Successful Implementation of Collaborative Environments: Human Factors and Implications

Author:

Bayerl Petra1,Lauche Kristina1,Badke-Schaub Petra1,Sawaryn Steven James2

Affiliation:

1. Delft University of Technology

2. BP Exploration

Abstract

Abstract Collaborative Environments (CEs) are now implemented at scale in a wide range of companies in the offshore oil and gas industry with the rationale to optimize and improve the efficiency of drilling and production operations. CEs provide a new environment for the exchange of real-time data aiming at closer onshore-offshore collaboration and improved decision making. Such implementation projects are associated with a considerable commitment in finances, personnel resources, and organizational restructuring, which makes it crucial to identify factors influencing the long-term success of such large-scale endeavors. As experiences in other industries show, human factors in terms of attitudes, expectations, and behaviors of personnel play a decisive role in achieving those objectives. At present an empirical study is conducted during an ongoing CE implementation initiative in a major oil and gas E&P company to identify the factors influencing personnel acceptance, satisfaction and attitudes towards CEs. Between February and September 2007 data was collected from thirteen assets at two different geographical locations. The assets were at different stages of the implementation process ranging from a few weeks, to some years of experience of working within CEs. At time of data collection two assets had not yet moved into the new environment. Over the 8 month period, the first author interviewed 86 onshore and offshore personnel at different levels in the organization and observed work processes prior to and after the implementation of CEs. Based on the collected data the following eight factors were identified as conclusive for the success of CE implementations: general engagement process, inclusion of offshore personnel, inclusion of management, staffing, preparation and training, technology design and implementation, design of the physical environment, and post-implementation evaluation process. Concrete positive and negative examples found in the diverse projects will be discussed to demonstrate challenges and lessons learned. Further, practical recommendations will be offered for the planning and design of similar future implementation projects. 1 Introduction Working over distances including the resulting logistic, informational, and communication challenges are a natural part of the offshore oil and gas industry. Processes like information exchange, planning, or decision-making are hindered by the fact that data cannot be transferred easily from one location to another and that communication between remote locations is often lagging and intermittent. This situation frequently limits access to necessary expertise, delays reactions to critical situations, or impedes the distribution of resources with subsequent negative impacts for operation efficiency and safety. To counter some of these challenges, the industry has seen a general move towards the use of Collaborative Environments (CEs) over the last year representated by programs such as Smart Fields (Shell), i-fields (Chevron), Digital Oilfields (Schlumberger), or Field of the Future. CEs provide newest collaboration and visualization technologies to allow for the immediate availability of real-time process and plant data and the possibility for constant audio-visual communication between onshore and offshore (Dudley et al., 2006). Expectations are that Collaborative Environments will shorten decision making timescales, improve the quality of decision making, lead to a more effective use of limited technical expertise worldwide, remove barriers between disciplines, and increase safety for the workforce (Edwards et al., 2006; Murray et al., 2006). Overall, performance improvements and savings through the implementation of Collaborative Environments have been estimated as, e.g., 3–25% higher operating efficiency, 5–15% drilling cost reduction, or 1–4% reduction in downtime (Cambridge Energy Research Associates, 2003).

Publisher

SPE

Cited by 1 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

1. Collaborative Work Environments in Smart Oil Fields;Advances in Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage;2013

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