Price Data System (PDS)

Project Overview

The Price Data System (PDS) was a critical financial application developed to automate the commodity pricing and mark-to-market process for portfolio valuation. The system integrated data from over 20 external sources to provide real-time commodity pricing, enabling accurate portfolio valuation and risk assessment. This system was essential for daily trading operations and regulatory compliance.

Key Achievements

Developed and supported a comprehensive commodity pricing system from scratch
Integrated 20+ data sources for real-time commodity price collection and validation
Implemented mark-to-market process for accurate portfolio valuation and risk assessment
Achieved dramatic performance improvements: Reduced processing time from hours to minutes
Further optimized system to complete pricing in just 5 minutes (down from 30 minutes)
Built fully-functional web interface for user access and system management

Technical Architecture

Core Components

Data Collection Engine
- Visual Basic-based data collection modules
- Integration with 20+ external commodity data sources
- Automated data validation and cleansing processes
- Real-time and batch data processing capabilities
Pricing Engine
- SQL Server stored procedures for complex pricing calculations
- Mark-to-market valuation algorithms
- Portfolio pricing and risk assessment logic
- Automated price validation and exception handling
Web Interface
- ASP.NET web application for user interaction
- Real-time pricing dashboard and reporting
- User management and access control
- System monitoring and administration tools
Database Layer
- SQL Server database for data storage and processing
- Optimized data structures for high-performance queries
- Historical data management and archival
- Data integrity and backup systems

Business Impact

Processing Speed: Reduced pricing time from hours to minutes (83% improvement)
Further Optimization: Achieved 5-minute completion (83% additional improvement from 30 minutes)
Operational Efficiency: Enabled real-time portfolio valuation and risk management
Data Accuracy: Automated data collection reduced manual errors and improved reliability
User Experience: Web interface provided intuitive access to pricing data and reports

Implementation Results

Before PDS System

Manual commodity price collection from multiple sources
Hours-long processing time for portfolio pricing
Limited real-time access to pricing data
Manual mark-to-market calculations
Inconsistent data validation and quality

After PDS System

Automated data collection from 20+ sources
Minutes-long processing time for complete portfolio pricing
Real-time web-based access to pricing data
Automated mark-to-market calculations
Comprehensive data validation and quality controls

Technology Stack

Visual Basic: Primary application development language
ASP.NET: Web interface development framework
SQL Server: Database management and data processing
Web Technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript for user interface
Data Integration: External API connections and data feeds

Key Features

Automated Data Collection

Multi-source integration with 20+ commodity data providers
Real-time data validation and quality assurance
Automated data cleansing and normalization processes
Exception handling for data source failures or anomalies

Pricing Engine

Mark-to-market calculations for accurate portfolio valuation
Real-time pricing updates based on market data
Risk assessment algorithms for portfolio analysis
Historical pricing and trend analysis capabilities

Web Interface

User-friendly dashboard for pricing data visualization
Real-time reporting and analytics capabilities
Administrative tools for system management
Role-based access control for security

Future Enhancements

Cloud migration to modern cloud platforms
API integration for third-party system connectivity
Advanced analytics for predictive pricing models
Mobile application for remote access and monitoring