Case Study

Case study: How data analytics is helping a gas distribution company power more cities sustainably

A city gas distribution (CGD) company moved from intuitive decision-making to a data-driven culture for creating a greener environment.

Related topics
Consulting
Data and decision intelligence
Transformation Realized

The team

Photographic portrait of Sibjyoti Basu
Sibjyoti Basu
EMEIA Microsoft & India Alliances & Ecosystems Leader, EY
Data governance framework
1

The better the question

How does decision-making improve with an integrated data framework?

An integrated cloud-based solution helps in comprehensive data visualization and better analytics.

One of the major players in city gas distribution in India was facing mounting pressure to improve its data management framework. Although the company was growing at a healthy rate and was profitable, some external developments had compelled the company to improve the way it recorded and analyzed data from different parts of the business. External developments included the government’s decision to open the sector to competition, which meant that the company had to improve efficiency in business decision-making. In addition, the company was looking to spread its geographical reach and expand its operations rapidly into new cities across India. The company’s target was to grow the business at the rate of 35% per year, thereby increasing the need for data-driven insights to accelerate the efforts. The volume of data that the company managed continued to rise manifold.  

How EY can help

The company’s existing data management framework had several opportunities for improvement. Different parts of the business and different geographic locations were using disparate systems for customer record management, operational records, and other business data. In the absence of a common data framework, there was no uniform way to collect and analyze data from different parts of the business.

Because of lack of an integrated data management framework, the company’s leaders relied heavily on intuitive decision-making. This could potentially cause future problems as the company expanded its geographical reach. Thus, to make informed decisions, the organization’s leaders needed a formal data-driven decision-making framework.

Data driven decision making
Source: EY’s engagement team for an Indian CGD company
Cloud based data management
2

The better the answer

Integrated data management brings transparency and improves business decisions

Cloud-based data management solution helps decode and use data effectively.

Aware of its experience and proficiency in analytics-as-a-service, the company hired EY for implementing a comprehensive data management solution. Some of the core factors behind this decision included EY’s extensive and comprehensive range of data analytics and industry assets, along with its deep understanding of the city gas distribution sector. Also driving the decision was EY’s strong client relationships and the fact that it is the market leader in risk advisory.
 

As part of the comprehensive solution, EY implemented a solution based on a Microsoft platform. Within the solution, input and output data is integrated on to a cloud platform for data mining and analytics. The solution incorporates dashboards in a mobile platform for top management, employees, and field staff to make decisions based on data analytics.
 

The EY team leveraged its vast library of analytics and industry assets, developed over the years, and collaborated with Microsoft to build a prototype for demonstrating mutual capabilities. EY built deep relationships with the client across various levels in the organization which helped it stay informed and connected with stakeholders through the pre- and post-deployment periods. EY and Microsoft’s global alliance helped collaborate to propose a technically superior big data and advanced analytics architecture at a competitive price point.

Cloud based data management solution
Source: EY’s engagement team for an Indian CGD company
Advanced analytics architecture
3

The better the world works

Better decisions help power more contributions for the economy

Improved decision-making has set the path to expand geographical reach and power more cities.

The deployment improved decision-making in the company and paved the path for a data-driven culture. It made operational details more transparent across all business functions. Most importantly, it led to elimination of redundant efforts. The platform has eliminated the need for operations teams to manually collect data and create reports, thereby allowing them to perform high-skill tasks.

With the help of the solution on Azure platform we will now be able to Integrate IT and OT data, derive insights easily and have access to real time insights to respond swiftly and achieve superior business results

Senior executive at the Indian CGD

Benefits of implementing end-to-end data reporting and visualization
Source: EY’s engagement team for an Indian CGD company

With the new digital data transformation, the company is looking to accelerate business growth and contribute to the economy’s empowerment and self-sufficiency.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.