Lateral Thinkers Wanted: We Develop Employee Potential
E.ON values active, creative employee involvement. With "Ideas and Knowledge Management", we promote good ideas that help improve the work environment and may also decrease costs.
Joint Development of Exemplary Solutions
The "Operational Excellence" division at Corporate Center coordinates groupwide best-practice activities and ensures that good solutions that exist within the group are expanded to other market units. Examples include the increased reliability of electrical networks in the network area and the optimization of internal business processes related to billing.
E.ON has developed a benchmarking model to allow a comparison to be made between power plants among other things. As opposed to other models, this benchmarking system does not just focus on key figures, but also on the processes and work practices behind the key figures. That is the only way to truly determine which of our 34 power plants is best in class and how we can transfer its particular qualities to other plants. The benchmarking of E.ON power plants is carried out annually, with external plants included every three or four years. This allows us to determine what level our plants are at internationally. A number of other supply companies have already declared their interest in our model.
E.ON has developed a benchmarking model to allow a comparison to be made between power plants among other things. As opposed to other models, this benchmarking system does not just focus on key figures, but also on the processes and work practices behind the key figures. That is the only way to truly determine which of our 34 power plants is best in class and how we can transfer its particular qualities to other plants. The benchmarking of E.ON power plants is carried out annually, with external plants included every three or four years. This allows us to determine what level our plants are at internationally. A number of other supply companies have already declared their interest in our model.
Boom in Suggestions at E.ON Ruhrgas and E.ON Energie
The company’s internal suggestions procedures are particularly successful, idEE.ON at E.ON Energie and IdeeNet at E.ON Ruhrgas. The idEE.ON scheme at E.ON Energie saw 1,123 ideas implemented in 2007, representing 44 percent of the total ideas submitted. An average of 94 ideas per month were implemented, meaning over EUR two million was saved in 2007 alone, with EUR730,000 going to the ideas’ developers.
Examples from the Group
The 2007 highlight was an idea from an employee at our Isar Power Plant. His suggestion related to improvements to the so-called "Sippens" technology, which is part of the checking process for the tightness of the fuel element and the fuel rod. The earlier a leakage is reported, the easier it is to change the rod or element and avoid a contamination of the coolant. The suggested improvement led to a net annual saving of EUR90,000 at Block 1 of the Isar Power Plant, as well as contributing to improved health and safety.