Meet Chris – our new Senior Business Analyst

Chris joined us in November as a Business Analyst in the Data, Technology and Transformation team. We sat down with him to ask about his motivations for joining RECCo and how he hopes to shape the organisation with his 7+ years of experience in the energy industry.

Hi Chris, welcome to RECCo! First of all, can you tell us a little about you?

My experience is in performance assurance, industry risk, and process improvement in the energy industry, specifically with wholesale electricity regulation. Most recently, I worked as a Senior Risk Analyst in the Performance Assurance team at Elexon. I was part of Elexon’s team for over seven years.

Before this, I was working in my first job after university as a biomedical scientist in the food industry.

And what about your new role – what will you be responsible for at RECCo?

My initial task will be to work on the Pre-Payment Meter Levelisation project. My job is to ensure that all requirements are met, and operational processes are fully documented in preparation for the launch of the PPM levelisation scheme. The scheme is set to go live on the 1st of April 2024.

I will also be reviewing RECCo’s transformation backlog, ensuring consistency across the current epics and features, and setting standards for how future ones should be documented.

You are two weeks into your role; what are your thoughts so far?

In my first two weeks at the new job, I have had a positive experience. The transition from a larger to a smaller organisation was initially a bit jarring, but I am adapting well. The people have been lovely, super supportive, knowledgeable, and driven. The projects I have been tasked with are engaging and meaningful, and switching to fully remote has been amazing.

Since joining a smaller company, I have come to appreciate the increased variety of tasks and projects. Overall, I enjoy the challenges and opportunities presented in this new role and can see that RECCo is a wonderful workplace.

It seems like your initial projects will centre around improving processes. Can you tell me about your approach to making processes more efficient?

In my approach to process improvement, I first identify the high-level intention of the process, reviewing it from a top-down perspective to pinpoint inefficiencies and bottlenecks. When gathering input from team members and stakeholders, working directly with people is highly effective in understanding current workflows. After understanding the current process, its interaction with the wider system and other processes, and identifying the pain points, I prioritise improvements based on their impact and feasibility. I work closely with team members and stakeholders to implement the improvements and ensure they succeed. Continuous feedback loops help monitor the success of the changes, allowing for agile adjustments as needed. Ultimately, processes should be smooth, efficient, well-documented, and productive.

We’ve recently been talking about our data and digitalisation strategy; what are your thoughts on our plans for the future?

I am impressed by the company’s progressive data and digitalisation strategy, particularly its strong commitment to open data principles. The emphasis on secure open data aligns with the direction the industry needs to go in, displaying a proactive approach to compliance and innovation.

Additionally, the focus on developing REC services digitally and simplifying the user experience of tools like the REC Portal and other REC services is commendable. This digital-first approach aligns perfectly with industry trends, ensuring efficiency and accessibility. I look forward to participating in initiatives that leverage open data and drive digital transformation for REC services, making the user experience more simple and efficient.

Thanks for sharing, and welcome again.