Latitude Application Development Case Study The Extended Enterprise Delivered
Optimized Data Improves Commercial Decisions
British Petroleum (BP)
British Petroleum is of one of the world’s largest energy companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemicals products for everyday items. BP operates in 100 countries with established businesses in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. 1
Business Need
Geographically disparate business operations caused a lack of standardized business practices and inconsistent data in multiple ERP systems. Without an integrated view of the whole value network and how it operates, staff collaboration was limited, and data was not shared in a timely fashion. Storage of important business data on individual computers was a high-risk practice. As a result, value chain data did not maximize the effectiveness of commercial demand decision-making.
Solution
Latitude worked with key users and stakeholders and developed: • • • System vision document describing key system concepts Detailed system specification and design documents System test plan, test cases, and scripts
Latitude facilitated workshops to design system interfaces and identify sources of data. Latitude then designed, developed, and implemented a revenue/inventory
Latitude Consulting Group
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LATITUDE CONSULTING GROUP CASE STUDY
Optimized Data Improves Commercial Decisions
optimization (RIO) system. Several RIO features improved the management and reporting of value chain data: • Α central, web-based repository to store value chain data (inventory, prices, logistics costs). Multiple views of data: inventory (actual and forecasts), geography, and economics (through aggregation and filtering) A system that received data automatically, semi-automatically, and manually as required by different applications An XML messaging layer to display data and to receive data into the RIO system from different data sources (ERP systems, Excel, etc.)
Results
• Access to accurate and timely value chain data improved commercial decision-making. Increased spot deals, forced transactions decreased
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Staff could locate supply and demand outside local area Optimized spot sales and purchases Reconciled actual inventory with forecasts and single point for budget and plan feeds Standardized business across all areas practices
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Improved collaboration across local business units for identification of commercial opportunities
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Latitude designed, developed, and implemented a revenue/inventory optimization (RIO) system to optimize value chain data. Access to optimized data improved BP’s ability to identify supply and commercial opportunities and make better decisions.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Ashok Kumar of Latitude Consulting led this business initiative. For more information, contact him at (888) 577-2797 or by e-mail to insights@latitudecg.com.