VC logo

Robust Program Management

We believe in “no-surprises” when it comes to project delivery and the number one way to achieve this is through program management. A collaborative project culture is established that encourages transparency and adherence to the communication protocols outlined in the program management procedures.

Guiding Principles

Sucess Drivers

  • Transparency along the way​
  • Honest with feedback and outcomes ​​
  • Utilization of SME expertise and industry standards along the way​
  • No surprises – ensure detailed communication beyond surface-level metric tracking​
  • Establishment of a Steering Committee with regular touchpoints ​
  • Access to key resources ​
  • Acceptable level of access to relevant documentation, systems, and reports​
  • Strong stakeholder communication throughout the process ​
Value Creed Endur Training Service
Infrastructure Development Service for Endur

Ready to Explore Upgrading Your CTRM?

Leverage a partner with best-in-class functional and technical expertise to manage and deploy your upgrade on time and on budget.

Training Approach

Training is integrated from inception to the end of the project. We engage the users in training during phases 1 and 2 of the upgrade process. Our team will work side by side with the users to validate the system, and provide informal one-on-one training as well as knowledge-sharing sessions, essentially helping the users “learn by doing”.​

Just as testing does not begin with UAT, training does not begin with UAT.  During the Upgrade Assessment phase, we establish a collaborative culture with the message, “Endur expertise is on site, feel free to engage with your questions about Endur.” We engage the users during phases 1 and 2 of the upgrade process. In addition to the training embedded in our methodology, formal training at the start of UAT is provided. We edit our training materials to use actual examples to provide a meaningful training experience.  The training experience does not end at go-live. 

The training approach has four elements to execute training. The first element is Training Plan & Documentation. During this, a training plan is developed based on the impact assessment and changes. The second element is testing the training material and identifying individual training needs and deficiencies. The third element focuses on training delivery, where the training participation is tracked. The last element is about refreshing and reinforcing training which details additional training if required.

Our Hyper Care team will ensure that your users are trained in any new functionality or changes to the system. It’s a support phase that follows immediately after the Upgrade Go-Live to ensure seamless adoption. 

Endur Program Management Service
Infrastructure Development Service for Endur

Ready to Explore Upgrading Your CTRM?

Leverage a partner with best-in-class functional and technical expertise to manage and deploy your upgrade on time and on budget.

Reasons for Upgrading Your Endur Platform

Companies typically evaluate upgrading their ETRM software platforms when the quality or value of the product needs the adoption of new processes or technology; which requires them to adapt to markets, products, economic conditions, and business opportunities, or to comply with policies keeping them up to date on the latest software. 

Endur upgrades are essential when the company needs improved quality results around business changes, function, and technical requirements. The decision to upgrade Endur platform is influenced by various technical and business benefits.

Technical Benefits:

Business Benefits:

JVS advanced scripting language enables integration of downstream and upstream applications of any system

Previous versions are working on the servers whereas the upgraded versions of Endur operate on cloud

APM is the upgraded feature of Endur that analyses the risk exposure of position in the market

Purging of data for crucial events helps to easily maintain the DB

Supports multiple commodities Nomination and invoice generation, support for PPAs, and managing transportation and storage considerations

Provides Real-Time and Standard Reports, Configurable central workflow engine, Graphical UI

Features like Transaction security, Audit trails, Activity logs, User authentication, and Multi-step approval process help reduce the risk of data loss. The transition of the script engine to grid cluster/engine operations reinforces better performance stability

Improved Dynamic portfolios and cross-asset coverage help to evaluate prospective business opportunities

The scheduling interface for nomination creation and transport spread valuation is configured with segmented transportation

Endur Upgrade Strategies

Your upgrade strategy needs to be planned for the deployment of new Endur releases in accordance with the pre-defined goals. Whether it’s resolving a defined protocol or working on a broader variety of fixes or implementing a new release altogether, Value Creed offers solutions across all stages.

