Multi-sector Asset Investment Planning and Management at Rheinische NETZGesellschaft
Rheinische NETZGesellschaft mbH (RNG) manages and operates over 30,000 km of distribution networks for electricity, gas, water, and district heating, supplying approximately 2 million customers in and around Cologne, Germany. RNG implemented the Copperleaf® Decision Analytics Solution in 2019 to manage its project portfolios and digitalise its Asset Investment Planning and Management (AIPM) processes.
RNG is at the center of a complex ecosystem. The company manages 25 networks, collaborating with several different asset owners and asset service providers that all have different needs, processes, and constraints. RNG needed a way to manage each network independently while supporting all interactions across the networks in a consistent and transparent way. The introduction of a value-based decision-making process also aligned with RNG’s goal of implementing the core requirements of the ISO 55000 asset management standard.
Creating the best possible investment plan—one that considers hundreds of projects and programs with different alternatives, start dates, and dependencies—is a daunting task for portfolio planners relying on traditional methods and basic tools like spreadsheets. Prior to implementing Copperleaf Portfolio™, RNG did not have an adequate understanding of risk across the asset base and could not easily identify the best set of projects to mitigate those risks. The company wanted to move to a fully digital planning approach to better manage risks and project portfolios across multiple networks and asset owners—and make sure they were making the highest-value decisions.
With the Copperleaf solution, RNG now has a complete, streamlined workflow from portfolio creation to project execution. All investment decisions are made in a consistent and transparent way, based on a single source of truth.
We will further improve our investment decision-making processes with the help of the Copperleaf solution. It provides a standardised, value-based methodology that supports asset investment planning and portfolio optimisation in the context of 13 different asset owners, 8 asset service providers, and 25 networks.
Dr. Ulrich Grob
CEO
RNG
It’s been a pleasure working with the RNG team and I look forward to continuing to support the company on its asset management journey. Read the full case study: