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An Innovative Approach To Achieving

The ETRM Of The Future

In today’s fast-paced, high-risk field of energy commodity trading and risk management (ETRM), traders, risk managers, schedulers, back-office professionals, IT project and support leaders cannot afford to fall behind the competition by relying on outdated approaches like spreadsheets or legacy ETRM technology platforms that don’t meet the needs of ever-changing business requirements.

So, how can organizations stay ahead of the curve? By shifting to the ETRM of the future. Getting there requires rethinking your approach to ETRM technology and partnering with an experienced energy business advisor that can help unlock enterprise value and manage risk.

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Challenges With Current ETRM Systems

Many current ETRM systems are built on older technologies, which haven’t adapted well to changing business conditions, nor have they facilitated accelerated deployment methodologies like Agile.

While most of the major ETRM systems were originally custom solutions, their technical architectures are based on technologies common at the time of their initial development.

Current ETRM systems that have older technology architectures are difficult and expensive to integrate into other systems, such as ERP, due to their monolithic architecture.

Current ETRM system transaction processing capabilities result in structured business datasets that are often “trapped” within the ETRM’s data model, unable to be easily consumed by the enterprise for advanced analytics or other solutions.

Recent trends of consolidation among ETRM solution providers have reduced the number of vendors, but not the number of product options. Technology updates continue, but they’re often years behind schedule and even further behind market relevancy in a rapidly changing environment.

Your Solution: The ETRM System Of The Future

Applying digital transformation capabilities facilitate transformative business operations, enhance efficiencies, differentiate you from the competition, allow you to better manage risk and uncover new monetization opportunities

Collaboration

Information’s value is realized when it informs action. Efficient collaboration, clear and streamlined decision processes, and tools to measure progress and drive improvement enable a high-performance business.
IoT

Connected sensor technology allows companies to measure asset performance to drive operational excellence.
Automation

Emulate human activities with software like RPA to automate high-volume, repetitive tasks across applications.
Big Data

Effectively manage and organize vast amounts of data to derive value and frameworks to drive action and performance.
Analytics

Effectively and efficiently translate the wealth of available data into actionable insight to inform and drive intelligent decisions.
Cloud

Reduce infrastructure costs, improve reliability and security through scalable and flexible cloud technology.
Mobility

User expectations have changed. Technology must enable a remote workforce.
AI

Discover and exploit hidden value from data using machine learning and AI-enabled analytics and capabilities.
Blockchain

Integrate AI and blockchain solutions to ensure security, transparency and AI to drive profitable decisions.
Cybersecurity

Harden and upgrade your ETRM system architecture like operating systems, databases and runtime software to reduce the risk of a cyber incident.

How Do You Build This?

1.

Set goals

2.

Determine out what you have

3.

Build a roadmap to achieve:

  • Changing business operations
  • Upskill personnel
  • Roll out the technology

4.

Build iteratively

  • Modular and integrated
  • Quick and continuous

5.

Periodic assessments

  • What worked well?
  • What’s improving?
  • Adjust goals

Key Characteristics Of The ETRM Of The Future

A shift towards the ETRM of the future reduces the complexity of your overall framework and provides a pathway to rapid innovation and adaptation to changing business requirements.

Cloud First

Going beyond simply hosting legacy on-premise solutions or offering software as a service (SaaS) versions to provide true cloud-based digital platforms.

Modular

Products developed from the ground up to deliver independent capabilities and architected to encourage integration via exposed application programming interfaces (APIs).

Market & Commodity Specific

User-centric designs engineered specifically to deliver an optimized user experience for certain functions unique to a market or commodity.

Agile-Enabled

Straightforward configuration options, combined with their modularity and specialization, along with the availability of DevOps tools, allows for rapid and iterative implementation.

Advantages Of The ETRM Of The Future

Lower Implementation & Operating Cost

Reduced total cost of ownership driven by shorter implementation cycles and the advantages of scaled cloud platforms.

Accelerated Roadmaps

Development cycles by component lead to faster deployment and adoption of new functionalities and capabilities.

Open/Accessible Datasets

Through the application of advanced technical architectures, data accessibility and extendable datasets can be achieved allowing the enterprise to mine value out of their business data.

Our Capabilities

Software Selection

Our business scenario-centric approach allows us to diagnose complex problems and create tailored solutions to ensure that real business is demonstrated in the software before selection. We also have long-standing relationships with a host of software vendors so managing the process is easier.

Implementation & Upgrades

Our professionals have, on average, over 15 years of ETRM implementation experience, and can create templates and toolkits to accelerate any ETRM system implementation or upgrade; no matter how complex.

