Migros Cuts Energy Waste with EcoWatt Programme
The energy transition and decarbonisation are central concerns for all industrial sectors. In our specific case, we worked with the number one retailer in Switzerland, Migros, and more specifically with Migros Genève. With nearly one billion francs in revenue, Migros Genève serves over 37 million customers at more than 35 locations. Nearly 2,600 employees work every day in the canton of Geneva to ensure this success.
As part of its energy efficiency and decarbonisation strategy, Migros Genève is targeting significant savings of 9,000 MWh and a significant reduction in direct CO2 emissions.
The EcoWatt coaches linked educational element with operational efficiency, by demonstrating how to better monitor energy consumption and transform sustainability into performance, leading to an actual increase in energy savings from 3% to 7%.
In this context, Migros Genève joined forces with dss+ to develop a programme called EcoWatt aimed at reducing energy consumption at all levels of the organisation. A working group assessed the levers for improvement in efficient energy management and proposed a comprehensive transformation programme focusing on managerial routines, ensuring the implementation of a catalogue of best practices. After demonstrating the programme’s value to the executive committee, an internal team of coaches was created to lead its implementation.
The two EcoWatt coaches, Franck Poncin and Benjamin Neri from Migros Genève, brought their experience of internal operations to bear on the programme, so that it would resonate with the teams while being measurable and effective, particularly in terms of adapting the schedule, setting up coaching and deploying reporting tools. The coaches helped raise staff awareness about energy use, leading a potential three-fold increase in energy savings, from 3% to a maximum of 9%.
One year after dss+ involvement, we took the time to talk to Olivier Buc, Head of Facility Management, responsible for the operational steering of the EcoWatt programme, in coordination with a team of coaches reporting to training, technical and sustainability departments.
Olivier Buc
Head of Facilities Management, Migros Genève
Q.
Olivier, can you give us an update on the current state of implementation of the programme and the challenges you have encountered?
We launched the transformation programme in September 2024. Since then, we have started to roll out the programme at 19 of the 52 sites. It took a little while to get everyone on board. However, we have now picked up the pace and are confident about the future of the programme.
Q.
What results have you seen since the start of the programme?
Many positive results! Firstly, our coaches are on the ground, working with managers and employees. Employees need to feel that the coaches are also there to reinforce good practice and help optimise shop profitability by managing a variable load more precisely. In terms of figures, we observed an average reduction of 3% in energy consumption in the first few weeks following the start of the interventions in the pilot shops. And that’s just the beginning!
Q.
What value has dss+ brought to your organisation through this programme?
During the assessment and programme design phase, the dss+ team scrutinised and analysed our consumption, observed behaviour in the field and conducted crossfunctional interviews throughout the organisation. They developed an action plan, a transformation programme and proposed a governance system tailored to our organisation. With this, they succeeded in demonstrating to the executive committee the need for a transformation based on a change in the managerial mindset “I see something, I say something”. In this specific case, the experts at dss+ enabled us to achieve complete autonomy. Through their approach: train the trainer, they gave us the legitimacy to train our own coaches.
Q.
How have these changes improved efficiency and productivity?
We are taking advantage of this programme to remind us that operational excellence effectively addresses the reduction of all kinds of losses: kWh wasted, optimising equipment operation, fewer breakdowns and associated costs. What’s more, the observed reduction in energy consumption will have a positive impact on our decarbonisation targets. In short, it’s a programme of organisational and operational excellence!
Q.
What advice would you give to other organisations looking to implement a similar programme?
It is necessary to have the support and sponsorship of the highest levels of leadership in the organisation. Next, make sure that the whole organisation is involved in the identification and construction phase of the programme. Finally, independent external support helps to structure a quality approach in a very short time and brings a fresh perspective to a complex situation. Being able to deliver results in a short space of time is essential to building and maintaining momentum.
Q.
What are your future plans for developing or expanding the programme?
We will continue to implement this work in all our shops in the canton of Geneva. We also believe it is necessary to continue training coaches. Finally, we will further improve communication and reporting of our work to our executive committee to accelerate this transformation and address other areas of performance.
Our approach to decarbonisation
Framing & scoping
Clearly define the ambition and establish the foundational parameters to set the project up for success.
Inadequate capital management frameworks
Capital allocation not making provision for environmental attributes (requires redesign with focus on core values - decarbonisation MUST be seen as a corporate responsibility like safety)
Emissions baseline
Identify and quantify current energy consumption, providing a detailed breakdown of emissions sources.
Decarbonisation trajectory
Develop a roadmap of technical levers and construct a financial model to guide the decarbonisation journey.
Organisational readiness
Assess the organisation’s management processes, data infrastructure, capabilities, and culture to ensure alignment with decarbonisation goals.
Action plan
Consolidate key actions into a comprehensive plan, including financial planning and securing buy-in from critical stakeholders.
Implementation roadmap
Translate the action plan into a clear, time-bound implementation roadmap.
Executive decision
Facilitate a strategic decision on the pace and scope of decarbonisation—culminating in a Go or No-Go outcome.
Key success factors of the programme
The key success factors of the programme were developed collaboratively. The dss+ team made proposals, and the Migros team challenged and enriched them. This collaborative principle was applied throughout the programme. Subsequently, the key success factors were reviewed and validated by the executive committee:
At a programme management level
- Align the programme with company values: ‘We actively contribute to a sustainable society.’
- Link the EcoWatt programme to top management.
- Validation of roles, responsibilities, planning and objectives of the programme by each of the participating parties.
- Communication of the launch by general management and in the presence of all management levels.
- Strong involvement of the communication department throughout the programme.
At core team & coaches level
- Quality of coaches (including a career plan at the end of the programme).
- Ability of the core team/coaches to simplify technical concepts to transfer to stores.
- Availability of the core team throughout the programme.
At a site level
- Managers’ schedules include time dedicated to the EcoWatt programme.
- Active participation of site managers in implementing the programme.
- Certify sites, celebrate success, and recognise energysaving champions.