Customer-Centric Innovation: Tackling Grid Challenges

Author Sticky

Kristen Sanderson

Chief Diversity Officer and Chief Customer Officer

Grid Software, GE Vernova

Kristen is the Chief Diversity Officer and Chief Customer Officer for GE Vernova. As CDO, Kristen owns the operational goals and priorities related to inclusion and diversity and provides leadership to achieve those goals in partnership with HR and the rest of the senior leadership team at GE Vernova and with the other CDOs across GE Vernova. As Chief Customer Officer, Kristen is responsible for establishing customer connection into the business, lead the initiative to improve business processes to eliminate defects from our business processes, and to drive customer sentiment across Grid Software.

In her 31 years of experience at GE Vernova, Kristen has held many technical and business focused roles across Engineering, Quality and Services. She brings a wealth of global experience and knowledge in the energy transition. Most recently, she has led a global team delivering the software solutions across Asset Management, Transmission and Distribution that are central in our energy transition strategy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Auburn University.
 

Jan 22, 2025 Last Updated
3 Minute read

What Challenges are the Grid Sector Trying to Solve?

Innovation can’t exist in a vacuum.

And that’s certainly true when it comes to solving complex grid challenges. It’s something we cannot (and should not) be trying to do on our own. To bring effective new grid technologies to market, we need to collaborate closely with our customers.

But what does this look like in practice? And how do we focus on solving the kind of problems that have industry-wide value?

By their nature, grid problems are messy. They rarely fit into neat little boxes or lend themselves to easy explanations. Which is why we need to tread carefully here, because if we don’t know exactly what we’re trying to solve, we can quickly find ourselves way off-track. An expensive, time-consuming detour.

This is why it’s critical for us to work closely with our customers. How do they see the problem? What bottlenecks and frustrations are plaguing their business? What might a better scenario look like to them?

By gathering a diversity of opinions (from IT and OT, the board room, control room and out in the field) we can clearly define the problem and get specific about what we’re trying to achieve.

Collaboration Is the Catalyst to Innovation in the Grid Industry

Siloed thinking won’t help us address complex grid challenges. We can’t simply see things as a ‘distribution and transmission’ problem, or a ‘generator’ problem — because an issue in one part of the grid inevitably affects another. So, when we’re thinking about solutions, we need to take a more holistic, collaborative approach.

While looking at the big picture, we also need to understand customers have specific pain points. For instance, a flexibility problem may impact two customers differently based on regional variations in supply and demand, or DER integration.

Identifying these differences can influence not just the type of solution we deliver, but also the timeframe it takes to deploy.

Testing Ideas in the Wild

Innovation is never a linear process. Sometimes we hit roadblocks and must find another way. But the only way we can learn fast and adapt is by constantly testing our hypothesis — from ideation to reality. And by reality, I mean working with our customers.

A single problem usually has multiple ways it can be solved. By testing our solutions in the customer environment, we can quickly find alternatives rather than pursue an idea that isn’t answering their most pressing needs.

Pressing The Fast-Forward Button on Grid Innovation

Working closely with our customers is the key to overcoming today’s grid challenges. And through ongoing collaboration, we’re able to address problems that need urgent attention — such as reducing the sheer complexity of managing the modern grid. This is where GridOS® comes in.

GridOS is the first software portfolio designed specifically for grid orchestration. Being able to orchestrate the grid (rather than manage it) is crucial for accelerating the energy transition — and this software portfolio and partner ecosystem provides a foundation to make that possible.

Author Section

Author

Kristen Sanderson

Chief Diversity Officer and Chief Customer Officer
Grid Software, GE Vernova

Kristen is the Chief Diversity Officer and Chief Customer Officer for GE Vernova. As CDO, Kristen owns the operational goals and priorities related to inclusion and diversity and provides leadership to achieve those goals in partnership with HR and the rest of the senior leadership team at GE Vernova and with the other CDOs across GE Vernova. As Chief Customer Officer, Kristen is responsible for establishing customer connection into the business, lead the initiative to improve business processes to eliminate defects from our business processes, and to drive customer sentiment across Grid Software.

In her 31 years of experience at GE Vernova, Kristen has held many technical and business focused roles across Engineering, Quality and Services. She brings a wealth of global experience and knowledge in the energy transition. Most recently, she has led a global team delivering the software solutions across Asset Management, Transmission and Distribution that are central in our energy transition strategy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Auburn University.