014-10-oct-28-03.ceo-perspective-the-internet-of-things-for-utilities…

Seal management is an additional component which one need to get activated in the system. The component is activated with Business Function ISU_LOC_CI_2.

The basic intention is to control the theft and tampering of Meters, and safeguard the Meter Reading process, till the possible extent.

After ACtivation one will get corresponding nodes in SPRO and Device Management--> Technology Tab.

Its just a step by step process to complete the seal management process.

The basic concept lies with Creation of seal/ Materials/ Seal Codes withe their unique numbers.

This component describes the processing or management of Seals in an SAP system. You may place a Seal or more Seals on a meter (device) to prevent its misuse. Seal Management is the process of tracking a Seal as it moves through the different statuses in its life cycle.

Seal Code- A seal code identifies the characteristics of a seal w.r.t material, plant and placement. characteristics like placement of seal internal or external, color, size and dimension. We can have multiple seals with the same Seal code.

Seal- A seal is the unique combination of a Seal Code and a Serial Number. Multiple seals can have the same Seal Code, however, the unique combination of a Seal Code and a Seal Number differentiates the seals from one another. Prerequisites : Seal Code must exists for the Seals that you are creating.

The consequitve steps are:-

1)  Issue-  The system issues the Seal to the Seal Responsible and updates the status history with the change in status.

2)  Allocate- The system Allocates the Seal to the selected device and updates the status history with the change in status.

3) Removal - The system removes the information associating the Seal with the selected device and updates status history with the change in status.

One can view seals allocated to a particular device or equipment using transaction IE03 and IQ03.

One can have seal overview- The seal overview report generates a list displaying information based on your selections on the Seal Overview screen.

Thus the history and different statuses of a Seal can be checked in system.

Types of Seals:-

▶Meta Grip Seal

▶Pull tight Security Seal

▶Ball Lock Security Seal

▶Cable Seal

▶Mini Tite Security seal

▶Pad-lock seal

▶Tamper Evident seal

▶Bolt Contanier seal

▶Drum secure seal

▶Hasp Lock Seal

▶Saflock seal

▶Posibolt barrier seal

▶Twist lock ties seal

▶Anchor seal

Advantages:-

▶A way of Revenue protection and loss prevention

▶Seals are tamper-indicating devices used to detect and report unauthorized access.

▶They give an indication of tampering and unauthorized access.

▶Fool proof monitoring of devices against theft and theft handling

Thanks & Regards,

Sachin

Dear Utilities Community,

Here is a quick note to let you know that the early bird discount for the upcoming International SAP Conference for Utilities, ends Friday, the 13th of February.

To view prices and to register, visit http://uk.tacook.com/iuc2015

Also, the event brochure is now LIVE; packed with case studies from CenterPoint Energy, Enerya, PG&E, AGL, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Hydro One, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, ENBW, SEC and other leading utilities companies.

We expect over 1000 attendees from all over the world to attend the event and we would be happy to welcome you.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Best Regards,
Melanie

By James McClelland, Senior Global Director, Utilities & Energy Industry, SAP

In more and more areas of the world, concerns about the availability of an adequate supply of fresh water are increasing. Pollution, climate change, and a growing population are putting strain this valuable resource. What can water utilities do to help address this concern? What can you and I do to be socially responsible? That’s what I’ll be touching on in this blog.

Fast facts on the water supply

Here are some facts about waterthat you probably learned in school:

• The water on Earth has been here since Earth was formed, changing
  from solid to liquid to gas in an endless loop.
• The Earth will not produce any new water; what we have
  now is it.
• Only 1% of the water on Earth is available to us as fresh
  water – the rest is locked in glaciers or is saltwater. It's our liquid gold.

Our water is a precious resource that we’re using faster than natural processes can replenish it. And when it is returned, it’s being
distributed unevenly. Areas that once had an abundance of water are experiencing shortages while others are being flooded during extreme weather events.

