# Think Tank > Ideas. Opinion. Future. Articles, positions and perspectives on AI strategy, delivery and IT in the energy sector. ## Articles ### [Why most AI projects fail before they begin — and why the use case matters more than the model](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/warum-ki-projekte-scheitern-anwendungsfall-vor-modell) *The FSE use case filter shows why the best use case matters more than the most capable model.* _Gunnar Hopfe · 07 / 2026_ The most expensive AI is not the most capable one, but the one nobody can tie to a concrete process. Why the use case decides success or failure of AI projects. [→ https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/warum-ki-projekte-scheitern-anwendungsfall-vor-modell](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/warum-ki-projekte-scheitern-anwendungsfall-vor-modell) ### [AI strategy at utilities: value before technology](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/ki-strategie-im-evu-wertschoepfung-vor-technologie) *What separates a real AI strategy from an automation agenda, and what it actually consists of.* _Dominic Asche · 04 / 2026_ According to Digital@EVU 2026, 58% of energy suppliers are planning an AI strategy or already implementing one. But ask what that strategy actually contains and you find that much of it is an automation agenda with a new name. An email that automatically becomes a ticket is not an AI use case. So what is one, and what does an AI strategy that holds up consist of? [→ https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/ki-strategie-im-evu-wertschoepfung-vor-technologie](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/ki-strategie-im-evu-wertschoepfung-vor-technologie) ### [What if apps and front ends no longer exist?](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/was-wenn-apps-und-frontends-gar-nicht-mehr-existieren) *The age of ephemeral apps* _Gunnar Hopfe · 02 / 2026_ We have been building software for energy companies for 15 years. The lion’s share of lifecycle cost went into maintenance, redesigns and regression tests of interfaces. At the same time the pressure to deliver context-relevant insight within seconds keeps rising. This is exactly where a new practice starts: ephemeral apps. [→ https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/was-wenn-apps-und-frontends-gar-nicht-mehr-existieren](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/was-wenn-apps-und-frontends-gar-nicht-mehr-existieren) ### [The magic of a good delivery plan](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/die-magie-eines-guten-umsetzungsplans) *Why planning is not an end in itself but the key to economically viable IT delivery.* _Dominic Asche · 02 / 2026_ IT projects in the energy sector today mean connected systems, BSI baseline protection, GDPR, the German Energy Industry Act and market communication. Starting without a reliable plan costs time, money and patience. “Complexity is the enemy of execution.” [→ https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/die-magie-eines-guten-umsetzungsplans](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/die-magie-eines-guten-umsetzungsplans) ### [Rules mean freedom](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/regeln-bedeuten-freiheit) *Why structured systems do not constrain but enable real freedom, and how they lead teams into flow.* _Gunnar Hopfe · 02 / 2026_ The call for freedom is often an attempt to escape uncertainty. But freedom is not a state of anything goes. It unfolds where clear rules, agreed processes and a shared understanding provide direction. Only those who know the rules of the game can play — and win. In energy and IT in particular, where regulation, market volatility and legacy system landscapes meet, clear rules give both direction and speed. [→ https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/regeln-bedeuten-freiheit](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/regeln-bedeuten-freiheit) ### [Why people cannot estimate how long it takes to build software](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/warum-wir-schlecht-im-schaetzen-sind) *From gut feeling to a reliable forecast.* _Dominic Asche · 02 / 2026_ There is hardly a sentence in the IT world that causes more frowning than “when will you be done?” What starts as a simple question ends in misunderstandings, stress and disappointed expectations. But why is it actually so hard for people to estimate the duration of software projects realistically? [→ https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/warum-wir-schlecht-im-schaetzen-sind](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/warum-wir-schlecht-im-schaetzen-sind) ### [Why IT will not solve your problem](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/warum-it-dein-problem-nicht-loest) *A wake-up call for decision-makers in the energy sector* _Gunnar Hopfe · 02 / 2026_ In strategic discussions about falling market share, slow go-to-market processes or excessive operating cost, one term comes up almost reflexively: digitalisation. IT systems, software solutions and platform models are declared the supposed rescue, the all-purpose weapon against structural problems. That is exactly where the misunderstanding begins. IT is a tool, not a signpost. [→ https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/warum-it-dein-problem-nicht-loest](https://fse-group.de/en/thinktank/warum-it-dein-problem-nicht-loest)