Process Design & Optimization

Increase efficiency and accuracy through meaningful business process mapping (as-is, to-be), gap assessments, business process re-engineering and comprehensive risk management, intelligence and governance.

Data Architecture & Integration

Connect and harmonize master and reference data from enterprise applications and devices, on-premises and in the cloud, quickly and securely through various integrations solutions.

Systems Integration

Leverage component-based technical solutions to streamline and accelerate system integration and enable cross-application process orchestration while paving the way for automation and data integration (e.g., RPA, APIs, etc.).

Advisory

We employ a team approach by leveraging Opportune’s suite of solutions and capabilities such as Complex Financial Reporting, Tax and Valuation to provide complete end-to-end support.

Communication & Change Management

Provide tactical communication planning and execution as part of the organizational change management component of the ETRM implementation project by identifying stakeholders, determining information needs, selecting the optimal medium, establishing a cadence, developing, and delivering the message and incorporating a feedback loop.

ETRM Support

Familiarity with our clients’ business objectives and comprehensive knowledge of their specific business processes enable us to provide end-to-end business services, technical support, and continuous improvement.

Hear What Our Experts Have To Say

Case Studies

Commodities Trading & Logistics: Process & Technology: ETRM Implementation

A global investment bank with an active involvement in emerging markets had a goal to expand its commodities business with trading and logistics operations in physical oil, coal, iron ore, and metals. As part of the company’s growth strategy, it engaged Opportune to expand its process and technology and to implement more automation to overcome its current process challenges. Opportune provided enhancements to the Energy Trading and Risk Management (ETRM) […] [...]

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Opportune LLP Implements RightAngle ETRM For A Midstream Transportation Company To Expand Its Trading Footprint

The client moves gas and crude through its pipelines, plants, and storage facilities, as well as marine terminals. The client is uniquely suited to connect upstream producers and downstream processors, refiners, and end-users. Opportune LLP was engaged to design and implement the RightAngle energy trading and risk management (ETRM) system for the client’s NGL and crude oil businesses. As the functional and technical leaders across the project organization, Opportune was engaged to […] [...]

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Opportune LLP Implements RightAngle ETRM Solution For A Midstream Company To Meet Successful Startup

A midstream company (“the Client”) was a partnership that transports, stores, and distributes refined petroleum products and crude oil. The client owns pipeline assets with access to almost half the U.S. refining capacity and storage assets capable of storing over 100 million barrels of crude and finished petroleum products […] [...]

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Downstream: Process & Technology: ETRM Implementation

Our client (“the Company”) acquired an idled refinery in June 2012. Shortly after the acquisition, the client began the turnaround with more than 1,200 contractors on-site to bring the refinery online. As part of this turnaround, the Company engaged Opportune for an ETRM implementation. Opportune worked with the Company’s personnel to implement a commercial system with the ability to run an “order-to-cash” process. The system selected was the RightAngle (RA) solution […] [...]

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Opportune LLP Implements RightAngle ETRM Solution For An Upstream Company

A private oil company faced substantial volume and complexity growth due to the assets located in and around the Bakken field in North Dakota. The company has assets across the full supply chain including E&P, pipelines, gathering, storage, and marketing […] [...]

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Opportune LLP Delivers Enhanced ETRM Technology Solution For A Downstream Company

Opportune LLP was engaged by a Fortune 50 independent refining and marketing downstream company (“the Company”) to advise on a build vs. buy analysis, software selection, and subsequent implementation project for an enhanced energy trading and risk management (ETRM) technology capability. The Company is an international manufacturer and marketer of gasoline, distillates, jet fuel, asphalt, petrochemicals, lubricants, other refined products, as well as biofuels […] [...]

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Downstream: Process & Technology: It Infrastructure & Systems Cutover

The Company engaged Opportune to manage the IT infrastructure and systems cutover plan. This included assessing the scope of systems being transitioned, coordinating the various teams and monitoring the progress and issues during the cutover weekend. Opportune was also engaged as the project manager for the integration of this newly acquired business line into the existing RightAngle commercial business system.

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Downstream: Process & Technology: Undisclosed: Commodity Trading & Risk Management Implementation

Undisclosed Oil & Gas Co. is one of the largest integrated oil companies in the world. Annually ranked near the top of global and U.S. Fortune 500 lists for more than 50 years, it is a recognized leader in the oil and gas industry. Undisclosed Oil & Gas Co. has re-evaluated their practices in commodity trading and risk and determined there are significant opportunities to increase the profitability of their global downstream unit by changing their approach to commercial decision-making.

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