Gasunie and Deloitte establish a strong digital foundation for the energy transition
Preparing for a new energy infrastructure
The energy transition demands fundamental changes to the Dutch energy system – and Gasunie plays a key role in this shift. Managing over 15,000 kilometres of infrastructure in the Netherlands and northern Germany, Gasunie is preparing for a future where hydrogen, heat, and CO₂ networks will be just as important as natural gas. To accelerate the transition to an agile, data-driven organisation, Gasunie is working closely with Deloitte as its strategic partner. “Our infrastructure must be ready for continuous change”, says Adriaan Stel, CIO at Gasunie. “Digitalisation helps us to work more flexibly and generate valuable insights faster.”
Enabling this required a fundamental overhaul of Gasunie’s IT landscape. “We wanted an environment where we could be agile while creating value for the business”, explains Roger Aretz, Manager of the SAP Competence Centre at Gasunie. “An environment that allows us to integrate our subsidiaries and joint ventures, work in a data-driven way, and adopt new technologies like AI.” Together with Deloitte, Gasunie prepared the transition to a future-proof ERP system – a partnership with a unique character that paved the way for a robust digital foundation.
Deloitte & Gasunie: Building the energy system of the future together
One team, one approach
Gasunie and Deloitte opted for a greenfield approach, designing a completely new system landscape independent of existing structures. “This gave us the opportunity to redesign our processes with a focus on standardisation and a user-centric approach”, Aretz says. SAP S/4HANA was chosen as the technical backbone, but the defining factor was the collaboration between Gasunie and Deloitte.
From the very start, partnership and international cooperation were central. “We chose Deloitte for their expertise, scale, and their ability to truly understand our culture. They brought international experience to Groningen while maintaining a practical, pragmatic approach”, says Karst Hellinga, SAP S/4 Programme Manager at Gasunie. “This worked well, especially in such a complex transformation. From day one, they supported us in structuring the programme, establishing strong governance, and focusing on long-term value creation.”
Specialists from various countries spent months working on the project in the Netherlands. “We intentionally took the time to truly understand each other’s language and needs”, says Marc Goris, Partner at Deloitte. “That personal connection was key to the project’s success. We formed one team, with shared goals and joint ownership. Business, IT, Gasunie, and Deloitte sat at the same table. No endless email threads, but direct collaboration.”
“Deloitte brought not only expertise but also an approach that aligned with our culture”, Hellinga continues. “That structure and shared drive kept us moving forward. There was momentum, but also enjoyment.” The approach was intensive and phased. Legacy systems were decommissioned first, followed by the migration of functionalities to cloud solutions. “The focus is now on standardisation and future readiness”, Hellinga notes.
“Over 90% of our processes now run in a standardised way. This enables us to innovate and integrate more quickly.”
A solid foundation for acceleration
On 1 October 2024, the new system went live across the entire organisation in a single step. “We deliberately chose a ‘big bang’ approach”, says Goris, “We wanted Gasunie to benefit immediately from the integrated system, and we trusted in our joint preparation.” That preparation was intensive: 57.8 million records were successfully migrated, 70 interfaces were built, and over 1,500 employees were trained.
“Change starts with people”, Stel emphasises. “That’s why we began early with a dedicated change team to prepare colleagues for what was coming. Throughout the entire project, we provided training, webinars, and webcasts and visited regional and field locations. We were highly visible, guiding colleagues and supporting them in embracing the new way of working. This built trust.” Aretz also highlights the importance of a human-centred approach: “We utilised every internal channel available and engaged change managers to maintain momentum. Just before go-live, we provided department-specific support to ensure everyone was ready. Listening and speaking the user’s language – that’s what made the difference.”
The successful collaboration between Gasunie, Deloitte, and other partners demonstrates what is possible when diverse expertise and perspectives come together. The project brought people from around the world together and was marked by shared ownership, mutual trust, and a collective ambition: to be ready for the future. “What we have achieved here is unique within the energy sector”, says Goris. “It shows how, by working together across organisational boundaries, you can realise sustainable change.”
The journey continues
With a scalable system and harmonised processes, Gasunie now has a solid foundation to build upon. The organisation is better equipped to integrate subsidiaries, respond swiftly, and embrace new technologies.
“We are proud of what we have achieved together”, Stel says. “The next step? Realising the potential. We are now looking into AI applications, for instance, for on-demand reporting and predictive maintenance, as well as further integrating our companies.”
Deloitte will continue to be involved as a strategic partner. “What we have accomplished with Gasunie is, for us, a prime example of how digital and sustainable transformation can go hand in hand”, Goris concludes. “We hope this story inspires other organisations to embark on collaborations that truly make a difference.”
The people
