Operational risk in 2020: lessons from the last year

At Gen10, we believe that commodity management technology should help organisations manage operational risk to a far greater extent than many CTRM systems currently allow. We have been promoting the advantages of proactive operational risk through digital transformation for several years and so are delighted that 2019 was the year that operational risk was placed firmly on the industry agenda.

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There is no place for repository-style CTRM systems in today’s commodity supply chains

Commodity supply chains are under pressure. This is nothing new. But what is new is the scale of the challenges the industry is facing and the wide range of factors impacting on global commodities. From political uncertainty regarding trade tariffs, to changing consumer demand patterns and increased global competition, the price pressure is on the industry, who need to maintain their profitability in the face of shrinking margins.

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Biomass Sustainability: supply chains for 2020 and beyond

Environmental issues and climate change have played a larger role in the public consciousness in 2019 than possibly ever before. From Greta Thunberg’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination to the Extinction Rebellion protests that culminated in over 1,100 arrests in just one week in London, 2019 has been a year of climate activism. And within the biomass industry, where European subsidies in particular are closely linked to environmental issues and renewable energy targets, debate continues over how environmentally friendly biomass power generation really is.

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CTRM for Metals - What is it and why is it needed?

In recent years, the metals CTRM debate has shifted away from “spreadsheet vs CTRM” as most organisations, even if they are not already using the technology, understand at least some of the benefits of efficient, process-automating commodity management technology.

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Why Choose a Cloud CTRM?

In both personal and business environments, cloud computing is already everywhere. If you have watched Netflix, asked Siri a question or played music on an Amazon Alexa device, you have taken advantage of the speed and flexibility of cloud computing. The cloud offers businesses many benefits compared to traditional, on premise IT solutions, including scalability, business continuity and more flexible access. Yet despite these (and other) benefits, not all CTRM providers offer a cloud solution.

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Data visibility in biomass; improve risk, traceability & profitability

Demand for biomass energy generation continues to rise sharply. The use of bioenergy for electricity grew by 98% between 2008 and 2015, and the market for wood pellets in particular is expected to grow to $6150 million by 2024, up from $4120 in 2019. This provides many opportunities for biomass and energy traders, but it does also mean that the challenges the industry faces are changing as well. From increasing regulation to new players and changing market mechanisms, biomass companies need to be prepared to meet these new challenges as well as capitalise on new opportunities.

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Experience real-time reconciliation with CommOS

Reporting, reconciliations and audit can be among some of the most stressful and time-consuming tasks for those working in the metals supply chain; particularly when things have gone wrong and the numbers simply will not reconcile.

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News: Consortium between Rabobank, Concord Resources Limited, PGS, Gen10 and Aon complete physical repo trade using blockchain

A consortium including Dutch bank Rabobank, international trading firm Concord Resources and warehousing firm PGS has completed its first physical repo trade using a new blockchain platform.

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ETOT 2019: Collaboration is Key

Earlier this month, Gen10 representatives joined a record number of energy trading and operations experts at ETOT 2019, Europe’s leading operations and technology summit. The key takeaway from both Gen10 CEO Richard Williamson’s panel and the summit in general, was that collaboration and standardisation are crucial for industry progress.

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Assays, Accounting and Auditing - Work Better. Together.

In concentrates trading (and indeed, trading for any commodity that includes quality premiums and discounts), managing assays and translating these into accounting and audit procedures are often some of the most difficult manual processes. Whilst this represents a challenge, it also means that these are the areas of opportunity where businesses could make some of the greatest operational improvements.

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