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Customer Spotlight

Meridian Energy

"BusinessObjects XI has revolutionised our reporting systems. It has removed a lot of the mundane data management tasks that can be so time consuming, and it’s incredible how quickly and easily the tools can be used. Reports that took 3 to 5 days to complete are now taking a couple of hours. Our analysts can now start to focus on the real issues."

Peter Simcock
Business Intelligence Manager
Markets and Production, Meridian Energy

Challenge

Meridian Energy produces, distributes and sells electricity to retail and commercial customers throughout New Zealand. Prior to 2003, Meridian Energy’s operational organisational structure consisted of four independently run departments for Retail, Risk & Trading, Generation and Asset Management. These departments each had their own databases, systems and processes creating duplication in data, data management processes and reporting information.

Report development and analysis was completed by both business users and analysts using a mix of Business Objects 5.12, Excel, Access Databases and TOAD over Oracle. Meridian was keen to improve the quality of its strategic and tactical decision making and to convert the disparate data feeds to enable rapid access to accurate and trusted information.

Meridian Energy consolidated these departments under one 'New Zealand Operations' umbrella that aimed to leverage synergies and optimise performance across the board, from water to wire to customer.

Approach

Meridian Energy was already an existing Business Objects customer using Business Objects 5.12 which was nearing the end of its support. Business Objects' Solution Provider Partner (VAR) in New Zealand, Eagle Technology discussed the options for upgrading to the BusinessObjects XI platform. Meridian selected Business Objects on the strength of the XI platform and architecture, to leverage the existing investment already made in Business Objects and on the strength of account management, expertise and support from Eagle Technology.

Meridian adopted the BusinessObjects XI suite to streamline modelling output distribution, data management, prototyping and report development for a wide range of functions including retail (from customer analysis, pricing functions to assisting marketing campaigns), operations (from KPI reporting to monitoring operational targets), and Asset (Outage plannng). These functions are used by over 100 of Meridian employees and therefore the user-friendly nature of BusinessObjects XI enables the tools to be accessible to those without advanced technical skills. It was therefore the perfect fit with Meridian’s information strategy.

As part of the upgrade to BusinessObjects XI, all users were trained on how best to operate the new system to ensure the maximum benefits were gained.

In addition to training, Meridian formed an internal business intelligence user group who meet monthly and have an annual internal conference and have established a culture of self-support. The result has been a strong and increasing adoption by business users.

Results

BusinessObjects XI has revolutionised Meridian’s information and reporting environment by reducing the complexity of data management and data integration through universes and facilitating the quick development and deployment of reporting and analysis, freeing up staff to put their efforts into applying the results rather than just collating them. Reports that once took 3-5 days to complete can now be run in a matter of hours.

These BusinessObjects XI tools are being used by modellers, data information and business analysts, and analytical decision makers across the board to monitor up-to-date sales activities, conduct customer analysis and pricing functions, produce KPI reports and ensure operational targets are being achieved. Business Intelligence is now so critical to the NZ Operations division that it is one of the company’s 7 Operational Strategic challenges. Instead of one Executive Sponsor for the Information Analysis Platform, the entire Senior Management Team are the sponsors ensuring the cross functional needs of BI are met and confirms the strategic importance to the business.

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Quick Facts

• Industry
  Electricity industry
• Challenge
  Meridian Energy wanted a business intelligence solution to cover the needs of their NZ Operations Division following a restructure in 2003.
• Solution
  Meridian Energy has standardised on BusinessObjects BI platform Enterprise XI.
• Benefits
  With BusinessObjects XI, Meridian Energy has implemented standardised business intelligence platform that covers the needs of their users’ query and reporting requirements.
• Business Objects Products and Services:
  BusinessObjects XI