Master data management for Elia

As part of Elia’s Uniform Data Management program, Kapernikov developed a centralized reference database containing all of the company’s electrical assets. This database served as a reference for all departments and systems, which resulted in easier application integration across the company.

Challenge

Elia, Belgium’s high-voltage transmission system operator, manages over 8.000 km of lines and underground cables. Historically, each Elia department managed its own infrastructure inventory. A dedicated team of clerks were trying to keep their data up to date with daily changes to the network.

Role

From 2006 to 2009, Kapernikov coordinated the Uniform Data Management program. We developed a centralized reference database containing all electrical assets. This database served as a reference for all departments and systems, which resulted in easier communication between departments.

We developed well-defined processes that are supported by appropriate tools. Kapernikov performed the roles of program manager and analyst. We also guided the IT department, set the standards for modeling and naming (nomenclature), provided a data cleansing team, prepared the data migration, developed the new processes and supervised the rollout.

Results

Initially, only three critical packages were linked to the reference database. Since Kapernikov completed the project, Elia has linked dozens of other packages to the database. Hundreds of users are working with this product on a daily basis, and the data quality is rising steadily, because the awareness of the importance of accurate and complete data is growing. Since 2011, Kapernikov has been hired to continue the expansion of the reference database and to provide guidance on the further development of the project.