Guest contribution: Accenture, working with ENA member Essential Energy and technology partner Kraken, outlines how the network moved every supply point onto a single platform.

Accenture and Kraken have migrated all of Essential Energy’s supply points to Kraken’s operating system that is built for distributors. This is a major global milestone as the first deployment of the platform.

With every supply point now on one modern platform, Essential Energy is better equipped to manage growing distributed energy resources, rising data volumes and evolving regulation, while improving the experience for its customers. Bringing data and operations together in a single environment gives the network clearer visibility of its customers, more accurate billing and the ability to respond faster as conditions change.

Essential Energy Chief Customer Officer Kayla Hardy said, “We’re delighted with how this program has come together. Kraken and Accenture have worked alongside our people as true partners, and that collaboration has been central to reaching this milestone. Most importantly, it’s a win for our customers, who will benefit from a more modern, reliable and responsive service.”

The milestone reflects the strength of the strategic partnership between Kraken and Accenture. Each organisation plays to its strengths: Kraken provided its purpose-built operating system, while Accenture, as systems integrator, connected it across Essential Energy’s technology estate and implemented Market Data Hub (MDH), its proprietary gateway for market data exchange with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

Delivery was shaped by a joint way of working. Essential Energy, Kraken and Accenture operated as one team around shared milestones, under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, developed by Kraken through more than 40 successful migrations across the globe. Rather than a single cutover, Essential Energy’s customers were migrated in cohorts. Each smaller release built confidence and allowed the product to be adapted quickly to the Australian DNSP landscape. This approach kept momentum high while protecting the stability of day-to-day operations.

The timing is significant. The National Electricity Market is working through multiple reforms, including AEMO’s Industry Data Exchange (IDX), which changes how participants share data with the market operator. For networks, the challenge is adopting new requirements without disrupting critical processes or compliance. Kraken and MDH are both built to adapt as these requirements evolve, giving Essential Energy a foundation that can keep pace with the market.

Kraken General Manager for Distribution Jeremy Hetzel said, “Migrating Essential Energy onto Kraken is a milestone we reached as one team. Kraken, Essential Energy, and Accenture have delivered a world leading distribution system that is built for the future.”

Accenture Chief Operating Officer Glenn Heppell, said, “Our partnership with Kraken is built on trust and complementary strengths. Together, we’ve delivered the best possible solution for Essential Energy, one that will serve its customers well through a period of rapid change.”