The ripple effect of water shortages

With climate change and shifting weather patterns, we're seeing water shortages in our own backyards. In a report by the US Government Accountability Office, 40 of 50 state water managers expect shortages in some portion of their states under average conditions in the next 10 years. A USA Today articlereviews the states with the highest levels of severe drought, which include Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Nevada, and California.

Drought is not just a problem for the immediate regions affected. There’s a ripple effect that’s far reaching. For example, California,
which grows an abundance of fruits and vegetables, is experiencing a record drought. As fields are drying up, so too are farm jobs and produce supplies. The economic toll that starts with job loss ripples its way to consumer pockets in the form of higher prices for less available produce.

How utilities can help preserve our water supply

Leakage is one of the biggest causes of water loss. Here in North America, much of the water that’s supplied to the public is carried
through underground infrastructures that were put in place almost a century ago.. As pipes corrode over time, leaks occur, which not only impacts water supply but the water quality as well. Utilities can make a dramatic contribution to water conservation by using intelligent metering. This technology is no longer just for electric utilities.

Smart meters can play a major role in helping water utilities monitor and detect leaks. Utilities can ask and answer the question:
If a gallon goes in, does a gallon come out? If the answer is no, then smart meters can help a utility understand if that’s due to leakage or evaporation. If it’s leakage, then utilities can enable geospatial-type applications to pinpoint the location of the leak so they can fix it.

Adopting responsible water use habits

You and I can have an impact on water conservation. The average American taking a five-minute shower probably uses more water than an average person in a developing country uses in entire day. We’re very fortunate to have access to fresh water and the luxury of taking leisurely, daily showers – but we’re really the ones that need to up our conservation efforts.

There are many simple ways we can conserve water without much effort. The Web site Water Use It Wiselyoffers nearly 200 water-saving tips that you easily adopt, such as:

When ice cubes are leftover from your drink, don’t throw them out. Pour them on a plant.

• Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 150 gallons per month.
• Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak. Fix it and start saving gallons.
• Run your washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
• At home or while staying in a hotel, reuse your towels.
• Catch water in an empty tuna can to measure sprinkler output. 3/4 to 1 inch of water is enough to apply each time you irrigate.
• Next time you add or replace a flower or shrub, choose a low-water-use plant and save up to 550 gallons each year.

By adopting these simple measures, the public can have a big impact on improving the water supply. By repairing the water infrastructure and investing in intelligent metering, utilities can have a huge impact as well. Whether funding for the repairs comes from government subsidies or increased water rates, the infrastructure needs to be upgraded, and the sooner the better. These steps can go a long way to keep us as a planet from being in a very, very difficult position.

I welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation with you about conserving our water supply. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

I am recently performing an upgrade activity from CRM 5 to CRM 7 Ehp 3 for utilities. In this blog I would like to share the list of activities which are a “Must Do” for the Utilities interaction centre and the sales process to run. Without these activities the search process for existing master data would not work.

SAP has done a lot of structural changes for technical master data from CRM 5 to CRM 7 Ehp3. Few of the key tables such as ISU_POD and IBIN structures have changed and few new tables such as ECRM_ISU_TO_IDX and ECRM_ISU_EVBS has been introduced for performance improvement in search criteria .Thus the existing data needs to be remediated as a part of upgrade activity in order to use it in the new environment .

Thus the following steps needs to be followed to remediate the existing data .In CRM, go to SPRO>Customer Relationship Management >Industry-Specific Solutions>Utilities Industry>Adaption Reports for Address and Performance Improvements

This configuration opens up an array of programs which is required for existing technical master data remediation:

• The first option changes the address group of the existing connect object and POD in ADRC in CRM from IB01 / IB02 to ISUA and ISUB respectively.
• The second program is being run to fill the premise index table ECRM_ISU_EVBS.  This table is required for the premise search to be successful in the technical master data search profiles and in identification profiles.
• The third program fills up new index table ECRM_ISU_TO_IDX. This table stores important keys for table joins. This table also should be filled up for existing data for search to be enabled. This program runs in foreground and creates queues in CRM.
• The fourth program converts the IN_GUID in IBIN table from RAW 22 to RAW 16. This is also required for existing technical master data search.
• The fifth program is required to switch of the index table update during data migration. This is not required to be run during upgrade
• The last program fills the premise GUID in the ISU _POD table. This is also required to be run for all existing technical master data.

