The energy supply that guides companies through the digital world

Open Energy Digital is the electricity supply that also helps businesses navigate the digital world and seize all its opportunities, because energy is not just the light in the store or restaurant, it also means accessing a world of possibilities. The pandemic triggered a digital awakening for the Italian economy, SMEs found vital strength on the Web, which allowed activities to continue even while the country was at a standstill. However, many businesses were still unprepared and were caught off guard. For this reason, Enel Energia decided to innovate its mission and its services: Open Energy Digital is the first offer that includes, in addition to electricity supply, the creation of a digital platform tailored to the needs of small businesses, developed in partnership with Accenture.

The idea was born within the Customer Acquisition Business squad, part of the Tribe dedicated to business clients of Enel Energia. Open Energy Digital is a completely new product, it required a major innovation effort, made possible only within an agile organizational context, which allows skills to blend and decisions to be made much faster than in a vertical structure. The offer is an evolution of Open Energy, which was already a radically innovative solution, because it allowed customers to pay for energy at wholesale price, the same Enel pays on the electricity exchange, offering maximum transparency. By adding a digital component to this offer, Enel takes another step toward customers and their needs. «The digital version was born in an unstable context for small companies, in which having a website, e-commerce or online booking is no longer a choice, but a necessity», explains Alessandra Quaranta, the project manager who led the development of the offer. «It’s a way to bring to the digital front what we already do with energy: to support our customers in their growth».

Francesco Tarquini is the product owner and the one who brought the offer to life. He is therefore the perfect person to explain the context in which Open Energy Digital was created: «In Italy there are almost four million SMEs. According to research data, 50% do not yet have a website, and 63% lack e-commerce». This is the real challenge: for every business, whether large or small, digital transformation is a necessity, and yet many have found themselves unprepared, without the tools to start this process at the pace required by the market. This is where an offer like the one designed by Enel Energia comes into play. «Our idea is to present ourselves as a 360-degree development partner for businesses, to help entrepreneurs develop their business in a multidimensional way. Digital services are just one piece of this new vision, which starts with the energy commodity and goes far beyond».

To provide the best possible digital service, Enel partnered with a prestigious company like Accenture. In the digital world, timing is everything, as Quaranta explains: «The website is ready, turnkey, just ten days after activating the supply and submitting the information on what content to include, such as text, images, and other materials». There are three options, designed around the different types of Italian SMEs: there is the simple showcase site, perfect for those who only want to introduce themselves to the market and build their identity. «It’s an ideal solution for professional firms, lawyers, architects or doctors, for example, who don’t need to sell anything directly, but need to be known». The other options are an e-commerce site, for selling products directly to customers, or a booking platform, ideal for restaurants, small hotels or bed and breakfasts.

An important component of the offer is the e-learning package included in the price. «The idea is not just to provide a website to our clients, but to make them autonomous and competent in using these tools, to guide them in their digital transformation», explains Quaranta. This offer is an essential part of Enel Energia’s dialogue with the needs and priorities of Italian SMEs. «It is a small world in terms of individual consumption», says Tarquini. «But it is fundamental to the very performance of the Italian economy».