Arvato Mako Cloud

The Future of Market Communication: Secure, Flexible and Simple

Digitalization of the energy industry - market communication the end-to-end solution from Arvato Systems

Use Case
Advantages
Reference
Our services
FAQ

Efficient and Secure Market Communication for the Energy Industry

Regulatory innovations and semi-annual data format adjustments regularly pose challenges for market participants in the German energy industry. Since its introduction, the new AS4 protocol has become the technical standard for digital market communication. It ensures an increased security standard in data exchange, which will be converted to an API web service. The Expert and experts from Arvato Systems accompany the digital transformation of energy market partners and offer them the opportunity to react flexibly to the implementation challenges. We therefore attach particular importance to ensuring that the transformation runs consistently and as smoothly as possible and that the new market communication processes function as simply and automatically as possible.

 

The former B2B by Practice for technical market communication is now part of the AEP market communication. The automated handling of the technical processes of market communication for all market roles supplements it. The familiar strengths of B2B by Practice—flexibility, overview, and comprehensive analysis options are now extended to the technical processes.

We offer our services as software-as-a-service so that our customers can use the AEP market communication safely and efficiently with as little effort as possible, we offer them as software-as-a-Service. Of course, the services always comply with the current market rules.

Legally Compliant Market Communication with AS4 or API Web Service

Your challenge

Market communication in the German energy industry is facing numerous challenges in view of the increasing digitalization and flexibilization of the energy supply:

  • permanent timely maintenance of message communication

  • regular legal adjustments as part of the format changes and process adjustments for the supply of electricity and gas

  • Know-how development and system upgrade

  • partly high costs and effort in message management and in the processing of special cases or incorrect messages.

With the increasing number of market participants and decentralized generation and storage facilities, especially in the field of renewable energies, the German energy system is becoming more and more complex and the mass of market messages to be sent is increasing exponentially. With the step-by-step conversion to AS4 and parallel introduction of an API web service, one of the biggest cuts in the process landscape of the energy market was implemented, affecting all regulated energy industry use cases.

The target image

Arvato Systems offers all customers and interested parties market communication via AS4 and API web service as cross-sectional functionality across all market roles and all commodities. All common backend systems can be integrated. As the operator of its own certified data center, Arvato Systems can provide the IT environment required for the HSM on request. The hardware security modules are operated on a multi-client basis and provided according to the required transaction volume.

Our solution

With low onboarding costs for our solution for market communication, the focus is on the best possible integration into your existing infrastructure. Regardless of whether you run all or part of your IT systems in the cloud or on Premise run your processes as Process-as-a-Service and whether you want to operate the HSM in your own data center: A special feature is the applicability of the solution as a data hub using your enterprise Application integration (EAI) functionalities, which are available in addition to classic EDIFACT communication. Processes can be easily integrated via a business Process engine and made transparent via monitoring. Supplementary services, such as the potential outsourcing of error analysis tasks to a BPO service provider, round off our solution portfolio for all market participants in the energy industry, especially small and medium-sized municipal utilities.

Advantages for You as an Energy Supplier

Actuality

With our MaKosolutions are available on time and reliably for all regulatory Data format customizations after WiM, GPKE, GeLi Gas, MaBiS available.

Security

Our IT solutions for technical and business market communication, including the AS4 module and API module with HSM, are provided in certified data centers.

Flexibility

The best possible customizability of our market communication solutions enables stable and seamless integration into existing application landscapes.

Scalability

With our open solution architecture, the MaKoscale systems according to individual performance requirements.

Transparency

In our MaKoSolutions are available for extensive monitoring- and analysis tools available.

User friendliness

The process-oriented representation creates maximum transparency about the process flow and leads to rapid user adaptation and acceptance.

AS4- And API-Based Market Communication

According to decisions by the Federal Network Agency, the mail-based sending of EDIFACT market messages will be gradually replaced by AS4 from the end of 2023. From the beginning of 2025, the API web service will be added for an even faster exchange of messages in the B2B sector.