There is no order of running these programs.

Apart from the technical master data changes mentioned above SAP has also provided the table BUTADRSEARCH which enhances the business partner search. This functionality gets activated by activating the business function CRM_PERFORMANCE_2 which provides the program BPADRSEARCH_FILL to fill up the table for all existing business master data.

Hope the information shared will help others in the community.

Admittingly, it is not always easy to find out what SAP is developing and if it is worth doing an upgrade or not!
Or you, as an SAP customer and partner, might just want to be informed about what new functionality was delivered with a certain release or enhancement package.

With our new Innovation Discovery tool - part of the SAP Service Marketplace - we would like to make your life a lot easier.

(SAP Service Marketplace is just for customers and partners: read what it is and how you can get access SAP Service Marketplace Overview and FAQ)

By the way, a nice feature is the fact that you can download or share these innovations with colleagues (see end of blog).

By showing you two examples from the Utilities Industry, I would like to illustrate how best to search:

Access the Innovation Discovery tool:

Either directly: http://service.sap.com/innovation-discovery

Or:

1. Go to the SAP Service Marketplace.
2. At the top of the page, choose Improvements & Innovation.
3. Choose Log in here.
4. On the left-hand side, choose Innovation Discovery for SAP Products.
5. On the right-hand side, under Access, choose Start Application.
   You can see that there are ... innovations.
6. Now you can choose:
   • for Utilities innovations, Industries --> Utilities and then close the window again.
     You will see 433 innovations (in the orange box) on the right top part of the screen.
   • for other innovations, choose the industry or areas of responsibility you wish to search for.

Example 1 - How to find CRM - Multichannel Foundation innovations.

1. In the Search for all innovations field at the top left, enter multichannel.
   
   Click to enlarge the graphic.
   
2. Then choose Search by Selection at the top right.
   
   This takes you to the list of the already delivered two Utilities Multichannel innovations.
   
3. For more details, you can then click on the tiltles of each innovation and select the individual Product Features.
4. You can also filter by product versions and Enhancement Package.
   
5. Go back to the entry page, by choosing the Home button.
   

Example 2 - How to find EAM usabilty innovations.

1. In the Search for all innovations field at the top left, enter eam usability.
   A list of 17 innovations appears.
   
   
2. Click on the first title (Usability improvements in the SAP Enterprise Asset Management Solution).
   Here you can see, for example, if this innovation requires additional licenses, in this case it does not.
   
3. For further details, such as more screenshots, demos and presentations, click on the third product feature (Enhancements for Maintenance Orders).
   
4. You can download the contents or share this link by choosing one of the following options on the top right side of the page.
   

Have fun discovering our innovations!

The SAP HANA Live for UtilitiesQ1/2015 edition for SAP ERP provides new queries for Device Management and for process monitoring in the area of Invoicing.

Using SAP HANA Live, business users can now gain insight into stock information for their devices and find answers to questions such as:

• How many and what type of devices are available in which plant and storage location?
• Are sufficient devices of a specific device category in stock at a specific storage location? Is procurement needed?
• Are goods movements between storage locations necessary in order to carry out scheduled device installations for a specific grid area?

