Ascend Analytics: Modernizing a flagship energy analytics product

Ascend Analytics is a software and consulting company specializing in the energy sector. The Boulder-based company offers analytics and data infrastructure to energy providers all over the United States so they can make informed decisions and increase efficiency. One of Ascend Analytics’ longest-running products, PowerSIMM™, is an energy analytics platform that provides energy portfolio management, resource planning, and project optimization.

In early 2021, Ascend Analytics realized that PowerSIMM™ needed a few significant updates, most notably its user interface.

Previously, a combination of several different products, each with their own user interface and sign on process, PowerSIMM™ had to be revamped into a much more streamlined experience. To this end, our team had to pull the most critical features from each product into a single interface.

Since PowerSIMM™ is Ascend Analytics’ flagship product, we gave the new version of the platform a world-class experience to match its importance in the company’s portfolio. The previous version was actually a combination of several different products, each with their own user interface and sign on process.

To create a much more seamless experience across all those products, we pulled the most critical features from each into a single interface and added single sign-on (SSO) authentication. The result is a much more streamlined experience when using PowerSIMM™. To power that experience, we built a web-based, Microsoft Azure hybrid cloud solution. It uses a React front-end, Power BI, and leverages Ascend Analytics’ existing Oracle back-end database.

In order to create a modern user experience, we first had to understand PowerSIMM™ users. We began by conducting collaborative behavior design and human-centered design workshops with key stakeholders at Ascend Analytics. Following the workshops, we designed and built prototypes to assist us in user testing different ideas. After identifying the right route to take, we built the front-end of the platform and put everything through our standard quality assurance process. Additionally, we built a middle-tier API with enhanced security. We accomplished all of this by taking a large scale scrum (LeSS) approach to the project.

Ascend Analytics estimates the ROI of revamping PowerSIMM™ at between 120–200% with a payback period of 2–3 years. But the anecdotal evidence of its impact that they’ve seen speaks volumes above and beyond even those numbers. Several existing Ascend Analytics customers said that the new user experience was a driving factor in them renewing their contract with the company. The same can be said for several newly signed accounts as well.