EQUANS Energy Solutions operates 28 CHP plants within the Netherlands. As Strategic Asset Manager within this organization, Bobby Nieuwenhuijs is tasked with monitoring long-term and uniformity. Bobby: "Our goal is to be world-class in the design, realization and operation of sustainable energy systems." And about his work, "It is nice to contribute to the energy transition by commercially operating sustainable assets."

Since 2017, Olaf and Ramon have both completed a number of interim assignments within the operations department within Equans Energy Solutions. The interim jobs ranged from Manager Maintenance, Asset Manager to Project Manager. In August 2022, the request came for an overarching consultancy assignment. Components of the assignment included issues in asset management, contract management, process improvement, safety and engineering. The diversity of different issues within the operations department is what made this assignment so special for us. Oh yes, and the pleasant, informal collaboration.

After the intensive collaboration within this assignment, it is time to take a look back and ask Bobby a few questions about our collaboration:

Within the operations department of EES, we had a lack of capacity, causing various technical and process-related activities to remain on hold for too long. Because all of us within the department were busy with the daily activities, the more structural issues within the asset management organization were pushed aside. The need to address these structural issues remained within the organization and therefore we started looking for an external solution.

Because of the diversity of issues, we were not looking for an interim manager, but rather a consulting firm that is familiar with the CHP market and could relieve us in all areas. Besides the fact that Ecopulz has both technical knowledge of WKO installations within the organization, they also have the right organizational knowledge on how to run an operations department of a heat company. In addition, we were already familiar with Ecopulz's go-getter mentality, as they have supported us in various roles within our organization on an interim basis in the past. Therefore, it was a logical choice for us to ask them to support us on this overarching assignment.

The technical expertise contributed by Ecopulz included drafting switching plans for locating a leak in the distribution network, making an investment proposal for replacing a heat pump and resolving various comfort complaints. In addition to this more operational work, Ecopulz also prepared the strategic asset management plan for the department. In the area of safety, Ecopulz wrote a VEWA policy plan, developed the process "working safely with a work permit" and created a crisis management plan. Also in the area of processes, they supported us, among other things, in drafting procedures for the move-in of new projects and working out the process of transfer from realization.

Because Ecopulz deployed the various consultants according to their knowledge, experience and talents for this overarching assignment, the quality of their advice and support was high. In addition, in my opinion, they also stood out in terms of the level of commitment to solving the challenges. The effectiveness in their communication and collaboration allowed them to handle the various issues in a tremendously short period of time. As a result, I look back on the services provided with overall satisfaction.

Ecopulz used an approach throughout the assignment that focused on transparency and adaptation. This meant that the progress of all work and tasks was transparent to both the team and me as the client. This gave me a clear picture of the project's progress and made it easy to provide feedback.

In addition, Ecopulz worked in short three-week cycles on various sub-tasks. At the end of each cycle, a progress meeting took place with me as the client. This ensured that we remained informed of the progress and that we could easily monitor the hours of the project team.

Ecopulz is an all-round consulting firm within the heat sector that has both technical and process/organizational expertise. With the diversity of knowledge and experience within the heat industry, they are a one-stop shop. As a result, projects are completed quickly. They are clear in their communication, so I always know exactly what and when to expect something. So for new customers, I would say, "Go for it!