MECOMS – Metering and COntract Management System


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MECOMS Implementation at Essent Metering Data Company

Ferranti is helping Essent with the set-up of the Metering Data Company through the supply and the implementation of a Metering Data Management (MDM) solution for E and G. This MDM system is based on MECOMS and is responsible for the automatic collection, processing and distribution of metering data that is the foundation for a lot of the customer processes of the Suppliers. These processes are crucial in the relation between a supplier and its Customers. The MDM system will also provide for the MDB to guarantee the in time, correct and complete delivery of Metering Data according the agreements with the Suppliers.

www.waternet.nl

Customer information and billing system for water cycle company, Waternet

MECOMS now also widely applicable to water companies through cooperation with Waternet

System integrator Ferranti has assisted Waternet with the implementation of a new integrated customer information and billing system based on MECOMS for Microsoft Dynamics AX. The close collaboration between both companies has ensured that the existing MECOMS solution can be applied to water companies alongside its traditional markets of electricity and gas.

Waternet is the first Dutch water cycle company to manage drinking water, waste water and bore and surface water in an integral, integrated and socially responsible manner. Waternet’s processing and management area comprises the city of and a large part of the provinces of and North-Holland.

Ferranti implemented a customer information and billing system for Waternet based on MECOMS for Microsoft Dynamics™ AX. This software was specifically developed by Ferranti as a standardised solution for the utility and energy sector. However, thanks to the collaboration with Waternet, the package has been extended to form a unique system which can be used by water companies as well. The system covers all steps in the chain for drinking water ranging from recording meter readings up to and including invoicing.

The system went live on 24 December 2007 and offers users a user-friendly and complete overview of all customer information and a simple solution for the registration of all customer contacts. In addition, it also comprises a useful module for payment matching of drinking water billing. In total, this customer information system manages around 410 000 connections for around 270 000 customers including a large number of multi-site customers such as rental companies and estate agents.

In total around 80 to 100 Waternet employees use the new customer information system. In the meantime, the first invoicing rounds have been completed, good for around 100 000 bills.

As part of the project, Ferranti was also responsible for the supply and installation of the ICT infrastructure necessary for the management and hosting of the MECOMS technology. The management and online monitoring are also carried out by Ferranti.

www.spe.be

www.luminus.be

Ferranti helps Large Belgian Energy Supplier with Grid Fee Settlement Process

SPE has chosen for MECOMS for Dynamics AX

System integrator Ferranti will install MECOMS for Dynamics^TM AX at SPE to support the grid fee settlement process.

SPE is the second largest player in the Belgian energy market, with a turnover of approximately 2 billion euros, and is in the Top 30 of the largest Belgian companies. SPE produces electricity at 19 power plants in Flanders and Wallonia. SPE-Luminus has more than 1.5 million customer accounts, both householders and companies and approximately 1000 employees. SPE supplies householders and companies with gas and electricity under the brand name Luminus.

The Grid Fee is a fee which in the Belgian liberalized energy market model is billed by the DGO (Distribution Grid Operator) to the Supplier(s) for the usage of the distribution grid. It is based on consumption data. The process of reconciling these invoices with the validated consumption data is often not supported by the Backoffice systems in place. Suboptimal systems and workarounds take a lot of time and often lead to errors and related rectification processes. This is why SPE has chosen for MECOMS for Dynamics^TM AX to support this process.

MECOMS “Read-Process” stores all invoice-, consumption- and master data (including tariffs) using its market-compliant messaging system. The “Treat-Process” then starts validating and checking on correctness and completeness of these data and will start the reconciliation. Also, for B2B customers where more complex algorithms apply, MECOMS validates the full cycle before passing this information to the billing system. This validation takes place before billing of the customer takes place.

In the end, the reconciliation and settlement process is performed in a much shorter cycle with fewer errors. Also, MECOMS’ built-in flexibility will allow SPE to faster respond to changing market conditions due to regulation or other related to grid fee.

www.rwe.nl

MECOMS for Microsoft Dynamics™ AX implemented in record time empowering energy supplier RWE with a metering and billing system.

System integrator Ferranti has helped Dutch RWE, a subsidiary company of RWE Germany, to implement a metering and billing system in a record time. RWE is able to demand and play a role of importance on the Dutch consumer market thanks to the re-known MECOMS For Dynamics AX product. MECOMS is the base for attacking the Dutch consumer market by RWE.

RWE is a German gas and electricity supplier. The company bought two existing energy companies in the Netherlands and supplies major consumers with energy under its own brand since the beginning of 2007.

RWE started looking for a specialized system integrator in the end of 2006 to implement a metering and billing system. RWE decided in December 2006 to use Ferranti’s MECOMS. Ferranti implemented its MECOMS For Dynamics AX. MECOMS is a proven solution for utility and energy companies built on Microsoft’s Dynamics AX. RWE uses MECOMS to gather metering data and to bill its B2B customers.