The Upgrade Process

The CUE Method – “Clean Up & Explore” 

The CUE method requires stale data Cleanup before the upgrade followed by Exploration of new features post the upgrade.

Clean Up helps to enhance the data quality, avoid blob failure, gather business requirements, and understand the processes. Exploration helps you to add functionality before & after the upgrade along with the use of JVS.

Parallel to the upgrade phases, we focus on Robust Program Management, Training Approach, and Infrastructure Assessment. 

 

This phase aims to establish governance, set objectives, and conduct various impact analyses to develop state infrastructure designs, confirm to-be processes and identify class events to be retired versus remediated

 

    • Stakeholder Assessment​ - Confirming user groups​ and Initiating impact & risk assessment
    • Communication Strategy​ - Defining baseline communication plan by stakeholders
    • Impact Assessment​ - Defining baseline processes and roles by process​, estimating the amount of change, and determining roles
    • Stakeholder Engagement​ - Involving key stakeholders in design sessions to confirm opportunities for improvement

 

This phase encompasses initiating the technical upgrade process and observing its efficiency. It runs end-to-end tests of complex transactions and remediates all issues. Additionally, it includes the creation of detailed Training documents and providing ongoing hands-on training on new functionalities

 

    • Migration - Configuration of modules, pipeline model, settlement, and Net valuation. Environment set-up and database upgrade​ followed by extension remediation
    • Validation - Validating business processes, interfaces, class events, reports, & integration and performing remediation
    • User Review Sessions​ - Engaging users in agile cycles including issues and potential solutions​
    • Stakeholder Tracking ​- Review stakeholder engagement based on quantitative metrics and qualitative assessment​
    • Delivery Communications​ - Formal communications to executives and users to engage and update​
    • Training Plan & Documentation​ – Modeling, structuring, and tailoring training materials according to individual training needs. Testing training documents against business processes​ by users

 

This phase ensures that the upgraded system can run in parallel and produce similar numbers at the same time as the Production system and mimic all activities of the trade life cycle in the new system as a full test of upgraded system functionality​. During the go-live our Hyper Care team will take the lead for system support to ensure seamless adoption

 

    • Refresh & Reinforcement Training​ – Delivery of additional training as needed​
    • Support Communications​ – 24/7 support hotline​ along with daily issues and remediation report​
    • Stakeholder Assessment​ – Qualitative assessment of stakeholder change adoption ​with a remediation plan for stakeholders​
    • User Acceptance Testing​ – Tracking of engagement within UAT​ and Communicating results
    • Training​ – Superuser desk guide and small group sessions​ in addition to Custom-made sessions during parallel period​

Ready to Explore Upgrading Your CTRM?

Leverage a partner with best-in-class functional and technical expertise to manage and deploy your upgrade on time and on budget.

Key Enhancements to Liquids Module UI in Allegro Horizon

This blog summarizes the enhancements made to the user interface of Allegro Horizon’s crude, NGL’s and refined products functionality and help users understand the various benefits of moving to the .NET core version, where in the logistics data gets valued in Valuation and Net Valuation that enhances performance significantly ensuring more consistent results.

  • Liquid Petroleum Product organizations can now review the details around shipments and logistics using an improved UI experience. As a result, users can analyze data based on location and also take advantage of unit conversion.

The Logistics UI has been powered by various subsets of UIs to get information 

  • To enhance system performance, various parameters are included on the view, allowing the user to retrieve only the data they need. The default settings allows only the actualized volume positions to be shown to the users thus enhancing performance.
  • The Physical Inventory Position UI has been also enhanced to best analyze the data of physical inventory quantities by product type, product, location, and delivery day.

Since the UI has been equipped with various parameters, users have easy access to the information like:

Benefits that a Allegro Horizon Upgrade can deliver

Improved locational hierarchy enabling users to track Locations, Sub-Locations, and Tanks in a hierarchical manner. Users can also set up to mirror the physical and logical organization of customer assets, delivery locations, and receipt locations.

