One of the main pillars of the modern industry is the uninterrupted supply of energy with a reasonable price. The energy production is based mostly on non-renewable energy resources that are getting more expensive progressively. This increase in energy cost consequently leads the companies to a more expensive production of goods. Therefore it has been established that energy efficiency is not only very important for the environment but also for the sustainable production in the manufacturing companies. Effective energy management plays an important role in the necessary increase of energy efficiency in industry. Next to the expansion of regenerative energies, it establishes a further pillar at closing the energy supply gap resulting from the energy transition. This paper presents the current energy situation in Germany and its impact on the German industry. Furthermore this paper presents a methodology which can be used by organizations to systematically implement energy management system. Eventually the paper provides a model that illustrates the realization of a PDCA cycle which is necessary for energy management in the organization.

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Supply with daily consumer goods is a time consuming and quite inefficient task. Furthermore, some people may be dependent on caregivers resulting in additional costs. Hence, it offers opportunities for developing e-commerce solutions in order to enable customers to use otherwise wasted time for replenishment of their private food stocks more efficiently. Although, some digital stores for consumer goods have evolved recently, still only a small part of total sales, especially in food retail, is realized online. Due to inappropriate packaging there still are problems with the quality of fresh products. Also, current solutions for depositing parcels if the customer is absent are not suitable for fresh or cooled goods. Therefore, we show state of the art and developments necessary to establish the logistical integration and thereby enabling automated consumer goods supply in smart home environments. As smart appliances are playing an important role for enabling the automation, our focus is set on such hardware. To demonstrate customer acceptance of smart stocks in their private households, market research has been performed on smart refrigerators in place for every conceivable appliance capable of capturing consumer goods. Our results prove that especially younger generations are very interested in and willing to pay for intelligent appliances.

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