After studying applied mathematics, Thanh-Ha wasn’t sure what direction she wanted to take and ended up in the energy sector. Maybe it was destiny. Because in her role as product owner, Thanh-Ha is participating in an important mission: the energy transition. “Look at what’s happening. Poorer countries are often hardest hit by the effects of global warming. While the prosperous countries of the West are major contributors to it. That’s why it’s our duty to take action. With my team, I’m contributing a bit towards a more sustainable world.” 

Building on innovation

Together with five developers and a scrum master, Thanh-Ha is building an innovative, complex system for congestion management. “Congestion clogs our electricity network. Too many individuals and companies are consuming and/or feeding back energy at the same time. This overloads the available transport capacity of our network. Our system predicts such blockages, determines the available solutions and then deploys them. One solution is to use long-term contracts with customers. They contain agreements on when and how much energy a customer can feed back and/or consume. This enables us to increase our network’s capacity and Enexis can connect more customers. This means that more households and businesses have access to renewable energy.” 

''THE PROSPEROUS COUNTRIES OF THE WEST ARE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO GLOBAL WARMING. THAT’S WHY IT IS OUR JOB TO TAKE ACTION. WITH MY TEAM, I AM CONTRIBUTING A BIT TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD.''

THANH-HA - PRODUCT OWNER

 

Learning from each other

Working on an important goal like the energy transition is definitely worthwhile, but Thanh-Ha also gets a lot of satisfaction from collaborating on innovation. “The system works on the basis of different types of data (sensor data, consumption data, weather data, etc.) and will acquire more and more functionalities that don’t yet exist. We work with two DevOps teams to develop these in an exciting dynamic chain. Very different people contribute their unique expertise. One thing they all have in common is the drive to build a good product. Everyone gets the space to come up with ideas and learn from each other. That makes the collaboration really enjoyable.”  

''I BELIEVE IN THE STRENGTH OF DIVERSITY. DIFFERENT WAYS OF THINKING AND DIFFERENT INSIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS FOR EVEN BETTER SOLUTIONS.''

Thanh-Ha - Product Owner

 

Sharing knowledge

Thanh-Ha looks beyond the walls of our organisation. “Network operators in the Netherlands and market parties are currently working hard on a congestion management system. With our teams, we’re at the forefront of functional development. While that’s something to be proud of, we also like to share our knowledge outside Enexis and learn from others. I have an important role in this as a bridge builder with external parties.” 

The strength of diversity

Thanh-Ha wants to get the best out of herself in everything she does, including in her role as a product owner. She thinks that more women should seize the opportunity to work in ICT. “I believe in the strength of diversity. Different ways of thinking and different insights are important ingredients for even better solutions. There are so many intelligent women with the knowledge and skills to make valuable contributions to ICT environments. And there are plenty of opportunities to do so. You just have to dare to go for it.” 

Want to know more?

If you’d like to know more about the world of IT within Enexis, why not read the stories of some of our other colleagues?  Do you have any questions about the role of Product Owner? Schedule a digital coffee-chat. Are you curious about the current job openings? Click here.