ICT tools to foster SMEs collaboration in ... - EURAC research · Research Director at the Centre For Research on Energy and ... discounted payback time ... propose big renovation

Fabio Disconzi, SSPCR 2015

ICT tools to foster SMEs collaborationin energy retrofitting sector



Industrial Engineering Dept- UNIPD - Italy

Arturo Lorenzoni is professor of Energy Economics at the Department of Electrical Engineering of the University of Padova, Italy. He is also Research Director at the Centre For Research on Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy of Bocconi University in Milan. His scientific interests are related to the technical, economic and regulatory aspects of the energy sector and to its overall efficiency, with particular attention to the electric power system, the utilities and the development of renewable energy sources.

Fabio Disconzi holds a PhD in Energy Economics from Padua University and works as research assistant in the field of Local Energy Planning and modeling. He is an engineer as a background and has a long experience in managing European Research Projects.

ArturoLorenzoni

FabioDisconzi

Department of Industrial Engineering


WhoWhy NewBEE project: requirements and needsHow & WhatOverview of the ICT toolsTesting and demonstration phase feedback from “the real world” of the SMEs

Agenda


SMEs = Small and Medium Enterprises (<250 staff; <50 M€/y turnover)

Business model Osterwalder canvas

keywords


17 partners5 Research and Technical Development centers (RTDs): Tecnalia Research and Innovation (Spain), Fraunhofer IAO (Germany), Institute for Applied Systems Technology Bremen ATB (Germany), Valtion TeknillinenTutkimuskeskus VTT (Finland), University of Padua (Italy);1 large construction company in the role of ESCO: Acciona Infraestructuras(Spain);5 SMEs involved in construction sector: FinnEnergia (Finland), Rahm (Germany), Teusa (Spain), Eslamaban(spain), Gradbeni Institut ZRMK (Slovenia)2 SMEs associations: ifA Bauconsult(Germany), Slovenski Gradbeni Grozd-Giz SGG (Slovenia)2 architects’ studios: Eriksson Architects ltd (Finland), KVA Architects (Finland);2 IT developers and vendors: Accrosslimits (Malta), Conclude (Germany).

Who is “NewBEE project”?

October 2012 – September 2015


neighbourhoods local

communities cities

metropolises

data

Performancebenchmarks, ratings, etc.

Plans

Actors who implement plans:

Public – private companies

Large – small enterprises (SMEs)

NewBEE project focus


SMEs needs, pros and cons

Lack resources to gain knowledge

not all value-chain is covered

Often “big projects” are not achievable

SMEs are small but highly specializedSMEs have stream line organizational structures more responsive to business models

changes More adaptive to organizational

structure changes

Especially in construction sector “there is a lot to do” SMEs can help EU to save energy/CO2; But SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises)’ organization structures are small

How to exploit web-based ICT tools to: facilitate project-specific network formation AND support the development of project tailored Business Model?

ICT tools

SMEs INNOVATION

New

Bee

proj

ect

What if SMEs collaborate in “project-specific networks”What if they adapt their Business Model for each project

Collaboration


Web platform

understanding the NEEDS and developing Methodologies

ICT tools to foster SMEs collaboration

Traditional SMEs’Business Model

Business model is almost the same for each retrofitting projectSMEs rarely collaborate

NEWBusiness Model

SPECIFIC for each project

TAILOR MADE for each collaboration network

How to facilitate this?

NewBEE project’s aims were to:

Develop new methodologies supported by a set of ICT tools to facilitate the…

Wiki based Knowledge repository

Pre-assessment

tool

Financial calculator

toolE-PASS tool

Business Model

Assessment

MarketPlace (virtual collaboration network facilitator)

Context: construction sector, building renovations projects

collaborationProject-specific

collaborative network

Business Model adaptation


creation of project driven network amongst SMEs with different competencies

Marketplace Project specific collaboration networks

Discipline 1 Discipline 2 Competencies ABC

Competencies DEF … Competencies

XYZ

SME1 SME2 SME3

SME N

Proj

ect

Valu

e ch

ain

SMEs cover specific part(s) of the project value chain Higly Specialized

More room for adapting Business Model to projects’ needs

Large enterprisesThey cover almost all / most parts of the project value chain

They have a rigid Business Model

SMESME


VCN (Virtual Collaborative Network)

MarketplaceProject specific collaboration networks

Discipline 1 Discipline 2 Competencies ABC

Competencies DEF … Competencies

XYZ

SME1 SME2 SME3 SME N

NewBEE project as Virtual Collaboration Networks facilitator

Proj

ect

Valu

e ch

ain

Large enterprisesThey cover almost all / most parts of the project value chain

They have a rigid Business Model

SMESME

& Support Project specific business model

Project specific and temporary

network


How to attract “business opportunities”?How to attract SMEs?

