Automating reports for the financial with automated governance process for new requests and requirements

Background

The client operates the electricity and gas networks for the Brussels-Capital region. It is responsible for building, operating, and maintaining these networks, as well as connecting customers to the network and operating meters. It also has to fulfill some public service obligations. As part of the new “MIG6” rules for the Belgian energy market, the client created a new data warehouse that can handle concepts that were not part of the old rules.

Challenge

Our project had two objectives: • Maintain accuracy and consistency of the reports for the Finance department. Finance used to work with a different tool before the MIG6 rules came into effect. Many reports needed to be created in the new tool and aligned with the structure of the new data warehouse. • Maintain continuity and create reports for the Energy Communities project, which allows an energy producer (e.g. with solar panels) to share extra generated energy with the neighbors. It is an ongoing project: one of the most difficult aspects is the development of adaptable and tailor-made distribution keys (how the extra energy is shared).

Approach

• The reports were created in SAS Enterprise Guide. • For the Finance department, the reports were provided as stored processes with tailor-made layout, which they access using the SAS add-in for Excel. • For the Energy Communities, the tool enables to deliver outputs to the community managers.

Key results

Facilitating effective and transparent communication between the business and the IT departments by Keyrus.

Prompt development of the request from the business side (Finance or Energy Communities

In the reports for the Finance department, performance was a possible challenge (tables with hundreds of millions of rows), so optimization was prioritized

Benefits

The Finance department has a tool that enables them to generate the reports they are legally required to provide to the authorities and to verify the invoices they issue. Regarding the Energy Communities, the tool that we enhanced and continue to develop helps the Brussels-Capital region to be inventive and original in terms of sustainability.