Working together on Data Governance

The energy transition poses major challenges for grid operator TenneT. Data is crucial for enabling business units to work together more efficiently and to optimally respond to rapidly changing circumstances. The integration of data within TenneT is elaborated in the developed data strategy. Patrick Piepers, Head of Asset Data Management at TenneT, Marnick Huijsman, Lead Digital & Data (part of BTO, Business Technology Organisation) at TenneT, Robbert Petterson, and Stefan Wijers, both Management Consultants at Anderson MacGyver, explain more about the importance of data governance and the pursuit of a high-quality data flow throughout the organization.

‘Data is the new soil’

The energy transition impacts all parts of TenneT. “We need to significantly expand our network in a short time,” Marnick explains. “In addition, we’re dealing with the social consequences of grid congestion, which puts extra pressure on the organization to enable new developments faster. We can’t solve that just by working harder—we need to work smarter. Data often plays an explicit role in that.”

“Within the energy system, data has always been important, but it has become even more so,” Patrick adds. “That’s because we’ve transitioned to sustainable, renewable sources, which are much less controllable than fossil ones. We are also seeing a significant increase in the number of households that supply energy back to the grid. To keep that manageable, it must be governed by a lot of data that arrives at the right time in the right form. Instead of ‘data is the new oil,’ I prefer ‘data is the new soil.’ Decisions and insights are not the starting point—we focus on creating a landscape from which you can make those decisions.”

Data governance: essential in a dynamic digital environment

Every organization that uses data relies on data governance. It includes the rules, procedures, and guidelines an organization follows to ensure its data is secure, accurate, available, and usable. The goal is to ensure the quality, consistency, and reliability of data, enabling better decision-making. According to Patrick, it’s a theme that is indispensable to define what roles and responsibilities you have in a digital world. “If you truly value your data, you need to manage it. Don’t just talk about governance—see it as a medium of exchange. I give you insights, I help you create a landscape from which you can gain your own insights. If you want more of that, then you must adhere to the rules and responsibilities—because then we can achieve much more.”

Marnick also sees data governance more as a tool than as strict regulation. “We’re not implementing data governance—we’re solving business problems that are related to data, and we’re doing that in a structured way. That way is called data governance. We help you understand how to do it, but you have to take on that role yourself. Otherwise, we can’t ensure the data is easily accessible, nor can we adequately help improve data quality. To me, the essence must be truly focused on delivering added value.”

Governance as a result of the chosen data strategy

In the summer of 2023, the new data strategy was approved by TenneT’s executive board. “The developed data strategy showed that data governance was still one of the most important components we needed to improve,” Marnick explains. “The Digital & Data department is more on the IT side, while the Asset Management department had already invested significant effort for a long time in implementing strong data governance. From IT, there was a desire to roll it out across the entire organization, which required some simplification compared to what Asset Management had already done. That then needed to be brought together. The conclusion was that our departments had to take on that journey together, or we would maintain the silo structure and not help the organization move forward. Last summer, we really started working on this together with Anderson MacGyver.”

A practical model for data governance

Anderson MacGyver’s approach doesn’t rely on blueprints, but focuses on customization, analysis, and collaboration. “Data governance was never the starting point—more the question of how we would implement the developed data strategy together,” Stefan explains. “One of the main questions at the beginning of the process was what responsibilities fell under Asset Management and under BTO. Topics like data ownership and who was responsible for solving data quality issues were also key points of attention. At the end of the process, we formulated a number of recommendations—some of which could be implemented immediately, and others related to possible hierarchical changes and/or team shifts.”

“We conducted 27 interviews with various stakeholders to identify the main issues,” Robbert elaborates. “We analyzed them and validated that analysis in workshops with Asset Management and Digital & Data, both for the Netherlands and Germany. So, it wasn’t just about simplifying a data governance structure—it was also about whether people were able to take on a certain role and whether that role was clear enough. What I found very powerful was that we chose to work with use cases to make the dry subject matter of data governance and the design cycle much more concrete and tangible. I noticed a growing closeness in the group and a shared ambition to solve the issues together.”

“It really was the moment we started looking at how we were going to implement the strategy together,” Patrick adds. “To me, that meant broadening our perspective by concluding that we weren’t just doing this for Asset Management and Digital & Data, but also for all the other parts of the organization. A nice side effect of working together was that we learned a lot from the conversations with business stakeholders. It regularly became clear that we viewed things very differently—but that helped us move forward. It also ensured that all stakeholders wanted to participate in the use cases and, in general, showed up in large numbers.”

‘Publication is only the start of implementation’

Based on the workshops and several use cases, a high-level design was created by the end of 2024. On one hand, it includes a collaboration model, where you follow a data flow and data is handed over to different parties. But also a governance model, where if something doesn’t work at the operational level, it can be escalated to a tactical or strategic level. This model is now being tested with selected use cases—some from the workshops, some newly selected.

Patrick sees a clear break with the past in this process. “I think that in recent years we’ve focused a lot on setting rules and defining roles when it comes to data governance. We held on to the belief that ‘publication equals implementation.’ Once it’s published, we’re done and move on to the next thing. But I believe publication is only the beginning of implementation. That means hard work, trying things, facing setbacks. The better you’re able to empathize with the end user, the greater the chance you’ll get everyone on board with the process.”

“Where we are now is preparing conversations with end users, in which we want to discuss what someone’s role is and what it will look like in the future. It’s important to explain why we are changing things if, in practice, it doesn’t seem all that different. And if it is different, that they’re supported through that. That’s very different from simply saying, ‘it’s published, so that’s how it is.’ The better we are at positioning ourselves as a teammate on the field, the more likely our stakeholders are to embrace the new data governance model.”

A collaboration for the future

Marnick believes Anderson MacGyver is the right partner to shape data governance within TenneT. “I find it a pleasant collaboration. I’ve also worked with consultants who are very blueprint-minded. If you ask a question, they already have the solution in their back pocket. But at the same time, they’re not able to deliver customized solutions, which is exactly what Anderson MacGyver focuses on. I also notice that Anderson MacGyver is strongly implementation-oriented—constantly focused on what you as a company can do yourself to initiate lasting change. And that’s exactly what we want to achieve at TenneT.”