Herve Coureil was a leading chief information officer at Schneider Electric for eight years, beginning in 2009. You have a long tradition, you operate in many countries, and you have key executives in Paris, Boston, and Hong Kong. As a 180-year-old company, we operate in over 100 countries, and we serve 144,000 employees. We additionally had an IoT group and a customer experience group. On our end, we are putting together this management framework, which is a resource allocation framework. I find this new pattern super interesting; The potential of AI, specifically how we are porting to the edge. Developing world-class software solutions. He is also the author of World Class IT: Why Businesses Succeed When IT Triumphs. I am the president of Metis Strategy, a business and IT strategy firm that I founded in 2001. Schneider Electric TradeOff Tools are web-based, mobile-friendly applications that allow channel partners and end users to experiment with different scenarios, using data and science to estimate outcomes … “We are also working with a data company to develop software that will manage and operate large data centres on their behalf. High: The company's roots go back to the 1830s. You need to bet big, and you need to bet in the right area. Follow him on Twitter @PeterAHigh. These patterns allow us to recommend maintenance before we experience any downtime. Not only can Schneider help reduce costs by optimising its clients’ energy needs, but it can also improve the overall efficiency of individual enterprises. For example, we have a number of offers around preventative maintenance, which typically embed a level of AI at the edge that identifies patterns. Given the organization's size, complexity, and history, what additional changes have you had to make to fully realize the vision you just described? Additionally, this was the starting point to have enterprise IT be one of the seven practices that we have in our digital group. Coureil: My past as a CFO taught me some lessons. Schneider Electric is leading the digital transformation of energy management and automation. We came to realize that with the digital transformation moving on full steam, it would make an immense difference to take a holistic approach. Could you give us a brief thumbnail sketch of Schneider Electric's business and your role as CDO? This allows us to provide great value to our customers in a way that is scalable and efficient. We are expanding that partnership gene to the digital side. Schneider Electric hosted its Innovation Summit Barcelona on 2–3 October at the Barcelona International Convention Center (CCIB). When the IoT and new digital capabilities emerged, we wanted to accelerate that change, offer more to our customers, and leverage the power of the cloud, the edge, artificial intelligence [AI], and many of the new technologies that were emerging. BENTONVILLE, Ark. There is an element of make and buy, but there is additionally an element for us around how we become great partners. Our software is helping them optimise their energy efficiency and consumption across a global portfolio of hundreds of data centres,” says Dewis. I have advised many of the best chief information officers at multi-billion, I am the president of Metis Strategy, a business and IT strategy firm that I founded in 2001. Self-paced modules that take less than an hour, available 24 hours a day. There must be rules of engagement, clarity of mission, and our stakeholders need to know where we can help. 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By developing state-of-the-art software solutions the company is able to extract value and combine all the data that exists for renewable and solar installations, thus driving efficiency for its commercial and residential clients. Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, announces a strategic minority investment in Planon Beheer B.V. (“Planon”), a leading … Furthermore, we are deploying a great deal of optimization-driven digital services that help our customers improve the energy efficiency around the sustainability of the operation. Schneider Electric is active in energy management, industrial automation, building automation, and related areas across several verticals. This could range from resource pressures or resource availability to commuter times. Energy Digital Magazine focuses on energy news, key energy interviews, energy videos, the 'Energy Podcast' series along with an ever-expanding range of focused energy white papers and webinars. As you have built this team up, what is the mix of recasting existing employees versus bringing in people from the outside? Further, why was it important that the role be separate from the CIO role that you once held? We provide energy and automation digital … The ability to build a consistent digital … Could you provide some examples from both sides of that equation? We are leading the digital transformation of energy management and automation. Coureil's new organization is made up of 3,000 people around the globe. Alongside this the department also tracks major trends within the industry and feeds them back into its R&D and innovation team. Schneider Electric announced a technological and commercial partnership with SolarEdge Technologies for North America that will accelerate the residential solar market and … We have made a few moves in this area. Dealing with energy and automation is an information game. We see ourselves as a technology provider at the convergence of energy automation and software. The company even works with cities to optimise things like traffic light and security camera management through software and technology. This has allowed us to put ourselves in this interesting position, which is at the convergence of energy and automation. “Our mantra as an organisation is to help customers to identify processes and target strategies for addressing sustainability and energy challenges. Reskilling, retraining, and learning internally so everybody has the basic skills that go with digital, which we call digital citizenship; Simultaneously recruiting new talent that can bring subject matter expertise and new digital skills to the team, which is what we did with Elizabeth. The digital innovation that you have begun to drive has both customer-facing implications, as well as operational aspects around digitizing Schneider Electric itself. The internal folks have a deep understanding of the business and what our customers are doing, and those coming from the outside bring the digital disruption gene. We constantly evaluate the type of people and resources we bring into the organisation for and on behalf of our customers,” he says. Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. It is important not to fall in love with technologies because technologies are ultimately a means to an end. The digital management practices, and in particular, resource allocations. