A trusted partnership delivering long-term value

YouDo has been in a proud partnership with Meridian Energy for almost two decades, developing a​ suite of over 10 sophisticated, customised tools for their Wholesale team. Designed to address previously manual processes and the complex nature of the New Zealand electricity market, each tool has ensured better process management, automating and streamlining operations.

Our partnership has been extremely successful, due to the flexibility and collaboration between the​ two teams. YouDo’s agility and deep understanding of Meridian’s needs have allowed Meridian to​ keep their competitive edge within the electricity market and we continue to work together to build​ innovative business solutions.

Understanding Meridian Energy

 

Meridian Energy is a key player in New Zealand’s electricity market - operating both wind and hydro​ generation assets up and down the country. All require continuous monitoring and optimisation to​ ensure compliance with the intricate rules and frameworks for how energy is generated, scheduled​ and traded.

This responsibility falls to the Wholesale team, essentially serving as the engine room for Meridian’s​ participation in the electricity market—overseeing the generation assets, their maintenance and​ availability schedules, trading electricity on the real-time spot market, balancing value and risk, and​ ensuring regulatory compliance.

Navigating complexity and manual processes

New Zealand’s electricity market is unique—with highly specific rules, structures and operational requirements - its complexities require custom solutions to ensure operational efficiency, both in the market and within the business. Previous processes were highly labour intensive, involving multiple databases and spreadsheets, all time consuming and prone to error.

Prior to engaging with YouDo, Meridian experienced difficulties with other developers who were less​ flexible and more siloed in their workstreams.

Working together to build the right solutions

Our most recent partnership began over 12 years ago, with YouDo’s development team working closely with Meridian’s internal IT and Wholesale teams to understand their unique​ requirements and ensure a successful delivery.

After initial dashboard developments, we created an application that allowed Meridian to maintain control over generation assets and manage scheduling maintenance and outages effectively. Over the years, we have designed and delivered more than 10 sophisticated applications—spanning dashboards, data visualisation, forecasting tools, and market-facing solutions—each supporting a different aspect of their trading operations and seamlessly embedded into existing systems.

Our developers became an integral part of Meridian’s project teams, using the Agile method to collaborate closely. This included daily stand-ups, sprints, and regular planning sessions to understand the requirements of each project, deliver value early and ensure alignment with business requirements.

Working as a highly efficient, coordinated team over the past several years, we overcame significant​ challenges - complex outage scheduling logic, flexible rule creation and more dynamic data​ presentation - and automated manual processes. This resulted in faster decision-making, improved​ operational efficiency and reduced administration; the tools paying for themselves within months of​ their go-live dates due to the efficiency gains delivered.

“It's been great since day one in my mind…I feel like culturally and process-wise, it started well in comparison to the other partners that we have worked with in some of the projects.

The key though for us, is the willingness of YouDo to work in a specifically Meridian way. They became part of the team and we started from there. Some of the most successful projects we ran for the Wholesale Team, and across Meridian, YouDo contributed to.”

—Edna Maddocks (Chief Information Officer, Meridian Energy)

Improving efficiency and smoother operations

The partnership with Meridian has been hugely beneficial, with enhanced compliance in wholesale market regulations, streamlined trading and risk management processes and actionable insights as a​ result of clear spot market data.

The tools were designed to work cohesively and seamlessly integrate with Meridian’s broader ICT​ systems, their smooth data flow now being used across multiple departments in the business.

Going far beyond simple dashboard applications, all tools developed by YouDo, in collaboration with​ Meridian, have received excellent feedback, with users reporting easy-to-use applications. Overall​ team engagement has improved as focus has shifted from time-consuming administrative work to​ higher-value tasks.

“I think that the consistency in the way that things are displayed across all the applications that we've worked on with YouDo means that once you’ve learned how to use one toolset, it becomes easier to use the rest of them.

The consistency and usability of the applications is where YouDo really nailed it for us.”

—Sarah Smith, Head of Wholesale Development

Growing together through collaboration

The relationship has grown into a long-term partnership, and we’re thrilled to be Meridian’s trusted advisor in the development of new tools and system enhancements. We continue to support them with updates, new features, and tools as the business evolves, ensuring that the solutions remain aligned with Meridian’s needs.

Our mutual success is largely due to a deep understanding of Meridian’s business processes and goals, enabling them to provide valuable insights and continuously improve. We see massive value in working flexibly with Meridian’s teams, fitting in with their schedules and remaining fluid. We have always seamlessly adapted to changes within Meridian, shifting to a fully agile project management structure, ensuring that the development process remains smooth and efficient. Close collaboration has built up a high level of trust allowing us to overcome challenges, understand their specific requirements and deliver successful solutions for complex challenges.

“YouDo is instrumental because they bring a flexible mentality, trusting that we're going to work in partnership in a different way. We give them a certain number of hours, the quality we’re seeking, what the goals are and we take it from there. I think there's an element of trust
both from Meridian and YouDo sides - and it worked, so I think that has been an enabler for us.

I can tell you firsthand, not many vendors do that for us easily which is a challenge.”

- Edna Maddocks

Ongoing innovation

YouDo’s complex, custom-built tools have had a significant impact on Meridian’s Wholesale team improving operational efficiency, market compliance, and decision-making processes. The tools allow Meridian to stay ahead in a competitive market by automating complex processes and delivering real-time insights.

More than just a technical partnership, the success of this relationship has been built on deep trust, shared goals, and close day-to-day collaboration. YouDo’s willingness to integrate seamlessly with Meridian’s teams, adopting their ways of working, and remaining agile throughout changing scopes has been key to delivering real value—quickly and consistently.

With more innovation on the horizon Meridian and YouDo’s partnership continues to evolve, ensuring the business stays at the forefront of energy market innovation.