Sean Keane has been part of the Flux UK team since its inception and is our resident expert for all things Flux. We asked Sean to share a bit about his experience in the energy sector, working with one of the biggest e-retailers in the UK and how Flux is helping the industry face the challenges of the future.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE ENERGY TECH SECTOR
I started my energy career with one of the originals - Cooperative Energy. It was an interesting time when we entered the market using a mix of software solutions that were inevitably upgraded to what would now be called a “legacy system”. At the time it was innovative and fresh to the market. Fast forward a few years and I’ve had a multitude of roles in energy. From training, contact centre setups and business process improvement to operations and people management. Currently, I’m the Associate Market Development Director in the UK, growing the Flux client base and solving problems for our customers.
HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT FLUX?
I became aware of Flux as a software provider when I started working for Powershop UK. I was fascinated by the innovative nature of the business and when I joined I was ready to make the move from operations to the new world of SaaS.
For the past 4 years I have been working with Powershop UK as Flux’s in-house product specialist based in the client's office. My job was to help build out their functionality in a way that solved their existing problems as well as secure them for the future. From being able to supply gas, IDNOs, smart technology including HH consumption and smart adaptors to building a new customer experience called smoothpay and launching a range of white label brand offerings.
The great thing about my varying roles is that I'm still plugged into the operational reality of a supplier and am now translating their problems into solutions for the broader industry.
FLEXIBILITY AT FLUX
At Flux I have learned the true meaning behind agile. Agile can get thrown around as a bit of a buzz word these days but at Flux it is at the very core of how we operate as a business both internally and externally, not just in the way we build our software. Maruping defines agility as: “Agile methodologies can enable organisations to achieve flexibility in processes for managing unpredictable and changing conditions”, which is something we thrive in here at Flux.
We embrace the need for flexibility in the way we work not only with our clients but in our approach to our internal business processes and more importantly in the way we look at tackling the change in the energy industry. And, this change is not isolated to the UK but also in other countries such as Australia and New Zealand, where Flux built Powershop Supply businesses and acquired other SaaS customers.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE UK ENERGY SECTOR & FLUX?
As we look towards the future of what’s next for the UK energy sector, at Flux we’re also looking at how we can work to develop our smart grid, pursue our green goals and build software to make things such as VPP a reality. It’s been incredibly insightful to learn how Flux operates and to see how an agile methodology has been applied over the years by my counterparts in New Zealand. Our experiences and the way we develop allows us to be ahead of the pack with our innovation and create products like Flexibill which enables for rapid uptake of new technology, no matter what stage your retail business is at.
If you’ve been looking for the flexibility and innovation to future proof your energy retail business, but aren’t sure where to start - get in touch with Sean or another member of the Flux team to talk about how we can help make that transition happen.
