Regulatory delivery health check - is your MHHS programme on track to safely deliver timely qualification?

This is the second instalment in our ongoing series of MHHS insights. Our first insight was Delivering Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS) regulatory reform for multiple UK energy suppliers.

MHHS represents more than just a regulatory change – it’s an opportunity for UK energy suppliers to secure competitive edge by improving operations and strengthening customer relationships. With the MHHS qualification deadline fast approaching, Oaklin has the insight and expertise to deliver MHHS seamlessly - proactively structuring, executing and assuring both regulatory and transformational scope. 

Informed by our ongoing support to multiple UK energy suppliers’ MHHS deliveries, key considerations for a successful MHHS implementation include:  

1. Programme Governance and Structure  

Effective programme governance is essential for managing the scope and pace of a regulatory-driven transformation. A structured governance framework ensures accountability, clarity in decision-making, and alignment across teams. Establish clear roles, decision rights, and escalation paths to integrate MHHS within your existing portfolio. 

2. Industry Requirements and System Interactions 

A thorough understanding of MHHS requirements is critical, particularly how your systems interact with industry-standard data flows and business orchestration processes such as supply gain, product change, and supply loss. Conduct comprehensive assessments to map out these interactions and identify potential integration challenges. Investing time in clarifying and documenting requirements now will mitigate rework and delays during later phases of implementation. 

3. Data Readiness and System Integration 

The transition to half-hourly measurement brings with it a huge increase in data volume, creating new demands on IT infrastructure and systems integration capabilities. Assess your current systems for their capacity to handle the significant increase in data granularity and frequency of processing. Developing an integration roadmap can ensure data processing, validation, and reporting capabilities are optimised with other modernisation initiatives.  

4. Process Optimisation and Operational Readiness 

MHHS will necessitate changes in operational processes that, if well managed, can lead to greater efficiency and cost savings. Map current processes and identify opportunities for streamlining to align with MHHS requirements. Create and deliver training to prepare teams for operational changes. 

5. Customer and Stakeholder Communication 

Transparent communication is crucial to ensure that both customers and internal stakeholders understand the impacts and benefits of MHHS. Empower your customer service and internal communications teams with the resources they need to proactively message upcoming changes, provide guidance and confidently address inquiries. 

6. Performance Tracking and Continuous Improvement 

The benefits of MHHS extend beyond initial implementation, so ongoing performance tracking and continuous improvement are essential. Establish KPIs to measure the impact of MHHS-related changes. Implementing a continuous improvement plan will help your organisation stay responsive to evolving market conditions.  

7. Leveraging Industry Delays 

The CR055 industry delay presents a valuable opportunity to refine your approach. The delay offers time to review and optimise your plan, address known gaps, and conduct deeper analysis of dependencies. By maintaining momentum, you can ensure your organisation remains on track and can adapt to any new developments. 

Navigating the complexities of MHHS requires a partner with deep regulatory programme expertise and experience to tailor the right approach. By partnering with Oaklin, you can accelerate and assure your MHHS implementation, whilst delivering competitive edge well beyond a compliance exercise. 

Over the coming weeks, we will share additional insights on how Oaklin's MHHS-specific offerings are helping UK energy suppliers to raise their game: 

• Benefits realisation - does your organisation understand "how and where" MHHS fits into the end-to-end value chain, and where it can unlock additional value? 

• Technology roadmap - how can your organisation reduce technical debt and innovate to unlock ROI? 

• Product and service roadmap - is your organisation on track to both defend existing market share and win net new customers from competitors?