A year and a half ago, news broke that De Vrije Energie Producent (DVEP) had decided to stop supplying gas and electricity in the Netherlands from 1 January 2024. That decision did not come out of the blue. DVEP was facing financial problems, exacerbated by volatility in the energy market due to the war in Ukraine . Moreover, US parent company UGI announced its intention to exit the European market completely.
Essential core processes
The announced exit caused the premature departure of many staff at DVEP. This resulted in a significant loss of knowledge of portfolios, processes and systems. Many of these positions had remained vacant or were subsequently filled by external forces. While the company focused on finalising ongoing contracts and preparing for the phase after the final delivery, there remained numerous business processes that needed to be carried out. To ensure business continuity, DVEP therefore looked for an external partner capable of taking over and executing the essential core processes. This search looked primarily from DVEP's perspective as a balance sheet responsible party, where supplier processes, especially invoicing, were too specific to transfer. ICE Utility Professionals proved to be the right party for this challenge!
Orderly settlement
Over the past year, a team of Data & Analytics consultants from ICE Utility Professionals faced the challenging task of ensuring an orderly wind-down of DVEP's operations and preparing the organisation for a structured exit from the market. With determination and expertise, they set to work. They knew they had to thoroughly review existing processes to maximise efficiency and minimise costs. Together, they mapped all forecast processes and reporting. A plan was drawn up for each process: transfer where possible, stop where necessary, and build alternatives where opportune.
Cost savings and efficient transition phase
The team faced tight deadlines and pressure from all sides. But they pulled out all the stops. Through their efforts, they managed to streamline forecasting and reporting processes, reducing the time and resources required. This resulted not only in significant cost savings, but also in an efficient transition phase.
The appreciation from UGI International was an encouraging factor. Our consultants Rob, Vincent and Iris were praised for their dedication and professionalism, even in a challenging situation. A comment from a manager illustrated this perfectly:
"I am proud that the team at ICE-UP is putting in such good and positive effort to wind down despite the demotivating situation."
In the end, the team's mission was successfully completed. UGI International was able to continue to discontinue, simplify and hand over operational processes to a select group of people, paving the way for an orderly withdrawal from the European energy market. With determination, cooperation and expertise, Rob, Vincent and Iris played a crucial role in a complex transition.
Want to benefit from the expertise and experience of our consultants like Rob, Vincent and Iris? Take contact with ICE Utility Professionals to discover how we can support your company during complex change and transition processes.
