Fail-safe SharePoint portal secures power supply in Berlin

Stromnetz Berlin GmbH owns and operates Berlin’s distribution network and thus ensures a safe and reliable power supply for 3.7 million people in the capital every day, around the clock.

The electricity network is monitored and controlled by a central network control center in 24/7 operation, where all information from the electrical distribution network comes together. Fault management, as the central point of contact in the event of a power supply fault in Berlin, is also integrated into the control center. The responsibility associated with this is therefore high: in fault situations, the operating personnel of Stromnetz Berlin GmbH must respond immediately.

In order to ensure a high degree of organisational security in the area of the control center, relevant regulations, sets of rules and instructions must be available to the operating personnel at all times in a complete and up-to-date form. For this reason, the company Join GmbH was commissioned with the implementation of a fail-safe portal based on SharePoint.

Guaranteed reliability due to a self-sufficient server farm

All the information required for the daily operation of the network control center has been digitised in recent years. With the new portal, data that is particularly necessary for operations is made available in a clear and interactive way for all employees involved.

Furthermore, it is possible to access various applications and document libraries via the portal. For example, 3D images of the operating sites can be viewed, which are required for maintenance work and remote diagnosis by fitters and service staff.

A sophisticated concept and a fine-grained, yet automated authorisation structure ensure that sensitive data is optimally protected. Appropriate measures ensure that the in-house SharePoint 2016 server farm is completely self-sufficient from the rest of the infrastructure and also functions in the event of a power or Internet failure.

Emergency system and reference book for daily work

Originally, the solution was intended to cover IT emergency and crisis management. Thanks to its user-friendliness, high acceptance and functionality, the portal also offers great added value in the daily work of the control center.

In the meantime, a fully functional and audit-proof document management system with corresponding workflows has been implemented. The flow of information towards the control center has also been optimised with a news box for announcing current news and operationally relevant information.

Thus, Join’s solution facilitates the daily work of the operating staff and contributes to the secure power supply of the capital.