Tech Mahindra Modernizes East African Utility Provider’s Operations Using ERP and Smart Metering

Overview

The client, a leading East African utility provider serving more than 4.5 million customers, faced significant challenges in meeting increasing energy demands, modernizing outdated infrastructure, and managing geographically dispersed operations with limited system visibility and fragmented applications.More

The client, a leading East African utility provider serving more than 4.5 million customers, faced significant challenges in meeting increasing energy demands, modernizing outdated infrastructure, and managing geographically dispersed operations with limited system visibility and fragmented applications. To address these issues, Tech Mahindra executed a comprehensive transformation leveraging ERP, CIS, smart metering, and a robust data infrastructure to enhance grid visibility, reduce energy losses, improve billing accuracy, and enable efficient scaling.

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Client Background and Challenges

A major East African utility serving 4.5 million customers—aiming for 7.5 million by 2030—faced key challenges

  • Managing widespread operations with low system visibility
  • Pressure to expand in low-electrification regions
  • Struggling with outdated, disconnected systems led to poor performance, missing asset data, and billing errors.
  • Addressing change management issues with a largely non-IT-savvy workforce

Our Approach and Solution

Tech Mahindra implemented a Meter-to-Cash system to reduce revenue leakage and an energy monitoring system that helped the clients manage their technical and commercial losses. Key components of this transformation included:

ERP and CIS Integration

Implemented SAP ECC 6.0 covering finance, maintenance, procurement, HCM, and payroll. Introduced IS-Utilities and SAP CRM for Utilities to enable customer care, billing, customer accounting, load forecasting, and audit functions.

Advanced Data Infrastructure

Established a centralized platform to gather, store, and analyze operational data, featuring DSS capabilities like MIS, Business Intelligence, and Energy Data Management to enhance transparency and decision-making.

Smart Grid Monitoring

Installed HT smart meters at each substation with Automated Meter Reading (AMR) for real-time energy parameter tracking.

Business and Community Impact

The transformation delivered significant results, both in terms of operational performance and community development:

  • Reduced Energy Losses and Power Theft: The implementation of smart grid monitoring and AMR has reduced technical and commercial losses.
  • Improved Forecasting and Resilience: Real-time data and analytics enhanced demand forecasting, outage management, and system resilience.
  • Precise Billing and Financial Reporting: The end-to-end Meter-to-Cash integration ensured accurate billing, minimized revenue leakage, and improved financial transparency.