The new queries for Invoicing provide business users information for the following KPIs:

• Number of billing documents ready for invoicing
• Number of outsorted invoicing documents
• Number of posted invoicing documents
• Number of printed invoicing documents
• Number of reversed invoicing documents
• Number of simulated invoicing documents
• Sum of total amount of invoicing documents

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More information about SAP HANA Live for Utilities:

• Release Notes and Product Documentation on the SAP Help Portal
• Learning Material on the SAP Service Marketplace(SAP Service Marketplace is just for customers and partners: read what it is and how you can get access SAP Service
  Marketplace Overview and FAQ)

SAP Multichannel Foundation for Utilities and Public Sector will be an important topic at the upcoming 10th edition of the International SAP Conference for Utilities - taking place in Berlin/Germany from 13 to 15 April 2015. There will be numerous opportunities to learn more about the product, to meet SAP experts and also to network with your peers from the utilities industry:

• On Monday 13 April, join the pre-conference workshop offered by SAP experts, explaining the SAP Multichannel Foundation for Utilities and Public Sector in detail:
  • The morning session (Workshop 8: Customer Engagement – Solutions and Enhancements for a Better Customer Experience) will focus on SAP solution offerings, business values and strategic roadmap - hence its primary target group are business decision makers and influencers.
  • The afternoon session (Workshop 9: Get the Ultimate Customer Experience for Your Company Without Breaking the Bank) will go into features and functions, architecture and extensibility, and will also discuss experiences from customer implementations - hence its targeting a more technical audience.
• On Tuesday 14 April (14h45 - 15h25), Juergen Kuhmann and Wasim Arafat will explain in the opening presentation of the Customer-centric track how MCF fits into SAP’s customer engagement strategy.

• Later on the same day (17h30 – 18h10), Sita Sarah Johana Mohd Said (from Tenaga Nasional Berhard) and Russell Boyer (Utegration) will talk about their recent MCF implementation project.
• Throughout both conference days (Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 April), MCF will also be covered at the microforum.
• And of course SAP experts (Wasim Arafat, Juergen Kuhmann and Michael Ernzerhoff), will also be available on both days for an individual meeting with you to discuss your specific questionsl.

Stay tuned for more details, and don’t forget to sign up for the conference! Take advantage of the early bird fee available until 13 February.

To get regular updates follow us on Twitter SAP Industries #SAPUtilities .

The UK water industry is facing new challenges in the form of price setting methodology 2015 -2020, or AMP6, and the Water Act/Water Bill. The next few years will be significant in shaping how the water industry works over the next few decades and is perhaps the most significant change since privatisation. So do you see this as a threat to your business or as an opportunity to grow? Is your glass half full or half empty?

When you look at all the changes planned in the UK water market

Do you think (Threat)

• Will I need to change my organisation?
• Will I have to re-think my business and IT landscape?
• How will I need to change my business processes and data model?

Or do you think (Opportunity)

• How can I move from an Asset centric to Customer centric organisation
• What are the different new business opportunities that can arise due to deregulation?
• What can I do differently?

Irrespective of whether you see this as an Opportunity or a Threat, SAP has been helping water companies around the globe to Run simple and:

• Become a Customer Centric Organisation
• Transition towards Market Liberalisation
• Optimise Asset Utilitsation
• Have an Efficient Core
• Make Informed Decisions

Over the next few Blogs I will try and explain how SAP is making a difference and can help your organisation become a best run water company and supplier of choice for customers.

If you would like to know how SAP can help you, then why not join us on 5^th March at SAP’s offices in Maidenhead.

Deregulation is an old and boring topic? Not at all.

See how the mature existing markets evolve and which new markets are about to enter the deregulation path.

Regardless if you're company is located in a mature or evolving market, this workshop at the International Utilities Conference in Berlin will provide you with the newest information about the SAP IDEX solutions for deregulated markets.

You never deployed prepayment options for your customers because the infrastructure is too complex and/or expensive?

Learn how the SAP solution for prepayment will allow you to use the prepayment option without further investment into a technical infrastructure.

Simply use your smart meter and the IS-U backend system (with some new features of course...)

What are the impacts of smart metering?

We will look at Germany as an example: what are new requirements coming from smart meter rollout?

We will give an overview how SAP is involved and how we engage with our customers. This will also include a quick introduction into a new solution required from the German Renewable Energy Law (EEG). Although this is German specific, the basic principles are likely to be required in other markets as well.

