10 Mobile Priorities for Oil and Gas Companies

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1 White Paper 10 Mobile Priorities for Oil and Gas Companies 10 Mobile Priorities for Oil and Gas Companies Unleashing Mobility upon Oil and Gas for improved optimization

2 Abstract Are you wondering how mobile relates to Oil and Gas Industry? As smart phones, tablets and wearable's are trending today in every industry, their influence is further far reaching. Oil and gas industries are embracing mobile solutions significantly than using IT efforts for speeding up decision making. In a recent survey conducted, CIOs of multiple Oil and Gas (O&G) industry felt that mobile technology was number 2 of the top ten priorities, and 55% of respondents felt it would greatly enhance their operations, however only 16% have employed a mobility strategy so far. In this white paper, Sensiple handholds you through the implementation strategies and benefits of adopting mobility solutions. On a birds view, Mobile solutions affect the oil and gas industry largely in reducing costs, better asset management, influencing an effective decision-making and therefore increase productivity. Page 2

3 Unleashing Mobility upon Oil and Gas Technology has led dramatic advances for Oil and Gas (O&G) industry over the past decade. A 2013 McKinsey report says that at least 80 percent of industries involved in oil, metal and mineral extraction will commence adoption of mobile and internet technologies by Oil &Gas experts estimate that $8 billion will be spent on oil and gas mobile apps by the year As more companies embrace mobile strategy, workflow transformations will continue. At that level, potential economic impact will exceed $100 billion annually. The demand and competition in the Oil and Gas industry is pretty obvious. With massive competition come bigger challenges operations, timely delivery, high velocity in supply chain, field services to name a few. Businesses need to grapple with the competition, costs and also steer themselves by re-inventing their business processes to sustain the demand. At Sensiple we believe that mobility is a silver bullet for the tough operational challenges in Oil and Gas industry. At Sensiple we believe that ERP solutions and business intelligence tools are capable of transforming the Oil and Gas industry. How exactly does mobility open doors for the everyday challenges of oil and gas industry leading way to strategic gains and economical operations? Today, mobility is the new norm and we have 10 reasons why it will redefine the future of Oil and Gas (O&G) companies. Reason # 1 Paperless processes the industry bears inherent challenges with real time information and decision making. Feeding real and up-to-date data for different operations will help timely processes and avoids any leakage due to delays. Data capture analysis and delivering critical information accurately and at the right time shall serve the main challenges in oil and gas industry. If the jobs and resources are monitored on paper, say for example, managing water resources, the delay shall lead to obvious loss. Mobility applications can help track the movement of resources in different phases, ensure safer and timely operations and most importantly not rely on the paper work. Page 3

4 Reason # 2 - Environmental protection and compliance solutions - The entire process in managing the industry operations deals with heavy equipment, risk involved due to unusual temperatures and material characteristics. Regulations in monitoring the requirements and standards can be achieved using mobile apps. It helps to address the reporting requirements of the myriad regulatory authorities using data about spills, leakages captured by the apps. Also, the stakeholders shall be able to access information on novel procedures and standards followed by the industry. The data archive created provides historical accuracy for long term validation of compliance and environmental stewardship. Most Oil and Gas companies handle compliance reporting and management in discrete categories by geography, business unit, or business function. Mobile apps can simplify compliance processes by enabling accurate monitoring and streamlined reporting on regulatory and safety issues. Because these applications provide frontline managers and executives with realtime access to reliable, accurate information, they also enable rapid responses to potential compliance or safety threats. Reason # 3- RFID, global positioning systems (GPS), Geo fences Speedy inspection and action is a biggest challenge of this industry. Real time monitoring of key machinery and resources for their availability and readiness for operations is the key. Geofencing technology redefines the usage of maps by integrating multiple technologies (Google Earth, GPS coordinates or radio frequencies). It allows O&G companies to create a virtual barrier or geofence which then can be tied to a particular well site. GPS keeps the utility of the assets on its toes. This technology allows O&G companies to set up triggers, send instant text messages, and alerts for specific activities occurring at their site. Workflow is faster, worker efficiency improves, and human errors are reduced. You can identify the asset, and then use touchscreen menus, cameras, and other peripherals to record the observation. Data-entry methods, including clickable image control, can be used to identify problem areas, speed up inspection processes and provide uniformity to inspection data., government and regulators. Reason # 4 Asset or management (upstream, oil-field services, downstream) Asset maintenance is a key concern in oil and gas companies. Any disconnect or inefficiency shall lead to serious risks, less throughput and ultimately revenue losses and also environmental disturbances. Real time analysis of assets and their dependent systems makes decision-making reliable --Work order management, assets and inventory management, engineering data management to name a few. From drill rig and well maintenance to pipeline construction and vehicle maintenance, mobile apps for asset management can be used to accelerate scheduling and completion of work and monitor technicians access to all the parts, tools, and information they need to finish assignments. Reason # 6 Inspections, condition monitoring, and assessment (upstream, oil-field services, downstream) Oil and gas companies can achieve significant cost savings and improve operations by deploying mobile apps for inspecting pipelines, environmental assessments, refinery equipment, and other areas. The principal benefit of these mobile apps is that they allow technicians to easily collect large volumes of data and immediately take the necessary corrective action. Data capture can be facilitated using bar coding, radio-frequency identification. Reason # 7 Materials management (upstream, oil-field services, downstream) Mobile devices can be used for materials management functions such as procurement, reordering, and stock transfer orders; collection and quality assurance and quality control inspections; stocking; and issuing. Field-force personnel can use ruggedized mobile devices to collect, update, and synchronize (in real time or batch) to back-end ERP and EAM systems. Service companies and supply chain officers can leverage mobile apps for supply and rental inventory management of high-cost rental goods and equipment. Reason # 8 Mobile supply chain collaboration (upstream, oil-field services, downstream) Mobile apps help specialist workers to collaborate in real time across the global supply chain without needing to be physically present at the plant; this increases plant availability and reduces time to market. Page 4

