Utilities everywhere are talking about AI, automation, and real‑time operations — but many teams are running into the same roadblock: the core systems underneath are too customized, too inconsistent, or too old to support AI at scale.
In this article, I share what I’m seeing across multiple utilities in the U.S. and internationally — why S/4HANA alone isn’t enough, what “Clean Core” really means in simple terms, and how utilities can build a foundation that actually supports AI‑driven operations.
I also outline a practical maturity path and a reference architecture that shows how utilities can move from reactive processes to event‑driven and intelligent operations.
If your utility is planning or running an S/4HANA program, or exploring AI for meter‑to‑cash, billing, or customer operations, I hope this perspective helps.