Marketplace

Marketplace

Building owner

Building owner

Building owner

Business opportunity



VCN

VCN


Pre-Assessment

tool

Financial calculator

tool

SME

SMESME

SME SMESME

SME

E-PASS tool

Business Model Assessment

Wki based knowledge repository

SME


Knowledge gain knowledge repository

Increased pace of energy related technological innovations a place to “follow” advancements

market increment of new low carbon solutions how to install and manage them

The crescent need to handle the knowledge generated by previous projects

It must be simple and usable, in a common and well known format

(open-source: wiki-project)

Wiki based

knowledge repository

+ semantic search plugin

SMEs

’ nee

ds

Usability --------- professional


Needs: provide energy

information to a wide variety of people

Provide a Pre-assessment of

• energy savings and • costs

of common retrofitting projects

Pre-Assessment Tool

Usability -------- professional

Insert FEW dataAnd

Select interventions

Roughly assess energy savings and costs

Look for one SMEs or ADD a call for

proposal (a business opportunity for SMEs)


The need: to better understand (and communicate) energy economics of a project financial calculator tool

Financial calculator tool

Insert a little amount of data

Look the cash flow of your money and savings



Need: a professional energy assessment tool “on demand” EPASS

Energy assessment as a Web based service!

In-deep energy assessment


Insert a lot of data!


The need: to provide a quick assessment to CEO and management staff about SMEs business model performancesBased on Osterwalder canvas

Business Model assessment tool

Interactive questionnaire questions for each sector



NewBEE methodology and tools have been tested in 4 real cases:- SPAIN- GERMANY- FINLAND- SLOVENIA

Demonstration phase

Target group Tools

Spain Association of apartment owners, group of SMEs, neighbourhood commission,

Wiki, marketplace, financialcalculation tools, E-PASS

Germany Single apartment/house owners, CEO of SMEs, associations of construction companies

Wiki, Business model Assessment, Pre-Assessment tool

Finland Multi - apartment owners, architects E-PASS, Marketplace

Slovenia Residential multi-apartment buildingState technical Office ( interesting for SSPCR)

Financial calculation tool, pre-assessment tool, marketplace


needs How Comments from SMEs

Imperfect information flows Wiki based knowledgerepository

•Wiki has been useful during a workshop for SMEs

•Wiki is a good approach for organizing content and experience gained

lack in ability to learn how to adopt new technologies

Knowledge transfer to and amongst SMEs

How to “capitalize” the experience

Having a rough energy saving potential Pre Assessment tool

•High potential for marketing and commercial purposes;

•Useful to discuss with customers “what if approach” has been appreciated

•Good for sales department for understanding energy savings and costs

Having a project costs magnitude

Commercial tool

Encouraging building owners to insert their business opportunity

Understanding “the economics” of a project

Financial calculator tool

•Useful for understanding discounted payback time

•Good to “visualize” energy efficiency economic return to customers

Increase trustness and reputation of the platform

Feedback from Real Cases and comments (1)



Analyse the energy saving potential in details

E-PASS Provide an Energy professional tool on service (web based)Detailed simulations

Evaluate the effects of several interventions (kWh, CO2, €)

Provide a web-based energy tool for professionals

Helping CEOs and management staff to improve Business Model in very simple but effective way

Business Model Assessment

Tested in only 1 SMEs it provide good hints for one specific sector of the business modelTo focusing management efforts




Building Owners: to find service providers Marketplace From building owners: we can contact SMEs without intermediaries at lower costs;

SMEs: useful to create networks (we can learn and share);SMEs: new interesting contacts;

Local offices: a place where propose big renovation plans competition amongst SMEs networks and big companies

Building Owners: to get a proposal for their renovation needs

SMEs: to get new business opportunities

SMEs: to participate in “Big and complex Projects”

SMEs: to collaborate with other SMEs

National/Regional/Local authorities/offices: to promote, organize and manage “renovation plans”

National/Regional/Local authorities/offices: a public marketplace where publish “call for proposal” (for free)



Thanks for your [email protected]

Interested in NewBEE platform? Contact Javier:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

ICT tools to foster SMEs collaboration in ... - EURAC research · Research Director at the Centre For Research on Energy and ... discounted payback time ... propose big renovation