ewz relies on an integrated management system for greater efficiency
The energy supplier ewz has optimized processes and reduced complexity with an integrated management system based on modular solutions from the BOC Group. This has led to noticeably greater efficiency, transparency and better cooperation throughout the entire organization.
ewz is one of the largest energy supply companies in Switzerland. In its own power plants in Switzerland and abroad, ewz produces 100 percent natural electricity from hydro, wind and solar energy. In addition, ewz offers individual electricity supplies for market-authorized companies as well as tailor-made telecommunications solutions. In the city of Zurich and parts of Graubünden, ewz is responsible for the electricity supply. In Zurich, the company also operates a nationwide fiber optic network and several thermal networks. Throughout Switzerland, ewz implements sustainable energy supply systems for site and large-scale projects as well as energy networks for municipalities and neighborhoods. With around 1,300 employees, ewz generated sales of CHF 1.4 billion in 2024.
With the continuous development of tasks and activities, ewz's internal organization has also grown steadily over many years. In practice, this has led to increasing complexity in processes and systems: Different areas developed their own processes and IT tools, often independently of each other. The result was isolated structures with sometimes redundant or contradictory process characteristics. «We had over 700 tools that nobody could keep track of," says Regula Ramseier, Quality Management and ICS Specialist.
With the cross-administrative introduction of risk management and the internal control system (ICS) in the city of Zurich, it became clear that the previous setup had to be rethought - towards an integrated management system that not only links processes and systems as well as risks and controls, but also makes them operationalizable. "We wanted to move away from manually collating facts in Excel and towards real workflows that are traceable," says Ramseier.
It was important to have a simple, understandable solution that combines organization, technology and compliance on a central platform.
Implementation: step-by-step change through an integrated management system
In 2011, ewz found a partner in BOC Group whose modular solutions met the requirements and laid the technical foundation for far-reaching changes. In several phases, ewz introduced the management platforms ADONIS (process management), ADOIT (Enterprise Architecture) and ADOGRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance).
A central process management team was trained to set binding standards for all areas. Processes were documented up to a maximum of the third level and outdated instructions were abolished.
In the ICS context, the new setup creates clear structures for risks, controls and responsibilities - supported by automated workflows. If a control is stored in the process, the system automatically requests confirmation that it has been carried out.
Today, employees and customers benefit from significantly increased efficiency and transparency. "Suddenly we realized that we had three contact persons for our customers, and each of them worked completely differently," says Daniela Maag-Biri, Head of Process Management, describing the previous challenges.
The introduction of the new systems brought impressive successes: ewz reduced the original 700 applications to around 150, and around 300 clearly defined processes were created from over 500 individual processes.
This transformation was much more than a technical project and meant a cultural change. In a company that operates throughout Switzerland, it is crucial not only to introduce new tools, but also to build trust and understanding. "Patience, patience, patience - and a lot of listening," is how Regula Ramseier describes the core of the change.
Today, process management brings the different cultures closer together: "Thanks to the processes, we now speak the same language," says Regula Ramseier.
A living system instead of perfect standstill
It is important to remain pragmatic and start small instead of wanting to perfect everything from the outset. "We keep asking ourselves: Why do we really need this? Is it just about documentation, or do we really want to analyze and continuously improve?" says Daniela Maag-Biri, explaining the approach. A step-by-step approach and early involvement of all those involved, especially the IT and compliance departments, are key to success.
The integrated management system at ewz is not a completed project, but a living organism. Work is continuing on reducing and merging processes and improving interfaces between tools. In future, the potential of the integrated systems will be further exploited, particularly with regard to automated processes and data-driven key performance indicators (KPIs). "This will enable us to work even more effectively on ewz's strategic goals with quality management," explains Regula Ramseier.
Interview partners:
Regula Ramseier, Quality Management and ICS Specialist at ewz, Daniela Maag-Biri, Head of Process Management at ewz.
Author and interviews:
Luzia Anna Rikli works in Marketing & Business Development at BOC Information Technologies Consulting GmbH in Winterthur.
