Fall 2015 Edition
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SHIPPING ANALYTICS: improving business growth, competitive advantage and risk mitigation
Data analytics is driving incremental value for ship owners and charterers by influencing decisions across the various business functions of the marine business—such as voyage management, vessel operations and manning, as well as chartering and third-party risk assessment. As information collection and integration throughout the shipping value chain continues to evolve, shipping companies are beginning to harness data to make a range of decisions, from managing routine activities to improving operations and driving strategic decisions focused on transforming the business. In this article, Kunal Bahl presents analytics use cases that show how charterers and ship owners can utilize the power [...] -
ENERGY INTELLIGENCE: the key to competitive advantage in the volatile LNG market
Today’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry faces extreme price volatility and uncertainty in supply and demand. The recent oil price bust, continued growth of LNG spot trades over the last decade, and an increase in the number of LNG exporters and importers across the globe have added more complexity to the process of identifying the right market (for maximum profit) in which to trade LNG. As a result, firms that are interested in remaining competitive and protecting profits have begun to critically evaluate their business processes and the technology that enables them. Many are exploring ways to become more efficient, [...] -
PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS IN INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT: a ‘smarter’ way to maintain physical assets
Safe and reliable transportation of products is the backbone of pipeline companies. In order to avoid costly and hazardous product leaks, pipeline companies spend considerable amounts of money to maintain the integrity of their assets. Ensuring the integrity of assets, such as pipes, pumping units, meters and valves, requires a robust maintenance strategy that minimizes asset/ equipment failures. In this article, Ashish Tyagi and Jay Rajagopal discuss how predictive analytics can help make asset integrity management more reliable and cost-effective. TRADITIONAL APPROACHES TO INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT Some people who own cars are so hard pressed for time that they neglect to [...] -
DATA QUALITY FOR ANALYTICS: clean input drives better decisions
Organizations are increasingly relying on analytics and advanced data visualization techniques to deliver incremental business value. However, when their efforts are hampered by data quality issues, the credibility of their entire analytics strategy comes into question. Because analytics traditionally is seen as a presentation of a broad landscape of data points, it is often assumed that data quality issues can be ignored since they would not impact broader trends. But should bad data be ignored to allow analytics to proceed? Or should they stall to enable data quality issues to be addressed? In this article, Niko Papadakos, Mohit Sharma, Mohit [...] -
MANAGING AN ANALYTICS PROGRAM: the three key factors for success
Analytics programs bring a different level of execution and delivery complexity involving many unknowns and constant changes. In this article, Barbara Thorne-Thomsen, Cassandra Howard and Shahed Haq discuss the three key challenges for developing an analytics project, plus three key success factors for making them work. Many companies recognize that they have opportunities to use data and analytics to enhance productivity, improve decision-making capabilities and gain a competitive advantage. However, managing and executing an analytics program can be challenging. It requires setting a strategy; drawing a detailed roadmap for investing in assets such as technology, tools and data sets; and [...] -
DIGITAL CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT: the key to long-term success for utilities
Power utility businesses around the world are rapidly waking up to the enormous changes taking place in the global energy market. Stronger environmental policies, increased competition, empowered customers and evolving demographics add to the factors compelling the traditional electric utility industry to shift to a more competitive model. In this article, Yugant Sethi and Alakshendra Theophilus discuss the changing utility market, the benefits of digital transformation and the challenges many utilities are facing with their digital initiatives. THE CHANGING STATE OF POWER UTILITIES The traditional services model for utilities was one in which customers had little interaction with their energy [...] -
THE BUSINESS CAPABILITY MAP: a critical yet often misunderstood concept when moving from program strategy to implementation
The use of business capabilities for planning and analysis has been on the rise in recent years, yet the value they provide is not fully understood. For most critical initiatives at large firms, the transition from vision to strategy to implementation is a multiyear program involving numerous stakeholders. During the early inception phases—amidst aggressive timelines, pressure to produce estimates, budget constraints and other challenges—project teams tend to jump into execution without truly comprehending the overarching business strategy. It is difficult to visualize end-to-end risk and business value without a business capability map. In this article, Shiva Nadarajah and Atul Sapkal [...] -
CLOUD-BASED SOLUTIONS: why the time is right for asset managers to consider adoption
Faced with a slew of new industry, client and technology pressures, today’s asset management landscape looks quite different than it did just 10 years ago. In this article, Manish Moorjani discusses the evolution of the asset manager’s ecosystem, looks at the technology solution transformation with the advent of cloud computing and details the decision criteria CIOs can use to determine whether cloud solutions fit into their future plans and strategies. Over the past decade, the asset management business has been impacted by several factors, including the popularity of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as investment vehicles; new regulations; the rise of automated [...] -
FINTECHS–OPPORTUNITY OR THREAT?: a pragmatic approach for organizations to assess the value of financial technology initiatives
In the last six years, a proliferation of new financial services technology or “FinTech” ventures, eager to capitalize on shifting market needs and preferences, have emerged. Rather than sit back and watch these new models eliminate them, financial services organizations need to address these innovative initiatives as opportunities rather than threats. In this article, Sean O’Donnell reviews the drivers of the FinTech evolution, where and how they are transforming financial services, and approaches for businesses to adopt (rather than run from) these new offerings. While the mainstay of the financial services industry was busy dealing with the global financial crisis [...]