More efficient and user-friendly scheduling around pipelines and in handling high-volume truck operations.

Realtime Position and P&L Reporting with automated line/transit loss and gain recognition helping users avoid manual errors.

Manage multiple inventory types within a tank with the ability to assign tank types like Lease, Storage, and Blending.

Better Exposure Reporting with an improved ability for users to execute aggregate hedging across high-volume liquid operations with complex pricing.

Enhanced net valuations for individual tanks without having the tank set up as its own location allowing a better understanding of inventory costs and value across time periods.

Separation of Tank/pile capacity, volume, and inventory tracking specifying tank capacity, liquid volume, and what portion of liquid volume has to be tracked and valued as inventory enabling users to deal with market disruptions.

Optimize your Supply Chain through Value Creed’s Expertise

The complexity and volatility of the crude and refined markets require traders and marketers to have real-time information supporting their unique trading requirements. Value Creed’s expertise in CTRM implementations and upgrades can help you leverage the new and updated functionalities allowing the maximum benefit for trading and risk management functions.

How a Gasoline Service Station Chain Implemented its New CTRM Platform on Cloud Through Value Creed's Advisory Services
Recommended: Improve your Allegro Horizon Performance by Upgrading to .NET Core version

Ready to Explore Upgrading Your CTRM?

Leverage a partner with best-in-class functional and technical expertise to manage and deploy your upgrade on time and on budget.

Moving Your CTRM Database from On-Prem Oracle to Cloud-based SQL Server

Run Smart CTRM/ETRM platform managed services enable application managers to be more proactive in resolving reporting and processing errors in advance of your daily start. In this post, we examine the dominance of Oracle, while unlocking Microsoft SQL Server’s comparable functionality, cost savings, and scalability achieved by moving your on-premise solution to the cloud.  

The truth is – for much of the last decade – Microsoft’s SQL Server was viewed as less expensive and less sophisticated than Oracle. Since then, however, MS SQL Server has closed the gaps in features and power, while maintaining its cost leadership position and delivering distinct advantages in terms of ease of use and uptime. 

Reasons to Move Your CTRM Platform Database to SQL on Azure

Cost

Value Creed has helped many clients make this conversion and has found significant initial and ongoing cost savings. Microsoft’s unit license cost is about 15 percent of Oracle’s. In addition, real-time-bidding costs with SQL average $10,000 less per year. In total, a typical on-premise CTRM system that costs $75,000 the first year running on Oracle would cost only about $15,000 on Microsoft SQL on the Azure cloud.

Compatibility

The ubiquitous Microsoft workflow – the de facto industry standard – also makes it easier for technicians to troubleshoot, diagnose, and debug communications problems between the application and the database. Basing SQL Server in Azure brings Microsoft’s technical expertise to bear, making it easier to find support. As a third-party, Java-driven product, Oracle’s diagnostic and repair process can be less straightforward.

Compatibility

The most widely-used CTRM platforms were developed using Microsoft technology, so you can be sure it will not only work with Windows, it has been optimized to perform at its best using the Microsoft interface.

User Experience

Because Oracle originally developed more features and capabilities it necessarily required additional complexity. That makes it more difficult for many people to use. On the other hand, most users are familiar with Microsoft interfaces, making SQL Server more intuitive.

Oracle to SQL Database Conversion with Value Creed 

Value Creed’s Run Smart™ CTRM managed services deliver optimal performance based on your objectives, data environment, and the number of users. Backed by Value Creed’s expertise, Run Smart™ streamlines SQL database conversions and helps commodities traders reap the cost-savings and efficiencies inherent in a cloud-platform database.

Our database conversions and data migration from Oracle on-premise to SQL on Azure incorporates elegant back-end integrations with a total workflow plan that saves you money both during the SQL conversion and throughout the life of the project. We implement a multi-step process that coordinates efforts throughout your organization. 

