AspenONE Engineering vs. Oracle Utilities Opower Energy Efficiency Cloud Service

In enterprises where another project is tailored to the needs of the client rather than using basic tools. And where the estimate requires comprehensive cost buckets for production operations. When there is a large amount of purchasing history to enter into AspenONE Engineering in order for it to provide reliable projections. Standard equipment manufacturing enterprises are not well suited. Also, because this instrument requires time, when there are time limitation and resource or human limitations.

Incentivized

Opower is a good tool. I don't have any real problems with it other than the fact that we have to run 4 batch programs to supply them with all the data they need. Any reduction in custom programs is a big win for my company as the cost of ownership is high.

Incentivized

• Once an estimate is made, it can be simply copied and modified for another similar equipment estimate
• ACCE can be customized per the company's requirements
• Templates for each equipment style can be made and can be used repeatedly
• Very detailed reporting, of each cost segment like steel, electrical, civil, instruments is available for analysis

Incentivized

• Provides week over week data to customers in an email.
• Provides suggestions to customers to curtail their usage and save money.
• Presents the data in an easy to read format.

Incentivized

• The User Guide is far too large to browse and learn from.
• Documentation is detailed while also being complicated.
• Any modifications that need to be made will take a long time.

Incentivized

• We have to run multiple batch programs to generate the extract files for Opower.
• The extract process is a little inefficient.
• We receive communication from multiple parties at Opower when there are issues. If issues came from 1 email address, that would be helpful. This is very nit-picky though.

Incentivized

We began assessing several tools when we began estimating for a full process plant or various styles of equipment. We also investigated implementing an ERP system used by the sales and item engineering departments.

Incentivized

The support team is always available for help. They are agile and cheerful.

Incentivized

Support is good. I work with 2 or 3 people at Opower when something goes wrong with our reported data. They respond in a timely manner with meaningful information. The only thing that might be helpful is to have any responses come to use via 1 common email address like support@opower.com so I can easily recognize that there's an Opower problem.

Incentivized

Again answering from the ACCE perspective (Estimating tool) - Previously when we did estimates for simple equipment we had used excel estimates and lotus reporting. However, as we started estimating for an entire process plant or various style of equipment, we had started evaluating various tools. We had also considered using an ERP system that is utilized by Purchasing and Product Engineering teams, however, ACCE seemed a better fit for the amount of detailed estimating needed. And the robustness and various options available made us select this tool.

Incentivized

I haven't reviewed or used any tools like Opower before. I've only been using the service for a year or so and find it to be straight forward. I don't see any real issues with it and the fact that it's now an Oracle product means that base integrations with the rest of the Utility Suite would be possible in the future.

Incentivized

• Investment apart from the cost of tool, is time - It is very time taking to obtain the results required
• We are being trained by a professional consultant on ACCE, and yet to see the ROI
• Detailed estimates as needed by Product Engineering is a plus

Incentivized

• We are able to fulfill our state regulatory requirements fairly easily with the tool.
• The reporting to Opower is automated through batch programs so it doesn't require manual work.
• We sometimes generate and send the data to Opower but they report they didn't get it. This requires manual intervention to send the same file again.

Incentivized