Stabilizing an Active FIS Aligne Upgrade

Industry: Power & Gas
Platform: FIS Aligne ETRM

Challenge

A large North American energy company was in the midst of an active FIS Aligne ETRM upgrade supporting critical trading, risk, and back-office operations.

During execution, challenges began to emerge across testing coordination, defect management, vendor engagement, and overall program alignment. Gaps in test coverage, unclear ownership, and inconsistent issue tracking introduced risk at a critical stage of delivery. With timelines tightening, the client needed experienced leadership to bring structure, improve execution discipline, and keep the upgrade on track.

Approach

The Vessel Group provided Testing Management leadership through a consultant with direct FIS Aligne support and implementation experience.

This platform-specific expertise allowed us to contribute immediately, assessing the existing testing framework, defect management processes, and coordination model without a ramp-up period. We quickly identified inefficiencies in test case coverage, traceability, and ownership, while also addressing breakdowns in communication across internal teams and vendor resources.

Our support focused on:

• Establishing stronger testing governance and execution discipline

• Improving defect tracking, prioritization, and escalation processes

• Enhancing test coverage, traceability, and accountability

• Clarifying roles, responsibilities, and handoffs across teams

• Strengthening coordination between business, IT, and vendor stakeholders

• Driving focus on critical path issues and resolution timelines

Outcome

By introducing structure and experienced leadership into an active program, The Vessel Group helped stabilize testing operations and improve overall execution momentum.

The client gained greater visibility into testing progress, faster issue resolution cycles, and stronger alignment across stakeholders. These improvements reduced delivery risk and positioned the program for a more controlled and successful upgrade outcome.

Why It Matters

FIS Aligne upgrades place significant pressure on trading organizations, particularly during testing phases where coordination, defect management, and execution discipline are critical.

This engagement demonstrates the value of combining deep platform expertise with practical delivery leadership. When issues emerge mid-flight, experienced support can quickly restore structure, reduce risk, and help programs move forward with confidence.