Take Your CTRM Platform to the Cloud 

Value Creed’s dedicated professionals and proven Run Smart™ approach gives you the confidence that your switch to SQL Server will be completed professionally and that the system will operate flawlessly on the cloud. We start with a holistic diagnosis of your current database situation, including the conceptualization of how your organization’s needs should be met through the new system. 

From there, that analysis will inform how we convert schema, scripts, and applications so they integrate seamlessly with the cloud-based SQL Server. Once data is migrated, we perform iterative testing, tuning, and customization to guarantee your database and server are fully functional from day one.  

Want to Learn More?

Get the Most from Your Database Conversion
and Cloud Migration

#1 Overcoming Data Integration Breakdowns For Seamless Daily Starts

Every CTRM/ETRM platform is responsible for aggregating prices, tracking positions, and creating reports for decision-making.  But spending half a day or more searching over potentially failed processes like:

  • End-of-day reports not running correctly
  • Data feeds for our trading desks and pricing providers stopping mid-process
  • Emails from the risk management department noting price changes are missing
Previous
Next

Value Creed helps you leverage the expertise of our team and the one-on-one personalized account management and troubleshooting led by leading CTRM platform experts with over ten years of experience. We’ll show you how you can resolve common run operate challenges before they happen.

#2 How To Proactively Overcome Reporting Integration Failure for CTRM Platforms

Value Creed’s Run Smart CTRM Managed Services runs in conjunction with your reporting system to ensure your pricing, credit, risk, and other reports are complete and accurate so have the most complete information for basing your positioning decisions in the format you need and commodity managers can use.

 

  • Run Smart™ delivers value by ensuring pricing, positions, credit, risk, and regulatory reports are accurate and current.
  • Fully customizable and compatible with internal workflows, processes, trading platforms, and technologies. 

#3: Cloud & Database Monitoring & Maintenance

With our Cloud & Database Managed services the CTRM platforms perform at 99% uptime, delivering reliability for your team and lower overall cost of ownership over the long-term. 

Whether your CTRM is hosted on-prem or in the cloud, our Managed Services team ensures availability and fine tunes your environment to improve performance.

  • Our database experts will monitor and ensure proper setup and configuration, check maintenance plans, react to and fix errors, check and monitor security groups.
  • Our cloud experts will monitor connectivity and availability, key server metrics and elastic infrastructure, maintain the environment via patches and backups, react to and fix issues, and if desired, host your AWS/Azure application.

#4 What Do I Do about “Crazy Crude Prices:” Be Prepared for the Unexpected

The unprecedented demand-killing consequences of COVID-19 and abnormal behavior from market participants under stress show that markets for any commodity are subject to extreme and unexpected volatility.

Value Creed’s Run Smart™ Managed Services include dual timezone coverage, so there is always someone monitoring your data inputs.

No matter what time of day or night the crazy data rears its ugly head, a Value Creed CTRM/ETRM platform expert will immediately begin reconciling it and rectifying any errors it causes.

Value Creed has automated the process of searching for and isolating outliers as they occur. By isolating the cause of errors in real time, we empower data users to begin remediating them right away.

#5: Keeping Value At Risk (VaR) Reports On Track

Value at risk (VaR) is one of the most useful risk calculations, as it allows for a consistent analysis of positions and price movements for a given portfolio across time.

Value Creed’s integrated CRTM managed service platform, Run Smart™, is easily customizable to any business model. 

 

Run Smart™ interfaces with downstream reporting software and upstream transaction-reporting and data sources. Its reporting capabilities capture, collect, and present real-time market updates, physical stores and portfolio positions.

 Every night, Run Smart™ evaluates the calculated VaR for the portfolio or selected segment with the confidence interval, loss limit, and timeframe established by the user.

Want The Full Story?

This post is our series, 5 Reasons for Choosing Run Smart™ CTRM Managed Services.  Learn more about key reasons for moving to Value Creed’s Run Smart Managed services with these posts:

Value Creed's Run Smart Managed Services Start at $3,500 a month

Interested? Let’s Chat

Close