"We are accelerating our Banpu transformation, which has been underway for more than 10 years," said Dr. Teerachai Pornsinsirirak, Head of Digital and Innovation, Banpu Public Company Limited. "Banpu established a Digital Center of Excellence (DCOE) in 2018 to specifically drive our digital transformation. In mid-2022 we merged DCOE with our Information Technology (IT) unit to increase efficiency under the new name that we called "Digital and Innovation" or D&I. The unit has an important goal in promoting innovation and the development of technologies in order to strengthen Banpu's business efficiency and support the Company as it is undergoing a transformation in terms of its business, technology and people while also supporting business operations in the Banpu group in all markets where we currently operate, including Thailand, Indonesia, China, Australia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Japan, the United States, and Vietnam. Dr. Teerachai explained.
"The head office in Thailand took the lead in digital transformation. With a team of 150 local and international experts, this unit is growing very fast." Dr. Teerachai added.
"The goal and framework of the D&I unit in its first two years is to allow the team to be able to work in harmony as one team with one goal in order to strengthen it from within. During the third and fourth years, it will be implementing consistent work strategies, allowing the team to be able to work together seamlessly while also sharing a digital workforce within Banpu group. Even if there were different contexts in terms of operating businesses in different countries, we have managed to synergize and accelerate success according to the Greener & Smarter strategy since the Company has been operating under this strategy since 2015." Dr. Teerachai said.
Another significant mission for the D&I unit is to encourage Banpu people to have digital awareness and gain more digital skills, especially those involved in their field of work as the skills are considered among the important capabilities both at Banpu and the business world at large. As a result, the Company has trained its employees to cultivate a digital and growth mindset with a team of digital coaches teaching them how to use various technologies. Trains-the-trainers programs were created for personnel to pass their skills to one another. This serves to support its mission in people transformation. In addition, Banpu established Digital Capability Center (DCC) in many countries to uplift the cooperation of its employees in each business group under D&I's four key missions: 1) Applying technologies throughout the organization; 2) Utilizing digital technologies to enhance the transition to greener energy; 3) Creating innovation within the organization; and 4) Building the robust business while increasing resilience for a competitive advantage in the future.
The D&I team has been driving the adoption of digital technologies and innovation on many remarkable projects in order to create additional value to Banpu such as:
- Supply Chain Optimization is a system that improves the efficiency of the supply chain by using AI technology to generate and analyze data on transportation and logistics such as shipping routes, scheduling for organizing materials and equipment, etc.
- Energy Trading is a system with AI technology that helps analyze trends in energy prices. For example, the system can answer a question as to whether the price of electricity will be lower or higher over an ahead 5 - 10 minutes. The system will help in decision making about purchasing and selling. Although this system is still in a trial phase, it has already been piloted in Australia while it tends to be expansively used in Japan and the United States.
- Master Data Warehouse is Banpu's data center in nine countries. Since Banpu group's databases are spread across many countries, the D&I team developed the Master Data Warehouse as Banpu's data center. Currently, it is in the process of storing data into categories in the same format, together with creating Corporate Information Factory (CIF), which is part of the storage of data master files.
- Cybersecurity — we expand the scope of cybersecurity, covering both information and operational technologies. As a result, the announcement of membership in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, or DJSI, in 2022 saw a significant increase score for Banpu in terms of business operation effectiveness according to sustainable development guidelines in the area of cybersecurity.
"For one year and six months, the D&I unit has acted as a key enabler and a platform that helped support all of Banpu's digital work. We have moved forward with more than 270 entries, covering the experimental/testing stage or giving advice or serving as consultants. Some entries are in the stage of Minimal Viable Product (MVP) while others are complete solutions ready for company use. In addition, some projects generate income for the unit while some help reduce costs for some units in Banpu. These are, therefore, proof of Banpu's progress in using and developing digital technology," Dr. Teerachai concluded.
As Banpu is entering its fifth decade, the Company continues to advance its transforming towards the digital era. This involves deploying innovation and modern digital technologies throughout the organization to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment. In one and a half year, D&I has successfully applied digital technology in many projects and drive the Company towards a business transformation. All of these are in line with the goal of effectively delivering "Smarter Energy for Sustainability" and "powering the better living for all" for today and in the future. The ultimate aim is to reinforce Banpu's promise "Our Way in Energy."
Source: Ogilvy Bangkok