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. The company is divided into five individual divisions, which are Industry, Buildings, IT, Technology and Governance. ... a trusted authority to manage this complexity to unlock the full potential of digital transformation. Our B2B world is one of transactions. There was no cloud at that time, and the algorithms that you hear about today did not exist. 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Schneider Electric’s Multi-Meter Unit (MMU) enclosures are the ideal complement for the iEM3000 Series of energy meters. He speaks at conferences around the world. Those digital services, which often would be subscription-based, enable our customers to make their energy more productive, efficient, reliable, and sustainable. We have made a few moves in this area. BizClik Media Limited is a dynamic and disruptive global digital media company aimed at bringing business and industry executives up to date with the latest news, information and digital reports looking at the technology and digital transformations of the world leading companies and executive decision makers. Research from Schneider Electric adds credence to this, as the company has underlined the importance that digital transformations will have when it comes to energy efficiency, cost savings, … You are the Chief Digital Officer of Schneider Electric. The first-ever Global Data Center Digital Transformation Benefits Report is here. Simultaneously, we want to make sure that we improve our business processes so we can scale when we operate with new technology. Schneider Electric is a global specialist in energy management and offers its clients solutions and services from a device level all the way to an enterprise level. We have deployed a strong practice around portfolio management and prioritization. Over the years, we have constantly evolved and questioned the status quo. You can reach me at peter.high [at] metisstrategy.com or on Twitter @PeterAHigh, © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. You have a long tradition, you operate in many countries, and you have key executives in Paris, Boston, and Hong Kong. Based on the outcome, we need to decide how we prioritize our resources to make a significant impact. In that role, he had modernized the $26 billion French multi-national energy company's technology. We need to determine the best bet we can make given the circumstances at a particular time. You had an unusual path to technology leadership. Instead, we needed integration and end-to-end ownership. Schneider Electric is transitioning into a formidable technology company, with strategic focus on the Internet of Things (IoT), sustainability, and the knowledge economy through the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). How did you time as a CFO color your experience as a technology executive? We have created a framework where we are making sure that we reuse what can be reused while simultaneously maintaining the ability to experiment as close as possible to the customer. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Furthermore, the business is looking to emerging markets to widen its global pool of talent. Prior to your role as CIO, you were the Chief Financial Officer for a business within Schneider Electric. Ultimately we want to educate them to recognise a risk today as a potential opportunity tomorrow,” he says. Schneider Electric is a global organization, employing in excess of 170,000 individuals with an annual turnover of approximately €25 billion. High: You had an unusual path to technology leadership. Schneider Electric attributes much of its success to its HR and social programs. It addresses homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries, by combining energy … We are trying to take a more disciplined approach to this, and we want to be more nimble and agile. Businesses are under increasing pressure to meet tight production demands while delivering quality goods and services, at a lower cost, with minimum impact on the environment. We make it possible for IoT-enabled solutions to seamlessly connect, collect, analyze and … Through our software the company is able to manage very specific components related to energy consumption such as financial control, waste and output efficiency. Peter High: I thought we would begin with your current set of responsibilities. We are hoping to do that globally because we want to be able to allocate resources when it makes sense, without having to spend too much time asking for permission from our stakeholders; How the digital organization can augment the lines of businesses in the company. Sept. 10, 2020 – Walmart Inc. and Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced a new collaboration that will provide increased access to renewable energy for Walmart… All of these aspects led us to create the CDO role. Schneider Electric is providing digital solutions to help customers become more energy efficient, the company's energy management expert Philippe Delorme tells Energy Monitor. About Schneider Electric Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries. We wanted to create a group that supported our businesses through the entire transformation. I am passionate about the idea of going digital with our offers, digitizing ourselves, and applying innovation internally and externally. We see ourselves as a … Failure to use Schneider Electric software or approved software with our hardware products may result in injury, harm, or improper operating results. This is not an independent digital unit, and we do not have our own P&L. We tried to look at the digital transformation holistically, which involves how we engage our customers, how we serve our customers with the best digital offers, and how we operate those offers in a way that is secure, scalable, efficient, and reliable. We see ourselves as a technology provider at the convergence of energy automation and software. The company’s suite of solutions and team of experts can provide clients with real insight into energy consumption. (To listen to an unabridged podcast version of this interview, please click this link. There are many areas where AI has a practical application. This compact solution saves wall space and is scalable for the exact … Global industry … AI also allows us to think about conversational and voice interfaces; We are looking closely into blockchain, specifically how someone could use blockchain to bootstrap a network effect. “We are looking at future trends and how we can move forward in a more digital and resource constrained world,” explains Dewis. RUEIL-MALMAISON, Francia, 18 de diciembre de 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aparte del anuncio realizado el 16 de noviembre de 2020, Schneider Electric, líder en la transformación digital de la … This involves which decision rights should be global, transversal, and which should be made by the digital unit. We have made massive changes from traditional resource allocation like IT run to migrating a significant amount of money to offers, creating solutions for customers, and to security. 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