Businessmodel of Ameren

Customer Segments

Ameren has a segmented market business model, with customer groups that have slight differences. The company targets its offerings at residential and commercial customers.

Value Proposition

Ameren offers one primary value proposition: brand/status.

The company has established a strong brand due to its success. It provides power to 2.4 million electric customers and over 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area. In 2015 the company became the first major energy firm to open an Innovation Center at the Research Park, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Lastly, it has won many honors, including recognition as one of the Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers by G.I. Jobs and the Top Utility in the Nation for Diversity by DiversityInc.

Channels

Ameren’s main channel is its direct sales team. The company promotes its offering through its website, social media pages, and participation in conferences.

Customer Relationships

Ameren’s customer relationship is primarily of a self-service nature. Customers utilize its products and services while having limited interaction with employees. The company’s website provides useful resources such as a video library and energy saving tips. It also offers an online account through which customers can make payments. That said, there is a personal assistance component in the form of phone and e-mail support.

Key Activities

Ameren’s business model entails generating and delivering its energy products for customers, and providing associated services.

Key Partners

Ameren’s key partners are the suppliers that provide it with the equipment, materials, and services it needs to manage its operations. These range from pens and paper to parts and wire to professional services. The company also has business partners in the following areas:

• Account & Data Management  – Includes Agents, Brokers, and Consultants, as well as Multi-Account Managers
• Construction & Facilities – Includes Energy Efficiency Contractors
• Property Management – Includes Property Managers ### Key Resources

Ameren’s main resources are its physical resources, which include the energy centers it operates across Missouri and Illinois. They offer a combined capability of 10,226,000 net kilowatts.

Cost Structure

Ameren has a cost-driven structure, aiming to minimize expenses through significant automation. Its biggest cost driver is operations/maintenance, a fixed cost. Other major drivers are in the areas of cost of fuel and cost of purchased power, both variable expenses.

Revenue Streams

Ameren has one revenue stream: revenues it generates from sales of its electric and gas products to customers.