Providing independent business systems advice to utility companies
International Energy Group
www.i-e-g.com
Background
International Energy Group plc, based in Guernsey, Channel Islands, is made up of three main trading companies. Each company is the sole distributor of mains and bottled gas to residential and commercial consumers on the islands of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. Additionally there are retail showrooms selling a range of gas appliances such as cookers, fires and central heating systems and appropriate support services are provided for installation and servicing. Different information systems were being used by the three operating units which resulted in different application software at each site, multiple training requirements and hardware support arrangements and duplication of information and effort.
Definition of requirements and packaged software selection.
Scale
3 location, 150+ employees, £60m turnover.
Scope of requirements
Meter reading & billing, sales order processing, retail sales, stock, service management, asset tracking, financial ledgers.
Economies of scale -
there were three different systems running at the three locations,
management thought that economies of scale could be achieved by
implementing common systems at each location.
Systems flexibility -
a common flexible system was required which could easily be adapted and
implemented with the minimum of effort into any future companies added to
the Group. Multiple functional requirements
- an appropriate system was required which could handle the
gas trading (ie. gas consumption and meter reading), the retailing
operation (ie. central heating, gas fire and cooker appliances) and also
the servicing of the network and consumer appliances.
Latest technology - systems were required which would allow the Group to make use, where appropriate, of the latest technology, for example meter reading technology.
Future expansion path - management wished to establish a clear path for future information systems as well as standards for the selection and implementation of all future application systems.
An appropriate strategy was defined which included a summary of the key requirements for new billing and accounting system. Subsequently these requirements were issued to potential pre-qualified suppliers in the form of an invitation to tender. Following a detailed evaluation of supplier proposals a number of demonstrations were attended and a solution identified. Microguide also provided project management for part of the implementation.
Microguide Corporate Computer Consultants, 82 Shortlands Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT2 6HE
Tel: 020 8549 7152
Fax: 020 8549 8112
Email:enquiry@microguide.co.uk
ã2008 Microguide. All rights reserved.
