New capabilities strengthen Commodity Trade Risk Management (CTRM) platform

London, Oct 17, 2011 – Aspect Enterprise Solutions, a provider of multi-commodity trading and risk management Software-as-a-Service (Saas) applications delivered in the Cloud, today unveils the addition of powerful new physical operations functionality to its established trade and risk management platform, AspectCTRM.

The addition of the AspectCTRM Physical Operations module makes Aspect the first wholly Cloud-based solution of its kind to offer true end-to-end processing for oil trading firms. It integrates front office trading, middle office storage and physical operations, with back office business and financial operations into one common system.

For firms trading in crude oil and related products it means much improved control across the supply chain leading to lower costs, reduced risk and exposure, and increased profits. “With total visibility and control every step of the way trading firm’s operations staff have everything they need to oversee what is otherwise a highly complex and difficult activity,” says Aspect president and CEO Steve Hughes.

With changing market conditions making per-barrel savings ever more important, trading firms are looking increasingly to their operations teams for greater operational efficiencies. But making improvements can be notoriously hard without the right tools. Some companies have tried spreadsheets but found them insufficient and risky.

“Slipped deadlines, missed deliveries and shipping delays can take the profit out of trades,” adds Hughes. “Now operational staff can rely on the same Cloud-based applications and live information as their colleagues on the trading desk and back office to optimize physical supply all the way from well head to refinery.”

Available from today, the storage component of AspectCTRM Physical Operations adds an on-screen inventory workbench that includes planning and actualization of movements into, out of, and between storage locations, stock and ullage projections, blending operations, stock reconciliations, stock valuation tracking, and cost allocations. Capacities and constraints, together with storage-related contract costs, can be tracked and managed.

Components for pipeline and physical shipment operations will follow later this year, adding workbenches for allocations, shipments and operations. To add the new functionality user organizations need only upgrade their present subscriptions to be up and running quickly. AspectCTRM’s other modules include Trade Management, Risk Management and Financial Operations.

The scalability of Aspect’s Cloud-based solutions and the speed with which they can be deployed contrasts dramatically with client-software systems which typically take a year or more to implement and which fail to effectively scale downwards to support smaller trading operations.

Visit www.aspectenterprise.com for more information including details for pricing and editions.