## 5 Concept of the Energy Synchronization Platform
### Synthesis to an End-to-End Approach  
The ESP is designed as an integrated concept including data, information, and energy flows between machines and energy markets (see Figure 5). At a technical level, the electricity flows from power plants via the system operator's public grid to the power consumers, e.g., manufacturing machines. The information flow at an organizational level is entirely managed by the ESP. The company-individual CoP offers extensive functionalities to control the power consumers and aggregate their energy flexibility potential. Due to the standardized interface between MaP and CoP, companies can easily commercialize their energy flexibility via an aggregator or services on the MaP. Here, the service broker is the central connector between energy markets and manufacturing companies. Thus, vendor lock-in is avoided because companies can easily replace aggregators or apply new services, and free competition is ensured. Beside direct trading on the energy markets, the usage of flexibility lists to reduce local grid congestion and infrastructure investments, as well as the application of optimization tools and forecast services is also possible. Figure 5: End-to-end approach of the energy synchronization platform integrating IT platforms, services, aggregators, and energy markets. With respect to the end-to-end approach, processes on both MaP and CoP have been identified and modeled using BPMN. Subsequently, it was possible to design a process map for the ESP (see Figure 6). The process map ranges from the need for flexibility (customer requirements) to the reliable delivery of flexibility (customer satisfaction) and, therefore, matches the goal of the ESP as described in Section 5. Within this process map, processes are divided into comprehensive processes that affect the whole ESP and those that affect only one sub-platform. Besides this classification is based on the affected platform, processes are clustered into core processes, support processes, and management processes [86; 87]. Core processes are the processes creating value for the customer, on the ESP ranging from the assessment of flexibility to its delivery and, therefore, fulfill the purpose of the ESP by synchronizing demand and offer of flexibility. It is important to note, that the core process is a cross-platform process. Hence, the successful interplay of MaP and CoP is crucial for achieving the purpose of the ESP. Support processes are necessary to ensure the successful interplay. In Figure 6, three different levels of support process are distinguished. Firstly, overlapping support processes are mainly focused on the cross-platform communication and optimization between the platforms and to third parties. Secondly, MaP and CoP support processes comprise processes that are platform-specific and do not interact with other platforms, e.g., internal management of flexibility data or user authentication. Possibly, the support processes of the ESP constitute the operations with regard to servicing tasks such as IT-management, controlling, accounting, as well as customer relationship management, but also initial processes such as company on-boarding to the ESP. The ESP community is a complementary service, in which ESP participants can exchange best practice and knowledge. Management processes set the framework for core and support processes by deciding a strategy, establishing development processes, ensuring reliable quality management, and providing a financial scope of the ESP. There is much communication within and between the processes. Due to the complex nature of industrial manufacturing, a multi-level optimization is necessary to foster an effective and efficient use of demand flexibility.