Simplicity, scalability, and sustainability – SaaS energy management for small business

By Thabang Byl, Buildings Segment Lead at Schneider Electric

4 September 2025

Retail and franchising are fast paced; a world where margins are tight and expectations sky-high. For those small-format retail outlets and franchise stores which operate in this space, think convenience branches, fast-food chains, and mini supermarkets, expenditure matters, and a lot.

Electricity bills are right at the top and stretching kilowatts is paramount. However, efficient energy management is not always within reach of smaller businesses and unfortunately those technologies that enable it, are reserved to larger organisations, with budgets to match. 

The good news is there are now Building Management Systems (BMS) and Energy Management Systems (EMS) available as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), designed to truly mitigate the need for costly infrastructure upgrades and additional capital outlay, like onsite technical teams.  Importantly, it allows retailers and franchises to make their power consumption go that one kilowatt further.

Upfront costs? Not anymore

Historically, deploying building and energy management solutions meant installing servers, LAN networks, and dedicated IT racks.  It was complex, expensive, and simply not viable for a small shop.  With SaaS, there’s no need; it’s affordable, scalable, and importantly, painless.

Furthermore, the shift from capital expenditure (Capex) to operational expenditure (Opex) makes these solutions more accessible to outlets operating under tighter budgets. Subscription-based pricing removes the financial burden of large upfront investments while delivering measurable returns from day one.

SaaS also mitigates the needs for onsite technical teams; an overhead very few smaller businesses can afford.  For example, automated scheduling ensures systems operate only when needed, and cloud-based diagnostics help identify inefficiencies before they become costly problems.

Visibility and management enhanced 

One of the standout features of these BMS and EMS SaaS offerings is its multi-site visibility. For example, franchisees managing multiple branches can compare energy performance across locations in real time. This benchmarking capability helps identify underperforming stores, replicate best practices from top performers, and improve budgeting accuracy.

Importantly, these systems aren’t just for new builds. They are retrofit-friendly and vendor-agnostic, meaning they can be integrated into existing infrastructure without overhauling everything.

Indeed, many small outlets might have some systems in place. The intention is not to rip and replace. Whether it’s older HVAC units or IoT sensors from different brands, the platform adapts.

Meeting ESG goals

Apart from the energy savings, SaaS platforms also powerful tools for achieving sustainability goals; a major plus point for franchisees. Reduced consumption supports lower emissions, while easy-to-access data enhances ESG reporting.

Furthermore, by making green operations more achievable and demonstrable, franchisees gain more than cost savings; they build trust with increasingly eco-conscious consumers.

SaaS platforms undoubtedly provide small retailer and franchises with the means to get a handle on their energy consumption whilst improving operations at the same time. Whichever way you look at it, SaaS reduces complexity offers faster ROI and scales according to a small business’ unique needs. 

It is providing smaller operators the same digital tools and advantages that the big players have, without the headache. 

Scheider Electric EcoStruxure Building Activate Designed for small and midsize buildings enables energy and asset management without the need for heavy upfront investment in hardware or software licensing.

Users pay a recurring subscription fee, making it more accessible and cost-effective, especially for sectors like retail, hospitality, healthcare, education, and offices.

Key Features include:

• Vendor-agnostic and IoT-powered platform
• Energy Management Systems (EMS), lighting, refrigeration, and more
• Offers real-time utility monitoring, automation, and sustainability insights
• Accessible via web and mobile interfaces
• Enables simple retrofitting for existing buildings

End

About Schneider Electric 

Schneider’s purpose is to create Impact by empowering all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. At Schneider, we call this Life Is On.

 Our mission is to be the trusted partner in Sustainability and Efficiency.

 We are a global industrial technology leader bringing world-leading expertise in electrification, automation and digitization to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. Anchored by our deep domain expertise, we provide integrated end-to-end lifecycle AI enabled Industrial IoT solutions with connected products, automation, software, and services, delivering digital twins to enable profitable growth for our customers. 

We are a people company with an ecosystem of 150,000 colleagues and more than a million partners operating in over 100 countries to ensure proximity to our customers and stakeholders. We embrace diversity and inclusion in everything we do, guided by our meaningful purpose of a sustainable future for all. 

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