Good IO-Design is More than IO-Rooms

Abstract

‘Integrated Operations’ (IO) is about employing real time data and new technology to remove barriers between disciplines, expert groups, geography, and the company. IO has been associated with so called IO rooms. IO is technology driven, but is neither room nor technology deterministic. A network understanding of IO, based on Science and Technology Studies (STS), gives a process of different actants chained in networks, pointing the same directions by the same interests, to obtain the anticipated effect as is comes to efficiency and good HSE results. This chapter develops the seamless web of the IO design and describes good design criteria based on studies in Operational Support Rooms (OPS) in a Norwegian Oil Company. This process of the heterogeneous engineering of IO is not to be seen as technology implementation rather than technology development. This chapter points on how the seamless web of the IO design might contribute to good working conditions.