Where do you get all this?

Come to Workshop 7 at the International Utilities Conference in Berlin.

Enabling the Intelligent Grid was already a big topic at SAP confereneces in recent years. At the International SAP Conference for Utilities 2015 we are especially focusing on how utilities get value from the Intelligent Grid. And this not only relates to T&D companies but also to Retailers and Generators.

In the Intelligent Grid track on day 1 of the conference we will

• give an outlook on the latest initiatives and developments from SAP and partners dealing with the Intelligent Grid
• share customer examples from all parts of the value chain
• have customers on stage from all over the world including AGL (Australia), Fujian EPC (China) and E.ON (Europe)

Topics in these customer presentations range from Digital Metering to Grid Overload Analysis and to Situational Intelligence. In addition CenterPoint Energy (US) will talk about the Intelligent Grid in their keynote on day 1.

To further deepen the discussion you may also join the microforum "Utilities and SAP jointly enable the Intelligent Grid - Current Co-Innovation Projects" that takes place at both days of the conference and visit some of the many partners who focus on grid topics including BTC, Cognizant, enersis, ESRI, Landis&Gyr and Space Time Insight.

With deregulation comes competition. There are many quotes that site if you want to be successful you need to know your competition, but who is the competition?

In the 1990’s, if you told me that I would be buying my milk from my local gas station, and that the gas station was now a competitor to the grocery store, or that the grocery store would be a competitor to the banking system because I can get cash without paying those annoying ATM fees, I just never saw that coming.

Now for the utilities industry, who will ultimately be the competition, not just the neighboring utility.

Both my children are now in university and when we were picking out their courses, we realized that they were building their careers for jobs that do not yet exist.

The next generation utility must reinvent themselves, and no longer just be a traditional utility to succeed. They must understand and leverage new technologies quickly to maintain a competitive advantage.

An example is social media. Again, my children are now new customers to the utilities industry. How is the utility industry attracting their attention? If you are sending a paper marketing notice to my daughter, I am not sure she knows where her mailbox is in the apartment complex she lives in. If they try to call her, heck, she doesn’t answer the phone when I call. Text messages get deleted, email has gone the way of the albatross to that generation, Facebook may be an option, although my son, just a few years younger, that generation no longer uses Facebook.

Utilities need to take on new market models, and provide additional services that just electricity, gas and water.

McKinsey offers good insight into recommended new business models for utilities.

To be successful in the future utilities should consider adopting at least two to three of the following business models.

The Distributor–utilities should purchase in bulk to acquire a discount price, then resell at a profit to their customer base. Examples of this would include solar panels, energy efficient appliances such as tank-less water heaters, programmable thermostats or home charging stations.

The After-Sales Specialists – once a customer has purchased a new energy product or service, the utility should offer ongoing maintenance or evaluations on how their customers can maximize the usage of their new item. This could also include offering maintenance contracts, leasing and warranties.

The Lead Generator – when marketing to their customer base, the utility could provide potential leads to other partner companies that offer products their customers are interested, and then receive a lead generator fee from the partner company. This could include any service such as energy efficiency products and services, home security services telecommunication services, and many more.

The Aggregator– utilities have been talking about this for years to aggregate billing on a single bill, but now this has come to fruition in other ways. Imagine that you schedule your move to another premise and your electric utility will take care of address and service change for gas water, telecommunications, and cable?....Oh my wife would be happy.

These are exciting times we face in the new energy world.

On April 13-15, we will be holding our 10^th SAP International Utilities Conference in Berlin, Germany. Come learn what other utilities from around the world have in mind to become the Utility of the Future.

I am interested in hearing how you view the future, and with regard to the competition….never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.

Products and Buttons in the Product Finder and Configurator (PFC) as of SAP CRM 7.0 EHP3 SP05

What Has Changed?

As of Enhancement Package 3 (SP05) for SAP CRM 7.0, you can sell materials and services in the Interaction Center that are not utilities-specific in addition to utilities products (quotations/contracts) in the Interaction Center.