What is striking about this implementation is the very short schedule of the project: it started beginning of December 2006 and already in February 2007 - a mere two months later - RWE was already billing customers using MECOMS!

“Real Load Profiles” is a standard part of MECOMS For Dynamics AX’ latest release. It processes all 15 min values that enter the system via EDI-messages from the metering company. As such, RWE disposes of 96 metering values for each customer. These values are linked in MECOMS to the most recent electricity prices generated from the APX-energy exchange. Accordingly, RWE is able to very accurately bill its customers. Obviously other forms of contracts are also supported.

www.nidera.nl

MECOMS For Dynamics AX empowers new energy supplier Nidera to enter the Dutch and Belgian market

System integrator Ferranti successfully delivered an important project for new energy supplier Nidera. Ferranti implemented for Nidera a complete management, messaging and billing system based on its proven MECOMS For Dynamics AX.

Starting from April 2007, Nidera delivers energy on the Dutch and Belgian market to major consumers and customers that generate electricity themselves. Ferranti also consults Nidera on strategic matters concerning the energy and utility market(s).

Nidera is an Argentina wholesale company. It is a completely new player on the energy market. It delivers electricity to major consumers in Belgium and the Netherlands and plays a program-responsible role in the market.

Nidera was looking for a partner that not only could integrate systems, but that was also able to help develop Nidera’s new business thanks to the partners’ extensive knowledge of the energy market.

Ferranti implemented a management system for Nidera, built on its MECOMS For Dynamics AX product. This product is designed especially for the energy and utilities market, as a standard but flexible and adaptive solution.

MECOMS receives digital consumption data (EDINE/EDIEL) from metering companies and validates this information. As a program responsible Nidera is accountable for the forecasting and balance of electricity sales. Thanks to MECOMS Nidera is confident to smoothly send/receive messages and deliver the programs.

www.hvcgroep.nl

Ferranti and their MECOMS product help launch Dutch waste treatment company on energy market

System integrator Ferranti will install a system to manage Dutch waste treatment company HVC's energy customers. HVCenergie, a 100% subsidiary of HVC, has ordered the MECOMS for Microsoft Dynamics™ AX system.

HVC is a Dutch waste treatment company that aims at effective waste management from both an economic and environmental point of view. Its main activities are the collection of waste and treatment by composting & recycling, logistics and incineration & energy generation. The waste treatment plants in and represent a total electricity production capacity of approximately 100 megawatt.

This “green” energy will be offered primarily as a consumer product. HVCenergie was looking for a system to manage all the processes involved with the generation and sale of energy. Ferranti will implement an operating system based on MECOMS for Microsoft Dynamics™ AX for HVCenergie. This software has been specifically developed as a standard applicable (and adaptable) solution for the sector. By the end of this year HVC will use MECOMS to supply large-scale consumers.

www.texelenergie.nl

TexelEnergie uses MECOMS in ASP-model to service their energy customers

TexelEnergie is a cooperation that was established with a specific focus on energy consumers on Texel. TexelEnergie focuses on the purchase, supply and production of green energy. As an environmental focused company TexelEnergie invests al its profit in improving development in the area of renewable energy consumption and green energy.

TexelEnergie uses MECOMS to service its energy customers handling processes of CRM, Billing and EDI messaging in the energy market. The modularity and flexibility of MECOMS effectively addresses the business challenges of TexelEnergie to be able to rapidly implement their solution at a cost-effective price. MECOMS was delivered in an ASP model making use of the business blueprints to deliver a quality solution in a short implementation time. The ASP model reduces the cost and allows TexelEnergie to grow its business and in the future extend the MECOMS functionality the company is using. The Energy Data Management functionality in combination with the EDI and Billing module provides a total solution for TexelEnergie.

www.floraholland.com

Smart Metering at Flower Auctioneers FloraHolland

FloraHolland flower auctions, market leader in the sale of horticultural products, decided to install a flexible smart metering solution, in order to be able to meter the tenants of its auction space remotely and perform energy quality tests.

FloraHolland is a cooperative of horticultural producers with six auction centres, a nationally operating intermediary organisation (FloraHolland Connect) and an import department. The company turned to Ferranti Computer Systems for automation, which goes from acquiring the metered data through to delivering the necessary data to the invoicing system.

The auction company uses Echelon Meters and Data Concentrators, which are read out via Power Line Carrier (PLC) by the MECOMS Smart Metering Communication Bus. The metered data are made available in a portal and also forwarded to the FloraHolland invoicing system. There the auction company’s staff processes the data further. Smart Metering ensures that FloraHolland works more efficiently by means of correct metered data and that it is able to provide better customer support.

The solution has a fully open infrastructure, at both hardware and software level. This kind of open solution provides an infrastructure that is easily expanded and makes it simple to make additions to the system.

Find out more on this topic in the Smart Metering Leaflet or this Business Article.