African focused Serengeti Energy engages industry experts TouchstoneEnergy to deliver HxGN EAM

Their partnership with TouchstoneEnergy is designed to build a single information platform with flexible analytics and management reporting in the TouchstoneCloud.

This decision has supported Serengeti's organisational growth as they continue their roll out of the solution to five other African counties.

Creating a world-class ERP

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, Serengeti Energy is an emerging Sub-Sahara energy producer with nine operational plants producing 42mw output and a further 33mw under construction.

Its primary challenge was integrating industry best practices into all its business entities supported by robust processes which would enable the company to build a more secure and scalable financial management platform that would include integrated Enterprise Asset Management functionality.

Solomon Njonjo, Finance Director of Serengeti Energy who is responsible for their ERP implementation project, says these twin strategic aims are being met by key features available within Infor SunSystems, part of their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. The Infor solution complements Serengeti Energy's new cloud-based way of working offering remote user access and scale to the business.

After several months of overseeing the positive impact of Infor SunSystems, their CEO, Chris Bale decided that world-class ERP functionality was their logical next step. To achieve this, they have decided to implement Hexagon’s EAM system, (formerly Infor’s Enterprise Asset Management system). This would enable Serengeti to computerise their maintenance activities, inventory and purchasing processes, catalogue their plant and machinery and better manage their operational assets by adding mobile technologies.

Serengeti evaluated several market-leading systems but decided Infor’s integrated Finance and EAM solution offered them best functionality over the longer-term.

The strategy has always been to deploy best industry practices across the business, both quickly and effectively. With Infor’s planned evolution, Touchstone’s depth of experience in both the Infor ERP solution and deployment of systems in Africa, plus its compatibility with TouchstoneCloud services eventually proved to be the deciding factor. Choosing TouchstoneEnergy as part of Serengeti’s implementation strategy has been key to their success.

Achieving better process digitisation

Since the decision was taken to implement Infor SunSystems, Serengeti finance and operational teams have worked closely with TouchstoneEnergy to deliver a powerful combination of Infor / Hexagon technologies.

Many useful technologies and functional processes have been configured, not only by our internal consultancy team, but also by Serengeti. The eventual aim is to include sensor data captured from their Operational Systems, passing this data into EAM for analysis that will drive predictive maintenance (PM’s) and work order generation.

“Serengeti had already started to transform digitally via the move to TouchstoneCloud, this has especially improved systems stability and data security, data quality and management reporting. In this next project phase Touchstone will take Serengeti further by delivering the InforOS an integrated digital platform for which FMS, EAM, Document Management, and integrated workflow technologies are deployed within the single platform.

Serengeti Energy are already planning to use more Infor / Hexagon ERP functionality that will help develop their purchasing, critical spares and inventory processes, and their vendor collaboration which Touchstone believes will open new horizons.

TouchstoneEnergy has taken Serengeti forward already by delivering distributed controls for finance and is now poised to enhance their operational departments through the deployment of EAM in multiple geography’s.

About Serengeti Energy

Serengeti Energy invests in and co-develops small and medium-sized renewable energy projects with a strict mandate to create a positive impact from its activities in markets across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Founded in 2013 as responsAbility Renewable Energy Holding (rAREH), with initial backing from Swiss impact asset manager responsAbility Investments AG, alongside investments from partners KfW, Norfund and NDF rAREH becoming an independent power producer by 2026.

After five years, in October 2021, and significant progress in the fulfilment of the company’s mission, the company has become independent of responsAbility and is now well positioned to continue its growth path as Serengeti Energy.

About TouchstoneEnergy

TouchstoneEnergy are a global business systems and IT consultancy dedicated to the Energy sector.

They provide world-class business solutions, from Enterprise Asset Management, Accounting and Finance to Procurement and Spend Management, Performance Management, Business Process Management and Technology to the Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Utilities & Power Generation, Downstream Trading and Mining industries.

With a combined 250 years’ experience helping more than 80 clients improve their operational and financial efficiency, their team offer consultative and solution-driven support to meet planned deliverables, produce effective results and drive business value.

www.touchstoneenergy.co.uk | www.touchstoneenergyusa.com