Alfen’s Digital Transformation Leads To Project Visibility with Planisware Orchestra

For nearly 90 years, Alfen has been quietly shaping Europe’s energy industry. Founded in 1937, the Dutch company built its reputation on smart grid technology, EV charging infrastructure, and energy storage systems, evolving into a leader in the continent’s energy transformation.

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Today, its products power cities in over 30 countries. But as Alfen scaled to meet growing demand, it faced a new, invisible challenge of managing its own rapid growth with a digital transformation.

“Everyone was using different tools and data was scattered everywhere… We realized we needed a single system to make data-driven decisions,” says Charlene Dinh, PMO in Alfen’s R&D department.

In 2023, Alfen set out to modernize how it managed nearly 200 active projects. The solution? A complete overhaul of its project and portfolio management (PPM) approach, powered by Planisware Orchestra.

The result has been 179 projects and 400+ users so far, unified on one platform, real-time reporting, and a shift that redefined how Alfen works.

Alfen’s expansion was impressive, but it also exposed inefficiencies.

• R&D teams were fragmented, each using its own mix of tools.
• Data was inconsistent and scattered, making it hard to see the bigger picture.
• Decision-making was slow, bogged down by manual updates and endless alignment meetings.

This resulted in: 

• Missed opportunities for strategic planning
• Limited visibility into portfolio-wide performance
• A growing reliance on reactive, rather than proactive, management

The Search for the Right Platform

Over 20 PPM tools were evaluated, but Alfen needed a solution that could handle complex projects across multiple business lines while staying intuitive for everyday users.

Planisware Orchestra was chosen as the preferred solution. It stood out for its ability to integrate multiple project and portfolio management dimensions while offering a simple and intuitive user experience compared to other solutions. The decision was driven by Orchestra’s ability to bring together project planning, resource allocation, and cost control in one centralized platform.The implementation began in December 2023 with a deliberate approach.

The implementation of Orchestra began in December 2023. As this was the first time Alfen rolled out a tool with such a wide-reaching impact, the team adopted a phased approach to minimize risk and manage organizational change effectively.

The process began with a pilot phase involving a small group of project managers and a select number of complex projects. This allowed Alfen to test Orchestra’s capabilities, identify potential blockers, and refine the rollout strategy.

After the pilot’s success, the tool was gradually rolled out to all project managers. Instead of relying on a massive data import, teams were encouraged to input and adjust their own project data, ensuring accuracy and fostering ownership.

Planisware conducted on-site sessions, complemented by tailored training materials for different user groups. This hybrid approach of hands-on learning and continuous support significantly accelerated user adoption.

Charlene recalls one particularly rewarding moment:

“Someone who was strongly against Orchestra at the beginning became its advocate, asking others, ‘Why don’t you use Orchestra for planning?’ For me, that was a big win.”

The transformation reshaped how teams worked day-to-day as shown below.

As adoption grew, usage expanded beyond the initial scope. The platform now supports over 400 users, a number that continues to rise.

Additionally, the availability of clean, reliable project data allowed Alfen to begin exploring portfolio management features earlier than planned, further improving decision-making at the organizational level.

After leading the transformation, Charlene has one key takeaway for other companies starting a similar journey:

“Keep teams informed at every stage, involve key users early, and make sure to have internal champions who bridge the gap between technical and end-users. Buy-in is everything.”

Through its partnership with Planisware, Alfen successfully standardized its project management processes, gained visibility across a rapidly expanding portfolio, and set the stage for even deeper integration and optimization in the future.

Curious on how Planisware can help you start your digital transformation? Get in touch with us here.