Interview: Q&A on the Go Live of Copperleaf at Stromnetz Hamburg

Stromnetz Hamburg (SNH) recently went live with the Copperleaf^® Decision Analytics Solution. Dr. Florian Günzler, Asset Management System Coordinator at Stromnetz Hamburg, and Floris Jousma, Senior Consultant at Copperleaf, share their thoughts on the implementation and how the Copperleaf solution will help the company quantify asset risks and optimise portfolio planning.

Can you tell us a bit about Stromnetz Hamburg?

Florian: “Stromnetz Hamburg is the local distribution system operator for the municipality of Hamburg. We are responsible for the operation, maintenance, and expansion of the network, and have more than 28,000 km of cable and 55 substations serving 1.8 million customers.”

What was your role in the project?

Florian: “I am the Asset Management System Coordinator. I’m responsible for improving our decision-making processes, prioritising projects, and ensuring we make economical decisions when it comes to investment planning.”

Floris: “As the project manager, my role was to advise SNH on how to implement the Copperleaf product suite to best meet the company’s needs. We focused on delivering immediate value by getting the Copperleaf solution up and running quickly to enhance and integrate its asset management processes. SNH successfully went live with Copperleaf in May this year and is already using our solution for strategic investment planning for 2023 and beyond.”

The Copperleaf solution provides insight into the entire investment portfolio and risks in one system, supporting a structured and repeatable planning process.

Floris Jousma
Senior Consultant
Copperleaf

What did your asset management process look like before implementing the Copperleaf solution?

Florian: “Previously our asset management plans were siloed and planning was all done in Excel. This approach made it difficult to assess different types of constraints and scenarios, and did not support an optimised portfolio of investments. The decision-making process was managed by stakeholders on the maintenance and asset management teams who would come to a conclusion based on their own requirements. Now this can all be done in the Copperleaf system, which allows for better collaboration, visibility, and more objective decisions.”

What were the main goals for this project?

Florian: “The main goal was to integrate a risk-based approach into decision-making and develop a more consistent, objective process to identify the optimal combination of investments and their timing. We wanted to be able to quantify risk and explore more cost-effective ways to manage our asset base.”

Floris: “SNH wanted to implement a robust solution to support the organisation’s strategic investment planning process—to reduce asset risk and tackle current and future challenges like the energy transition in the most cost-effective way. The Copperleaf solution provides insight into the entire investment portfolio and risks in one system, supporting a structured and repeatable planning process.”

Why did you choose to work with Copperleaf?

Florian: “The decision to execute this project with Copperleaf was made after a detailed market analysis. Following some preliminary discussions, we started in the year 2019 with a market survey on software to support strategic asset management and the optimisation of investment project portfolios. Based on 85 criteria, we considered several possible solutions. During the tender process, and according to our profitability analysis, Copperleaf proved to be the most suitable solution for our needs.”

What are the key benefits you think you will get out of implementing the Copperleaf solution?

Florian: “We used to prioritise our most profitable projects, but with Copperleaf we can measure both risk and cost to create the highest-value plan. For example, a less profitable project may significantly reduce risk and therefore be more valuable in the long run.

We used to prioritise our most profitable projects, but with Copperleaf we can measure both risk and cost to create the highest-value plan. For example, a less profitable project may significantly reduce risk and therefore be more valuable in the long run.

Dr. Florian Günzler
Asset Management System Coordinator
Stromnetz Hamburg

“We also now have an objective decision-making process and a clear line of sight between portfolio planning and company objectives.”

Floris: “Copperleaf supports the strategic planning process by determining the optimal solution, taking into account both economic and risk mitigation aspects and considering existing resources and constraints. These new insights will help SNH plan more efficiently over the long term and provide stakeholders with greater transparency into the decision-making process.”

Have there been any other benefits?

Florian: “Copperleaf’s user interface is more intuitive than our previous SAP and Excel solutions. It’s much easier to input commercial data and the whole user experience is more convenient with Copperleaf. SNH is now able to compare different what-if scenarios in a timely manner and make better investment decisions, resulting in more efficient planning of work and higher value for the business.”

Floris: “Previously, SNH used a complex Excel tool to calculate the return on investments based on the German regulatory framework. We embedded the regulatory framework within the Copperleaf solution, which eliminates the need to create and manage separate Excel sheets for each project. The data can be accessed immediately in one platform via an intuitive interface and standard reports, increasing planning efficiency and promoting collaboration across the organisation.”

How would you describe the Copperleaf experience?

Florian: “The Copperleaf team was friendly, competent, and very knowledgeable about the asset management process. They were able to resolve issues quickly and smoothly.”

What’s next on your asset management journey?

Florian: “We’re working on expanding our product catalogue to standardise additional project types and their required components such as project manager hours, required materials etc. This will allow us to model and optimise more investments.”

Floris: “SNH uses Unit Cost Models, an option in Copperleaf Portfolio™ that leverages a standard, shared set of cost models to create business cases faster and more accurately. By further standardising their projects using Copperleaf’s Unit Cost Models, planners will be able to gain greater insight into the resources used in their investments. This will allow SNH to make more efficient investments that meet their strategic objectives and honour operational constraints at the same time.”

Read more success stories to find out how our clients are benefitting from the Copperleaf solution.