5 Reason # 9 Mobile analytics and dashboards (upstream, downstream) Analytics-based mobile apps can be used to enable precise monitoring of key business indicators, with executive and operations dashboards providing real-time insights to inform effective decision making. Mobile apps help monitor operations (drilling for example) from any location. You could also capture snapshots and track the progress of operations. Reason # 10 Sales-force enablement (downstream) Although there has been a massive increase in investment in salesforce automation (SFA) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, user adoption remains limited. Extending SFA and CRM functionality to accessible, easy-to-use wireless devices puts these high-value systems into the hands of mobile workers, where and when they need those most. This accessibility dramatically improves user adoption rates and end-user buy-in. Reason # 11 Fuel management (upstream, oil-field services, downstream) Tracking fuel consumption and monitoring timely replenishment is critical to seamless and cost-efficient operations. Mobile apps can deliver functionalities including demand forecasting, fuel order forms, consumption tracking, remote monitoring, delivery management, alerts, reports, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Reason # 12 Electronic logbook (upstream, oil-field services, downstream) Because offshore supply activity logbooks are either maintained manually or using Microsoft Excel, it has been impossible for oil and gas companies to standardize processes and scientifically manage voyage operations. This challenge can be addressed using a stand-alone mobile logbook, with capabilities spanning voyage activity, daily vessel status, reporting via e- mail, and data synchronization with the back office. Benefits Real-time information On demand intelligence Reduced unplanned downtime Increase equipment reliability Effective asset and inventory management which reduces inventory carrying costs Manage mobility as a lifecycle Page 5

6 Conclusion Mobile applications are a shower of grace to the oil and gas industry. From field services to generating absolute reports, digital technologies are supporting optimized processes for the industry. Data mining, resource planning, real-time monitoring, location tracking, reporting and analysis are a boon in the form of mobile solutions. Mobility has helped better coordination and connectivity to the primary stakeholders in the game upstream, midstream providers Author Padmaja Bandi, Digital Consultant, SENSIPLE Padmaja is part of Digital Consulting Group at Sensiple. She consults organizations on embarking their digital strategies. Padmaja has completed her Engineering in Electronics and Telecommunications and is a management graduate from IIT Madras. Her areas of interest are in innovation of new products and services in the Digital space which can optimize costs and build organizations for future challenges. Page 6

7 @2015 SENSIPLE Software Solutions, Chennai, India. SENSIPLE believes that the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date; such information is subject to change without prior notice. SENSIPLE acknowledges the proprietary rights of the trademarks and products names of other companies mentioned in this document. SENSIPLE is a premier IT solution provider headquartered in the United States and with delivery centers in India, SENSIPLE has extended its services across the globe. SENSIPLE has evolved from being a business consulting company in its early stages to a one stop IT solution provider over the years. Its service lines are Customer Experience, Digital Enterprise, Enterprise Applications, Testing and Infrastructure Services with clients across the globe. CORPORATE OFFICE 1000 Route 9 North, Suite 303 Woodbridge, NJ Phone : Fax : , OMAHA OFFICE Scott St, Omaha, NE Phone : Fax : OFFSHORE OFFICE Plot No: 9/A15, SIPCOT IT Park Padur Post Siruseri, Tamilnadu India Phone : Fax : SINGAPORE 662, Woodlands Ring Road #5-226 Singapore Phone :