Technical and Specialist Market Communication

The market communication covers all market roles and all commodities. It consists of two main parts: 
 

Technical MaCo on a known basis

The technical market communication is based on the formerly established MaKo-Solution B2B by Practice. It handles the splitting of messages into individual processes, the rule-based routing of messages to the relevant systems, syntactic validation and conversion into a generally valid internal format. The rules for checking the messages are independent of the actual software and are imported via the validation content. A monitor with extensive search and filter functions is available for monitoring and analyzing message traffic. In addition, technical market communication handles BSI-compliant encryption of messages, collaboration with email systems and communication via AS4 or API web service. 
 

Subject MaCo now independent and flexible

The technical market communication handles the processes specified by the BNetzA and thus establishes the connection between the technical market communication and the respective specialist backend systems. A corresponding monitor is available for monitoring the process flows. All specified deadlines are also monitored, tasks are generated in the event of impending deadline violations and appropriate actions are initiated if deadlines are exceeded. 

As the business processes are continuously adapted to market requirements, the process definition is carried out using BPMN tools, which enable rapid customization. The connection to the backend systems is just as flexible. Easily customizable backend integration points are available in the process definition, which provide APIs to both the relevant MaKo services as well as to third-party systems. In particular, adapters to SAP S/4 HANA and SAP IS-U are available for AS4 and API web services.

Overview of Market Communication from Arvato Systems

End-to-End solution for market communication according to regulatory requirements
Low onboarding effort
High integration into the existing infrastructure independent of the backend (e.g. SAP IS-U)
Connectivity to future platforms
Monitoring and error analysis in line with modern IT tools
Reduce operational costs with a scalable solution
Software-as-a-Service as an elementary component for the digitalization of the energy industry

No Matter What You Decide: You Have Various Flexible Options

The experts at Arvato Systems work with you to plan the right infrastructure for your market communication. Your systems can be operated in your own data center, completely in the cloud or flexibly as software as a Service (SaaS). Your existing third-party and backend systems can be integrated via various Adaptors or interfaces can be connected and continued to operate. Choose the right option for your secure market communication with your market partners:

  • We provide you with the necessary infrastructure for your applications. You can take over operation yourself or select one of our operating models to suit your requirements .

  • Our complete offer: If you want to avoid your own efforts, we deliver the MaKo solution - gladly with all components of technical market communication for your system environment.

  • Our API solution includes the MaLo identification process with optional API directory service and SAP adapter in the cloud - for a smooth connection to your system environment.

  • You want your MaKoapplications on Premise? Then we will provide you with the software, application support and documentation and assist you with installation and commissioning.

Reference

Digital municipal utility at Leipziger Stadtwerke

Our Services for Your Success

  • With our solution you fulfill all requirements of an efficient and secure data exchange per AS4-Protocol:

    • AS4-Consulting and -support: We advise you on the integration of the new AS4 communication with full cost control and are available for and related problems at any time.

    • AS4 commissioning: We commission your preferred AS4 environment for you.

    • Security components: We take care of the setup, maintenance and monitoring of your Hardware Security Module (HSM).

    • Licensing: We license your AS4 modules basic communication electricity or gas, SM-PKI or encryption and signatures.

    • Interfaces: We provide access to customer-specific developments and connect your third-party systems.

  • Correct and up-to-date contact information is the basis of all business communication. With the new EDIFACT message format PARTIN (derived from Partner Information), the Federal Network Agency is closing a standardization and automation gap in the exchange of contact and communication data as well as certificates in market communication. The new format will apply to grid operators, metering point operators and suppliers in the electricity supply sector from October 1, 2022.

    Until now, there was no standardized communication process for master data changes. For the companies concerned, the introduction of PARTIN means a significant improvement in data quality and therefore process efficiency. For several reasons:

    • The cumbersome exchange of Excel-based information is abolished.