This means that you can search for and assign materials and other service products to a PDO directly as components in the PMU (not indirectly using packages). The BRFplus rule for the “Product List” is able to return this type of product.

New Buttons in PFC as of SP05

We have introduced new buttons in the PFC for the material and service products, which can now be displayed in the PDO result list, to reflect their different selling processes:

• If the result list contains a material, the Sales Order button is displayed.

• If the result list contains a service product, which is not a utilities product, the Service Order and Service Contract buttons are displayed.
• If the result list contains utilities products, the Quotation and Contract buttons are displayed as usual.

See how the button control works:

• If at least one product with one of the different product types is included in a result list, the product type-specific buttons appear in the button area for this list, next to other possible buttons.
• The buttons in every result list are specific to the products in this list.
• Visible does not mean active:
  The different buttons are only activated, if at least one corresponding product in this list has been put into the basket.
  There is one exception here: If the result list only contains exactly one product, the corresponding buttons are active as a default setting.

Which Products are Copied when Using the Buttons?

Only products to which the button that belongs to the list is assigned and which have already been added to the shopping basket, are relevant for the selling process.

There is one exception: If the list contains exactly one product, this product is picked when you click on a selling button, even if it is not marked for the basket. It is then added to the shopping basket automatically.

If products with different types in this list are added to the shopping basket, when you click on the selling buttons, a dialog box appears informing you that the system only transfers the products that are specific to this button.

What Does the Selling Transaction Look Like?

The utilities products (buttons Quotation and Contract) are still sold using the utilities three-step guided procedure.

If you sell materials using the button Sales Order, this starts a dynamic navigation to the standard UI object type 'BT115_SLSO'.

If you sell service products (that are not utilities products) using the button Service Order, this starts a dynamic navigation to the standard UI object type 'BT116_SRVO'.

If you sell service products (that are not utilities products) using the button Service Contract, this starts a dynamic navigation to the standard UI object type 'BT112_SC'.

IS-U Identification (Business Partner)

As is also the case for the utilities products, if materials or other service products are sold in the PFC using the buttons Sales Order, Service Order or Service Contract, the system first checks whether a business partner has been identified by the utilities identification. If this is not the case, before navigating to the selling transaction or the object, the system navigates to the utilities identification and the user is forced to identify a business partner there first. Once they have done so, this automatically triggers a forward navigation to the selling transaction or the object required.

How Are the Transaction Types Handled?

When navigating to the standard transaction or object for non utilities-specific product types, the system creates a new document there. To support the business transaction type decision for the new document, we have built in a check to identify whether the (package) Customizing setting Process Type Determination for Subdocuments has been maintained (You can find this setting in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management -> Industry-Specific Solutions -> Utilities Industry -> Transactions -> Settings for Utilities Transactions).

If the process type for subdocuments has been maintained, the system uses these settings, because the decision which transaction type has to be used is also made there. If the result is not unique, the decision is left open, meaning that the role customizing comes into play and you as the user may have to make a decision.

Which Information Is Transferred?

The following list shows which information is transferred from the PFC result list item to the new selling document:

• Business partner identified by the utilities identification as the new “sold-to party”
• Products (product ID)
• Product short texts
• IPC configurations for the products
  
  Exception: This only works, if a “sales organization” can be determined uniquely.

The “One Document” Principle

The system should only create one new document for every standard transaction/object. This means that if the user leaves the transaction without cancelling or saving and Returns to the PFC, when they navigate to this Transaction again (using the selling buttons), the system reuses the old document and does not create a new one. The existing items are retained and new items are added.

New Navigation Bar Entries Available

A new dropdown menu is available for the navigation entry Product Finder & Configurator, which contains the values Sales Order, Service Order and Service Contract. You can navigate directly to the corresponding standard transaction or object from these entries. As described in the section “The One document principle”, there must always only be one relevant document.

During this navigation, no products are transferred from the PFC to the standard transaction/object required.

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