Change is difficult. Everyone involved in the software industry knows this, even small changes can cause knock on impacts, hence the need for design, impact analysis, and regression testing. Stepping up a level, large-scale industry change is an order of magnitude more complex, and therefore far more difficult.

Designing and implementing something as fundamental as MHHS (Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement) to enable a profound change in the behaviour of millions of people is staggeringly difficult. Yet here we are, in the middle of this large change programme, just one participant in an ecosystem of clients, partners, competitors, central systems and the regulator, busily creating the next generation of software for the industry.

At Flui we’ve been involved in the Energy Retail market since deregulation in 1998/99 when we created our first market interaction solution. With the complexity, variety and fluidity of the data being exchanged, we experienced constant change and evolution of the software needed to operate the market. That was in a “batch” world, we are now moving to near real-time.

Getting an entire ecosystem of providers working collaboratively towards one common goal, one common solution, is formidable. And yet, it’s happening though the hard work and dedication of the MHHS programme team, the Elexon team and the wider community of participants that contribute to the many working groups that make up the programme.

As a participant of many of the working groups, Flui Technologies contribute experience and expertise gained from 20+ years in the industry, and in return we gain a deep understanding of the functional and technical requirements of MHHS. This flows directly into our products as many of the key members of the product team sit on one or more of the many working groups.

The MHHS programme is the largest and most impressive industry engagement we’ve seen in our days. A democratic process of change, superbly managed by Elexon on behalf of Ofgem and the industry, it’s an honour to be part of the movement.