Eskom

Digital Knowledge, through Account Manager, Project Manager, Data Engineer, Data Analyst, and Oracle Hyperion Essbase Consultant Robert Dobson, has delivered continuous enhancements and support for the Topline Essbase and DDW Oracle platform using an Agile delivery framework.

Key deliverables include:

• End-to-end integration of customer billing data with SAP financial revenue
• Oracle Hyperion Essbase solution for multi-dimensional analysis and consolidated reporting
• Bottom-up forecasting capability with customer-level budget and forecast capture
• Development of business intelligence, analytics, dashboards, and reporting requirements for Eskom’s BI department
• Full solution design, architecture, infrastructure, and seamless end-to-end integration

Why the Eskom Topline Essbase Platform Matters

Revenue is one of the most scrutinised numbers in any utility. Before the Eskom Topline Essbase platform, finance and commercial teams worked from different sources and spent significant time reconciling billing detail against SAP totals. Today both views come from one governed platform, so teams can move from checking numbers to explaining them.

The platform supports two very different audiences. Large and key customers are tracked in full detail, while millions of smaller consumers are analysed at an aggregated level that keeps performance fast and reporting clear. Statistical revenue tracking and bottom-up forecasting give planners a far more accurate starting point than the old top-down budget.

Because the work runs on an Agile framework, enhancements are delivered in short cycles and prioritised with the business. This has allowed the solution to evolve with Eskom’s needs since March 2019, rather than becoming another legacy system that needs replacing.

For other large organisations, the Eskom Topline Essbase engagement shows what a long-term data partnership can achieve. A stable core platform, a small expert team that understands the business, and a steady flow of improvements deliver far more value over time than a one-off project that is handed over and left to age.