“With BizTalk Server 2010 and PerformancePoint Services in SharePoint Server 2010, our analysts and management have easy access to the real-time operational and financial information they need.”

Dan Ramaekers, Vice President of Corporate Information Technology, Tenaska

Tenaska Capital Management, LLC (TCM), an affiliate of energy company Tenaska, provides acquisition and energy asset management services to private equity funds. Because of manual data-gathering and reporting processes, analysts spent too much time finding critical data. TCM deployed an innovative and flexible data solution based on Microsoft BizTalk Server 2010 Enterprise. Analysts now spend 50 percent less time collecting data, and TCM can grow more effectively.

Business NeedsTenaska, located in Omaha, Nebraska, is one of the largest independent power producers in the United States. The company builds and operates power plants and markets natural gas, biofuels, and electric power. Tenaska also provides energy risk management services, and it is involved in asset acquisition and management, fuel supply, natural gas transportation systems, and electric transmission. In 2009, the organization’s gross operating revenues were U.S.$7.9 billion, and its assets were valued at $2.8 billion.

TCM, one of the company’s key affiliates, manages private equity funds that acquire, develop, and manage power plant and natural gas assets in the United States. Two of its chief tasks are collecting and analyzing vast amounts of data, such as gas and power pricing and power plant production information, in order to effectively manage assets. Multiple database systems were used to collect 500 MB of data annually from internal and external sources. “These systems need to be reliable and provide real-time information,” says Dan Ramaekers, Vice President of Corporate Information Technology, Tenaska. “Some of these data sources handle millions of rows of mission-critical data, and it’s important that we

have the most updated information about our assets.” TCM data analysts previously used manual processes to gather data, which they stored in Microsoft Excel 2010 spreadsheet software, paper files, and third-party databases. As a result, analysts spent more time than the company desired gathering data to identify ways to maximize asset value. “Analysts were spending approximately 50 percent of their time gathering data,” says Ramaekers. “Spreadsheets with data were sent by e-mail around the office, and the risk for human error was always there.”

The company also had no central location to store contracts, performance reports, and other business documents, making it difficult for analysts to find critical information. For these reasons, TCM sought a new data solution.

SolutionIn August 2009, TCM engaged Deliveron Consulting Services, an Omaha-based Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and technology consulting firm, to help implement a new automated data collection and reporting system. The system, the Portfolio Management Solution, uses Microsoft BizTalk Server 2010 Enterprise as its core integration technology and focuses on three areas:

Customer: Tenaska Website: www.tenaska.comCustomer Size: 700 employeesCountry or Region: United StatesIndustry: EnergyPartner: Deliveron Consulting Services

Customer ProfileTenaska Capital Management, LLC, an affiliate of Nebraska-based Tenaska, acquires and manages power plant and other energy assets across the United States for private equity funds.

Software and Services Microsoft Server Product Portfolio− Microsoft BizTalk Server 2010

Enterprise− Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2

Enterprise Technologies− Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2

Analysis Services− Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2

Integration Services− Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2

Reporting Services− Microsoft SQL Server PowerPivot for

Microsoft Excel− PerformancePoint Services in

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010

For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit: www.microsoft.com/casestudies

Microsoft Server Product PortfolioCustomer Solution Case Study

Energy Firm Transforms Data Collection and Analysis with Innovative New Solution

Data Collection and Integration. BizTalk Server 2010 acts as the integration hub for all internal IT systems and external data sources, so there is a single location for building and managing all data collection actions. With the built-in adapters provided by BizTalk Server 2010, the solution incorporates accounting, budget, and power plant operations data from seven different sources.

Data Aggregation and Consolidation. Based on Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise data management software, this component uses Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Integration Services to collect raw data and validate, cleanse, and load it into analytic cubes in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services. Now, TCM analysts can cross-compare data from completely different sources, and executives can view operational and financial information.

End-User Analysis and Reporting. The solution integrates PerformancePoint Services in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, SQL Server PowerPivot for Microsoft Excel, and SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services. Users can connect directly to data using PowerPivot, an analysis tool that quickly transforms data into reports. With PerformancePoint Services, users can view key performance indicators, scorecards, and charts on their desktops.

The solution handles 18,000 transactions per day for TCM-managed power plants.

BenefitsTCM now has a more innovative and flexible way to collect and analyze mission-critical data. As a result, the company has cut its data collection time in half and expects to gain new opportunities.

Delivers Innovation and Flexibility TCM now has an innovative system that automates data collection and quickly aggregates data for reporting. The solution automatically collects and transforms TCM energy asset data from multiple sources into a central repository. “With BizTalk Server 2010 and PerformancePoint Services in SharePoint Server 2010, our analysts and management have easy access to the real-time operational and financial information

they need,” says Ramaekers. The solution’s flexibility also gives different users specific data for their unique needs. “The executive team at TCM can get a high-level view of overall business performance, while portfolio managers can view detailed operating statistics for specific power plants,” Ramaekers says. “In addition, analysts can view current pricing models.”

Decreases Data Collection Time by 50 PercentThe new solution automatically aggregates data that TCM analysts had to manually search for previously. Now, that data is automatically made available for reporting and cross-comparison. “Analysts spend 50 percent less time on data collection,” says Ramaekers. With more time available, analysts can focus on data analysis. The solution also capitalizes on TCM employees’ familiarity with Excel 2010 and SharePoint Server 2010, by giving them the ability to connect to data through PowerPivot for Excel and PerformancePoint Services.

Provides Foundation for Business GrowthTCM is confident that its solution provides a solid foundation to meet growth from new business opportunities. “Power plant assets are managed more effectively with this solution because TCM has the right data and is able to use that data to make business decisions,” says Ramaekers. “TCM can demonstrate to investors and executives that it can gather and report on data faster than before, so they know they have a powerful tool to help manage existing and new assets going forward.”

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published February 2011