How UniSuper adopted a digital power model

When UniSuper, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, was looking to modernise its aging UPS systems, it turned to Schneider Electric to deliver a new approach to critical infrastructure management.

The result was a transition from a traditional capital expenditure model to a flexible, usage-based service agreement through Schneider Electric’s Secure Power as a Service offering.

Under this new model, Schneider Electric takes full operational responsibility for UniSuper’s UPS infrastructure across all Australian sites, with the infrastructure monitored, maintained and managed 24/7.

The shift eliminates the need for upfront capital expenditure and allows UniSuper to scale infrastructure in line with its changing needs, avoiding the pitfalls of overprovisioning and life cycle uncertainty.

“With support from Schneider Electric, we’ve moved to an outcomes-based model that delivers the performance we need without the complexity of managing physical assets,” said Lachlan McDonald, Infrastructure Operations Manager at UniSuper.

“It’s a more sustainable, more strategic way to meet our power continuity obligations and operational requirements.”

Predictable, transparent and sustainable

Like many organisations, UniSuper had previously relied on oversized or extended-life UPS systems, for reasons such as budget cycles and shifting priorities.

Adopting Secure Power as a Service has allowed the organisation to mitigate the associated risks and transition to a predictable, transparent and sustainable solution. This also supports its long-term planning efforts by replacing reactive infrastructure decisions with a scalable and proactive model.

“This approach gives us peace of mind and removes the unpredictability of managing complex assets across multiple sites,” McDonald said.

“We no longer have to overinvest in infrastructure and we only pay for exactly what we use. It’s a great fit for our business and a smart way forward.”

Schneider Electric said the move demonstrates how service-based infrastructure models can unlock financial and operational value for enterprise organisations, particularly those with distributed locations and strong continuity requirements.

Freeing up time for innovation

By delivering defined service-level outcomes like load capacity and runtime — without requiring the customer to own or manage the associated infrastructure — Secure Power as a Service enables organisations to focus on innovation, customer experience and other aspects of business continuity.

“Secure Power as a Service is designed to deliver what organisations really need: resilient, scalable power infrastructure, without the cost and distraction of managing the assets,” said Seg Narayanan, Vice President Services & Safety, Pacific Zone, Schneider Electric.

“Our partnership with UniSuper highlights how this model can support complex, distributed environments while delivering tangible operational value.”

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