New deal makes SAP first choice for utilities

8 June 2011

New deal makes SAP first choice for utilities

WEL Networks in the Waikato has chosen SAP Business All-in-One with Soltius New Zealand as their implementation partner, less than six months after utility services contractor Connetics made the decision to do the same.

Electricity distribution company WEL selected the SAP best practices solution to replace their financial and asset management systems, with the implementation project to kick-off this month.

The SAP solution will replace their Maximo, JDE and Microsoft Dynamics software. WEL Network’s GM - Corporate Services, David Smith, says they went with SAP and Soltius because of their track record. ”Initially we had an open mind about whether we would replace our legacy Asset Management software with a best-of-breed solution or whether we would do a full systems replacement.
“As a result of the evaluation process, we came to the conclusion that the business would benefit the most from a fully integrated ERP. At that point SAP Business All-in-One was the obvious choice based on the end-to-end functionality and Soltius’ experience in similar businesses to ours.”

Connetics - a subsidiary of Canterbury power network owner Orion - chose SAP at the end of 2010, but has delayed the Soltius-led implementation until this month due to the Christchurch earthquake.

SAP’s inroads in the utility sector are not restricted to the electricity industry either, with Auckland’s water and wastewater services supplier Watercare currently implementing SAP in a project on which Soltius is the prime delivery partner.

Along with current Soltius customers Delta Utility Services in Dunedin and Unison Networks in central North Island, this shows that SAP has become the first choice solution for companies in that industry, says Soltius Director Jim Brodie.

“The utility sector is moving fast, with fiber deployment, smart metering and next generation networks placing increasing demands on internal systems and making a single, integrated solution essential for coping with the changing business models.

“Already a significant player in the utility sector in New Zealand, SAP continues to develop its core ERP solution and has a very clear roadmap for supporting utility customers. Coupled with its strong acceptance as a mid market solution, SAP and Soltius are an excellent choice for this industry.”

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