In the metalworking industry, every operation—from presses and CNC machines to furnaces—affects energy consumption. Vendom, a company based in Laktaši, has taken a step forward by implementing a software platform that monitors and analyses electricity use. Instead of relying on monthly bills, the company can now track consumption in real time, giving it a stronger basis for planning and addressing potential problems.
For a company that generated BAM 34 million in revenue in 2024 and employs 161 people, energy efficiency is more than an environmental concern: it directly affects product costs.
“For us, digitalisation is not an end in itself. It should help us understand our processes better, make better decisions, and use resources more efficiently and responsibly,” says Jelena Mihajlović, Project Manager at Vendom.
From Hidden Losses to Precise Monitoring
Before the project, the main challenge was the lack of real-time data.
“We tracked consumption through monthly bills, but we did not have a sufficiently precise picture of when, where or why consumption increased. With so many machines in operation, this made it difficult to identify losses,” Mihajlović explains.
The new digital system now covers 100% of the key production lines and machines being monitored. It has established a digital foundation for energy management and made the work process faster and easier for employees. The company’s management now has access to:
- A central dashboard that displays data in real time.
- An automated alert system that immediately flags consumption above defined thresholds.
- A historical database for analysing trends and comparing consumption across machines. The automated energy reporting function is also fully operational, providing a basis for identifying inefficient processes.
Results That Can Shape Business Decisions
The system allows Vendom to track key indicators, including kWh per unit of product and tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) per unit of product. The project’s actual effect on energy consumption and CO₂ emissions cannot yet be quantified: the system has only recently become operational. Assessing those effects will require a sufficient period of continuous data collection and comparison with the baseline. The system does, however, provide a way to identify energy-intensive processes and optimise resource use over time. The estimated potential reduction in electricity consumption and CO₂ emissions is 5% to 10%.
“The situation today is completely different. We can monitor how the system behaves, spot deviations and analyse consumption in individual parts of the production process. That is an important change: instead of reacting only when the electricity bill arrives, we can use information to make decisions,” Mihajlović says.
Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage
Vendom sells a significant share of its steel structures and waste management systems on the European market. Data on electricity consumption and CO₂ emissions is becoming increasingly relevant in that market.
“International partners are increasingly asking for information about how products are made and their environmental impact. Managing energy effectively helps us prepare for future market requirements, including those associated with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM),” adds Mihajlović
With support from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Republika Srpska and a team of consultants, Vendom completed six implementation phases, from preparation and the inventory of machines to the integration of measurement points and the launch of the system.
These activities were carried out under the “Digitally Sustainable Green Transition of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Republika Srpska – DiGreenSMEs” project, implemented by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Republika Srpska (@privrednakomorars) through the EU Initiative for Private Sector Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project is financially supported by the European Union and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and forms part of GIZ’s broader “Sustainable Economic Development and Employment Promotion (SEDEP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina” programme.
