Why and when changes in market communication are necessary

The term market communication describes the secure and smooth interaction of market participants. MaKo defines clear responsibilities and enables standardized, digitalized market processes. It encompasses all the processes required to allow encrypted electronic data exchange between the various market roles.

In Germany, the regulations for market and business processes and the associated market communication are generally adapted twice a year in April and October. Implementing these changes is mandatory for all market participants and forms a basic requirement for participating in the country's energy market. MaKo changes can affect the following processes:

• Business processes for supplying customers with electricity
• Market processes for market locations generating electricity
• Switching processes in electricity metering
• Market rules for the execution of electricity balancing group settlement
• Additional processes

The fundamental goal of the MaKo changes is to simplify processes for all market participants by increasingly automating, standardizing and adapting them to market requirements as part of the digitalized energy transition. All changes must be implemented successfully and punctually by all market participants.

Challenges for energy suppliers

To implement the MaKo changes, energy suppliers must overcome a number of organizational and technical challenges. When traditional software manufacturers are involved in implementing the changes, they leave little room for tailoring changes to company-specific solutions. As the energy market is constantly changing, it demands ever more flexible and innovative electricity products and billing solutions from energy suppliers. It requires a high administrative effort or an additional IT department to apply the changes to unique company structures and offers. 
As energy suppliers need to meet these demands, market communication is becoming considerably more complex. The necessary adaptations often require the introduction of new business processes or the restructuring of existing ones. If changes are not implemented or applied incorrectly, this results in considerable additional administrative expenses for all market participants. Missing or faulty processes can also lead to dissatisfied customers and endanger the energy supplier's market position.

A convenient solution that goes beyond MaKo changes

Adapting MaKo changes is time-consuming and requires special expertise, which is why many utilities outsource the task to a service provider. Working with a SaaS company is a particularly convenient solution as it allows utilities to completely offload the time-consuming task of implementing MaKo changes. Additionally, they are able to benefit from solutions that meet the demands of a changing energy market in the long term. 
Lumenaza counts on a dedicated team of experts for applying MaKo changes. Our tailored client support ensures an easier and at the same time fully individualized implementation than the methods used by larger software companies. We're able to apply the standard changes to complex tariff options, individualized customer offers and billing solutions. If necessary, we can even develop new green energy solutions in response to the changes.
We make the digitalization of the decentralized energy transition simple. When we take care of all the necessary MaKo processes and more in the background, energy suppliers can fully focus on developing their innovative, individual and flexible product and business ideas, plus ensure their marketing efforts are a success.

Do you have any questions for our MaKo experts? Or about how you can enter the green energy market? Feel free to contact us!

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