Improved business insight for the transmission network operator

Before the implementation our business was based on paper forms and we are now on a good track to provide transparent insight into business. We've created the conditions to improve our business insight, so we can start understanding our business and change our approach. For example, every invoice is now linked to a project and we can track projects in a completely different way, as we can get to information much more easily.

Venčeslav Perko, IT Sector Manager, ELES

The company used the solution to improve business insights and facilitate access to information while also taking advantage of planning and business intelligence features.

Situation

Public company ELES d.o.o. has the exclusive right to perform the service as the system operator of the transmission network in the Republic of Slovenia. The government is the founder and sole owner. As the system operator, the company links energy production and distribution and plays a key role in the Slovenian Energy system.

To support its operations, ELES was using an internally developed proprietary system that was developed over the course of 20 years. It was based on an Oracle database and the Oracle Forms application platform.  

"The system was highly customized to reflect the existing business processes and the way users worked. However, it no longer provided comprehensive IT support and business insight," said Venčeslav Perko, IT Sector Manager, ELES.  

The company management wanted a system that would provide the right information at the right time, which is why the management adopted the plan to deploy an ERP system in 2010. Initially, the company was planning to develop its own system based on the Service Oriented Architecture principles, but later decided to purchase and implement an off-the-shelf solution.

The company put out a public tender, which drew quotes by suppliers of Microsoft Dynamics AX and SAP solutions. "We selected Microsoft Dynamics AX and BE-terna as they provided the right price, references and competencies," explained Perko. "We are very satisfied with their cooperation as they filled out any of the gaps in internal competencies we might have had."

Solution

The implementation project began in May 2012 and finished on 1 June 2015. The new system supports all the processes that were supported in the old solution.  

"In the legacy system, processes were supported by an IT system that was used for data entry and all processes were performed using paper forms and memos," said Perko. "Microsoft Dynamics AX provided digital support for the processes and enabled us to implement a modern data processing system with modern data models."  

Implemented modules include accounts receivables and payable, general ledger, annual planning, monitoring of costs and revenues, fixed assets, banking operations, financial operations, human resources, payroll, procurement, support for public tenders, technical assets, car fleet management, energy accounting and sales, marketing and billing for services.  

Microsoft Dynamics AX is also integrated with Maximo, which is used to support network maintenance and provide support to the management of IT and communication services and infrastructure. The integration was realized at the level of relevant data synchronization and uses the same code tables. It ensures that fixed assets are synchronized between the two systems.

Benefits

By implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX, ELES successfully provided support to a large share of business processes and digitized them. This improved business insight and created the foundation for providing the data required for making decisions.

Before the implementation our business was based on paper forms and we are on a good track to ensure transparent insight into business," said Perko. "We've created the conditions to improve our business insight, so we can start understanding our business and change our approach. For example, every invoice is now linked to a project and we can track projects in a completely different way, as we can get to information much more easily.

The company wants to further upgrade and expand the ERP system to new areas and further optimize operations.  

Flexibility was also emphasized as the key advantage of the Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP system by Iztok Juvan, Chief Operation Officer, BE-terna. "The flexible design of Microsoft Dynamics AX enabled our developers to effectively integrate the solution and develop specific functionality, such as network usage billing."  

ELES is also utilizing the built-in options for business intelligence and business planning. "Driving business intelligence use is a new strategic plan that we set for the next period," explained Perko. "We want to expand the use of business intelligence and ensure that the right information and great reports provide a solid foundation for quick and accurate business decisions."