Erfolgsgeschichte
ane.energy:
Powering Innovation in the Renewable Energy Market with a Scalable Financial Backbone
About ANE
ane.energy is a dynamic, fast-growing company in the renewable energy sector. In addition to energy trading, it operates a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) and markets renewable energy through advanced models and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
Beyond trading, ANE drives innovation with large-scale battery storage and Power-to-X projects that enhance the flexibility and stability of the energy grid.
The finance team, led by CFO Oliver Ziegler, is responsible for accounting, invoicing, billing, and controlling. Several departments across the company now use NetSuite to manage and analyze financial data.
Key Facts
Company: ANE GmbH & Co. KG (ane.energy)
Industry: Renewable Energy, Power Trading
Headquarters: Husum, Germany
Employees: ± 40
Table of Contents
The Challenge
Outgrowing a Manual System
As a rapidly growing company in a complex and evolving industry, ANE faced significant operational hurdles with its pre-NetSuite financial infrastructure.
The primary pain point was the reliance on an outsourced accounting system using DATEV, which provided insufficient and delayed financial insights. This manual, reactive approach was not scalable and could not keep up with the company’s ambitious growth plans.
Furthermore, ANE lacked a dedicated tool to manage essential Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable workflows, such as invoicing and billing, which created a bottleneck in daily operations.
The Solution
Building a Customizable ERP for a Complex Business
ANE needed a robust ERP system that could grow with the business. NetSuite stood out for its powerful functionality, strong return on investment, and the potential for rapid implementation.
The company also appreciated the flexibility to take on much of the setup internally, including the transfer and structuring of historical data and the Chart of Accounts.
For the implementation, ANE partnered with Alta Via Consulting – a collaboration built on a proven working relationship. ANE chose Alta Via for their experience, responsiveness, and expertise in NetSuite customizations.
From August to November: An Agile MVP Go-Live in Three Months
The project kicked off in the last week of August 2019, with a clear goal: to go live by the end of the year and replace the previous accounting system. To meet this ambitious timeline, Alta Via recommended the SuiteSuccess Financials platform.
The close collaboration between ANE and Alta Via — with shared responsibilities and clear communication — made it possible to deliver within just three months.
CFO Oliver Ziegler recalls:
“We already started importing historical transactions by early October 2019, and by November, we had all the historical data within the platform and the reports showing the right numbers.”
Oliver Ziegler, CFO bei ane.energy
Customization for Complex Energy Products
A central element of the implementation was the customization of ANE’s invoicing and billing processes (CIB). This step was crucial to support the launch of complex renewable energy products and to handle a growing number of standardized contracts – without expanding the finance team.
The customization also made it possible to migrate intricate energy billing workflows from ANE’s legacy Energy Data Management System, which no longer met the company’s performance or scalability needs.
As part of the project, the team developed a fully customized energy reading and billing tool tailored to the specific requirements of power agreements and 15-minute meter readings.
This bespoke solution became a key milestone in ANE’s NetSuite roadmap after the initial go-live, providing the company with the precise tools needed to efficiently manage its unique business operations.
CIB custom tools at a glance
- Invoicing & Billing platform with automated processing
- Automated settlement procedures (netting) for invoice and bill items within the same transaction
- Bulk Mail functionality for high-volume customer communication
- Comprehensive reports providing a clear overview of all customer and vendor contracts, including pricing structures and meter data
CFO Oliver Ziegler explains:
“The customized invoicing/billing tool developed by Alta Via is the engine of our financial operations. It allows us to handle highly complex energy contracts with both customers and vendors, using 15-minute interval readings automatically in line with the individual contractual basis, something that was simply impossible before. It saved us hundreds of manual hours and enabled us to launch new, innovative energy products faster.”
Bridging Functional Gaps with Alta Via Applications
To overcome limitations in standard NetSuite capabilities, ANE also implemented Alta Via’s solutions for: Localization Germany and Dunning.
CFO Oliver Ziegler explains:
“The Localization Germany bundle gave us exactly what we needed – ready-to-use HGB templates that saved time and reduced risk during implementation.”
Regarding the dunning process, he adds:
“The standard setup couldn’t provide the flexibility we needed. With Alta Via’s Dunning app, however, we could design dunning processes that truly fit our business.”
The Results: Real-Time Insights and Scalable Processes
The NetSuite implementation, supported by Alta Via Consulting, transformed ANE’s financial operations. The most significant improvement was the ability to work with financial data in real time instead of relying on delayed external reports.
As Oliver Ziegler puts it:
“Instead of waiting weeks for DATEV reports from our tax consultant, we now have real-time insights at our fingertips. That visibility completely changed how we manage closings and deadlines.”
In addition, the customized invoicing and billing solution played a key role in expanding ANE’s product range. It enabled the finance team to handle a higher volume of contracts and more complex products efficiently — a capability that has supported the company’s growth over the past six years.
The Partnership: Collaboration and Expertise
The success of the implementation was built on a strong partnership between ANE and Alta Via Consulting.
Oliver Ziegler recalls:
“What stood out was Alta Via Consulting’s pragmatic, MVP-driven approach. They understood our budget limits as a young company and still made sure we got a scalable solution.”
The Journey Ahead: Continued Innovation with NetSuite
ANE remains committed to maximizing its NetSuite environment to drive future growth. The company plans to roll out add-ons for features not yet available in standard NetSuite or on the German market.
Further plans include developing APIs to integrate with other internal systems and enhancing the customized invoicing and billing tools.
By continuously optimizing its NetSuite setup, ANE is strengthening the financial backbone that enables ongoing innovation and flexibility in the renewable energy sector.
