How Planning Analytics enabled a leading generator of renewable energy to transform their Planning & Reporting functions.

IBM Business Analytics Solution – IBM Planning Analytics

Services – Consultancy and Training

Melton Renewable Energy UK (MRE UK) is a leading independent generator of renewable energy in the UK with a portfolio of generating assets with a total net installed capacity of 165MW. Through their Biomass Business, they own and operate the largest independent biomass-only fuelled power station portfolio in the UK and through their Landfill Gas Business, they own and operate a fleet of methane-powered engines operating from 19 landfill sites across the country.

What challenges were MRE UK facing?

MRE UK relied on separate spreadsheet models for each of its generating stations as well as its Landfill Gas business, which its financial controllers prepared at the beginning of the month. This increased the risk of losing historical data if spreadsheets were accidentally deleted.

They were keen to automate as many of their planning processes as possible and IBM Planning Analytics offered them the capabilities they were looking for – an integrated, automated platform for planning, budgeting, forecasting and analysis that offers all the functionality of spreadsheets while eliminating the need for manual tasks.

Results

Working together we implemented IBM Planning Analytics to deliver driver-based planning for P&L with automated cash flow and balance sheet reporting across monthly forecasts, budgets and the group’s long-term plan.

One of the key successes of the project was MRE UK adopting our train and mentor approach. We trained a team of 5 which reduced the company’s reliance on a single expert user and helped to reduce risk. MRE UK can now resolve the majority of technical questions without external support.

IBM Planning Analytics has had a significant impact on the financial reporting capabilities of MRE UK. They use IBM Planning Analytics to produce all of their management accounts, forecasts and budgets from the group level down to individual assets. By replacing its spreadsheet models with a central, enterprise-class platform, the company has increased the speed and consistency of its reporting.

Feedback from MRE UK

“During a recent annual budgeting exercise, we completed half a dozen what-if scenarios in just two hours—something that would have taken an entire day to complete before.”

Jamie Lawton – Group Reporting Manager