Anya Kussé
As a leading player in the energy market, we unburden companies in their energy policy and develop future-proof energy strategies. Our team of experts negotiates, manages and optimizes our customers' energy contracts in a continuous and transparent manner. Supported by AI-driven software, we provide insight into the current and future cost of each MWh. We integrate sustainability into our overall approach and work pragmatically and solution-oriented to support you in the energy transition. Together, we create the most ideal energy landscape for your business.
From price volatility to strategic energy management
For organizations with multiple locations and a wide range of responsibilities, energy is often a blind spot: essential, complex, and difficult to predict. This was also the case at Idewe, Belgium’s largest external occupational health and safety service, with 11 regional offices. Energy management falls under the responsibility of CFRO Steve Gilis, and we spoke with him.
“With Odot's support, energy evolved from an operational cost to a manageable and strategic domain.”
The challenge: negotiating without inside information
When the current energy contract with a major supplier was coming to an end, a new round of negotiations was needed. The contract had been negotiated externally in the past, and for Steve, who was new to his position at the time, it became clear that B2B energy contracts are highly complex. After all, energy management is not a core area of expertise, which means that the company lacks the internal expertise and knowledge to negotiate successfully.
Idewe's central question was therefore very clear: "What constitutes a good energy contract for an organization of our size today?" This is something we at Odot can answer with our Energy Contract Management service.
Why Odot?
Steve found the answer to that question at Odot, a conscious and rational choice because of its transparency in operation and pricing. Also because of its realistic view of what is and isn't predictable, and the honest forecasts that result from that. The partnership between Odot and BDO inspired confidence from the outset.
The final deciding factor in choosing Odot was the comprehensive energy platform my.Odot, which adds both operational and strategic value.
The approach: from data to insight
From the outset, this energy platform has proven its added value, for example in the analysis of historical and future consumption.
One of the key insights came from analyzing the peak power capacity of the various locations, which is part of our “Cost & Consumption Management” service. It became clear that some locations had excessively high connection capacity, while others had capacity that was just too low, putting them at risk of penalties. This analysis enabled us to immediately achieve initial optimization and cost savings without any changes to the infrastructure.
“Thanks to the insights gained from the data and analysis, and Odot’s guidance during the market survey, we were able to make an informed and well-considered choice of the right energy supplier from among the options Odot presented to us,” said Steve.
Overview and predictability as a result
The benefits became clear very quickly.“Operationally, we’re saving time thanks to reduced internal follow-up and administrative work. Financially, we’re now much better able to manage and forecast, whereas before we were essentially steering blindly. We also have greater certainty regarding long-term rates. Finally, we are now able to make informed decisions based on data and insights from the platform. The platform also provides tremendous added value in preparing ESG and CSRD reports,” said Steve.
Managing energy instead of regulating it
“Thanks to Odot, our energy is managed efficiently, and we’re able to make forward-looking decisions based on data and insights rather than on past data. This allows us to take targeted steps toward future energy regulations and to substantiate our behavioral and policy choices,” concludes Steve.
Odot brings reliable energy expertise to the organization, enabling energy costs to be managed efficiently, monitored, and used strategically.
Would you like to discover what Odot can do for you?