    • In many cases, the various market roles had inconsistent customer data records. Master data maintenance and reconciliation involved considerable manual effort (research, reconciliation).

    • The new PARTIN process requires all market partners involved in the customer process to be informed automatically and ad hoc about changes to master data. This means that uniform and correct data is available to all market partners at all times.

    • The occurrence of clarification cases is reduced to a minimum.

    Our PARTIN solution ensures that contact information is exchanged easily, automatically and in accordance with the rules in the affected market roles. Central cloud-based data storage supports the goal of uniform data statuses in the affected market roles.

  • Creating and validating EDIFACT messages in the applicable format can be a challenge for market communication clerks. Our tool offers a simple approach to fulfill all regulatory requirements of market communication. The software enables the creation of EDIFACT messages that comply with the latest version. At the same time, the validation of the files is ensured by a comprehensive check.

     

    Correctness and completeness of the data are required when creating EDIFACT messages in accordance with the respective valid application manual. Especially when it comes to regular format adjustments and changes, it is important to maintain a clear overview under high time pressure.

     

    With our tool EDIFACT messages can be generated conveniently and reliably. On the one hand, all the fields that need to be completed in order to send a complete EDIFACT message are displayed. In addition, validations are stored in the individual fields, which automatically indicate whether the content is formally correct. The messages generated in the tool can be saved in projects, for example to run through test situations. This allows new EDIFACT formats to be tested at an early stage and developed sustainably.

     

    The big plus of our solution is the tidy graphical user interfaces and the plain text description. This means that even developers and users who do not yet have maximum knowledge and experience can cope with the creation of new EDIFACT messages. Thanks to the cloud-based provision of the tool as software-as-a-Service (SaaS) can be used for reproducible test scenarios with work colleagues Workspaces can be set up.

  • A suitable solution is essential for reliable archiving of ever-increasing volumes of messages. It is therefore important that you choose a suitable and reliable solution that meets your performance and stability requirements. With our archiving solution, you will meet these framework conditions.

Uwe Fischer

With the product portfolio of Arvato Systems on the supplier side, we are setting a further course for the digitalization of our business and will continue to expand it successively on the basis of the Arvato Systems portfolio.

Leipziger Stadtwerke

Frequently Asked Questions About Market Communication

  • Our MaKo solution is hosted on Microsoft's Azure platform. In terms of solution technology, it is based on B2B by Practice, the market communication solution established in the energy market by the former Next Level Integration GmbH. Our MaKo solution is a cross-sectional solution that is linked with specialist functions (such as billing engine, gateway administration, metering data management, etc.).

  • Our MaKo solution provides a simple, reliable and automated cloud solution for market communication in the energy market. This means in particular:

    - Support for the relevant market processes in accordance with WiM, GPKE, GeLi Gas, MaBiS
    - Ensuring expertise in format conversions through automated processes and BPO services
    - Provision of integrated monitoring and analysis tools

  • The challenges in the energy market are extensive and complex. In addition, there are legislative requirements that tie up additional resources and do not contribute to the actual core business. With our MaKo solution, you can meet all regulatory requirements.


    - Error-free communication with market partners to support internal business processes
    - Timely compliance with BNetzA requirements for market communication
    - Cost and effort reduction in message management and the processing of incorrect messages

  • Our MaKo solution is an end-to-end solution for professional and technical market communication independent of the market roles in the energy market. It covers the following functions:

    - High level of integration into the existing infrastructure independent of the backend system (e.g. solutions from SAP, Kisters, Soptim, Robotron)
    - Individually designed processes possible for each use case
    - High performance independent of the quantity structure

  • Our MaKo solution is an end-to-end system for market communication that meets all regulatory requirements, which are updated twice a year in line with BNetzA requirements. As a result, you reduce your operating costs for updating your systems by using software as a service and can concentrate on your core business. You also have the option of outsourcing process monitoring and error analysis tasks to a BPO service provider.

Your Contact for Utilities

Knittel-Stephan
Patrick Knittel
Expert for MaKo processes