1. Harmonisation Working Group Update on Harmonisation Project
Retail Market
Harmonisation Working Group
Update on Harmonisation Project
CER offices, Dublin
26 August 2010

2. Background
Following its acquisition by the Electricity Supply Board of Ireland (ESB), NIE now intend to proceed with a SAP-based architecture for the Enduring Solution.
Whilst the overall objectives of the project will remain unchanged, a Requirements Review is currently underway to develop the details of this approach.
This pack:
Provides further details of the Requirements Review
Provides a preliminary view of potential areas for further harmonisation between the NI and RoI markets resulting from this change in approach
Sets out the timeline for the HRDS change control process through which any changes are considered by all market participants

3. Enduring Solution Implementation Plan – as was

4. Enduring Solution Implementation Plan – current

5. NIE Requirements Review
Objectives include:
To confirm impacts of adopting SAP for NIE
RR activities must integrate into detailed design and delivery timetable
Intention to retain original ES timetable and avoid negative impacts on suppliers
Deliverables to include:
Revised contractor solution for NIE
Revised detailed implementation plan
Timeline:
Analysis and impacts to be completed September 2010
Thereafter, any market facing changes to progress through change control

6. Scope of Requirements Review
RR will consider differences in existing NIE and ESB Networks ways of operation (both processes and data)
Supplier facing processes
Reflected in the Harmonisation Baseline agreed January 2010
Some enduring differences agreed at that time
Any changes to the HB are subject to HRDS change control procedures
HRDS change control procedure includes supplier consultation and HSG signoff
Internal business processes
RR will also look at NIE business processes within the scope of the Enduring Solution
Any change to an internal business process which has a consequential knock on effect on a supplier facing process will be handled through HRDS (as above)
Changes which do not impact supplier facing processes (either directly or indirectly) will not go through HRDS
All changes (irrespective of source) will be subject to full project change control, including assessment of impact on time, cost and overall quality of solution

7. Current Status
Workshops are underway as part of the Requirements Review to confirm impacts of SAP solution to NIE requirements
Whilst too early to provide definitive results, we expect that:
in the main - the existing ESB SAP solution and processes will be adopted with limited impact on the Harmonisation Baseline
any changes which impact the Harmonisation Baseline (including any opportunities for further harmonisation) will be advised to both HSG and HWG via the HRDS change control process
Certain differences, identified earlier at HSG, are likely to remain (and thus need changes to ESB SAP as implemented for NIE). Examples include:
Technical differences – eg in meter config and technical data
Regulatory differences – eg de-energisation of occupied properties
Market differences – eg keypad metering
Complex differences in business processes – eg meter read cycles

8. Impact of Current Plans on Harmonisation Baseline
This is still needed as a stable baseline against which to sign off the ES design for NIE (due Dec 2010). HRDS change control must be exercised by then.
January 2010
HB Version 1.0
Baseline for Wipro contract
- Includes RoI June 2010 release
(optionally) Summer 2010
HB Version 1.1
RoI changes only for Nov 2010 release
No impact on NI
NIE Enduring Solution Release
May 2012
November 2010
HB Version 2.0
Changes arising from ES Design
Other RoI changes as needed
June 2010
2011 / first half 2012
HB Version 2.x
emergency changes in both jurisdictions only
November 2010
Second half 2012
HB Version 3.0
Post ES Go Live release(s) for
both jurisdictions
November 2011
ESB Market Systems Releases

9. Update on Technical Harmonisation
Following the decision to adopt ESB SAP IS(U) for NIE
SAP will be the common core technology North and South
It makes sense for both ESB and NIE to extend SAP further into common messaging technology
Options have already been explored in RoI
On this basis we expect SAP PI to be implemented in both jurisdictions

10. Application of HRDS Change Control process
Areas of potential change highlighted on following slides. However:
The list is a preliminary one for advisory purposes only, and is likely to change further
Precise details of many of these potential changes are still being developed
Proposed dates in the HRDS change control process:
HSG meeting 10 September 2010 – HSG briefed on potential changes
HWG meeting 12 October 2010 – DRs raised for all proposed changes
HSG meeting 26 October 2010 – HSG advised of proposed changes in DR pipeline
HWG meeting 18 November 2010 – Agreed changes recommended as an MCR
HSG meeting 2 December 2010 – HSG approve MCR for incorporation in Harmonisation Baseline and ES Baseline

11. Potential Changes to Harmonisation Baseline

12. Potential changes for wider consultation