Clearly Integrated Operations (IO) is not just about technology. The most significant change that has taken place is in the way companies are organized in order to maximise the value from having this real-time data and information.
Many businesses see this as a technology-enabled transformation programme, whereby the way people work, from the offshore technician to the HQ commercial analyst, is fundamentally changed. In order to achieve this, core work processes need to be updated, resistance to change needs to be addressed and overcome, and organizational models and structures need to be re-aligned.
Commonly referred to as the integration of “people, process, technology, and organization” this fundamental change delivers a capability that adds value in day-to-day operations.
Having this real-time information at one’s fingertips allows the company to:
• Maximize the throughput of production systems
• Reduce and recover from unplanned events
• Balance short- term production goals with long-term ultimate recovery
• Reduce costs by optimizing maintenance planning
• Maximize the use of scarce resources
• Carry out remote operations and remove people from harm’s way
Technology on its own is not going to work as shown by our favourite equation:
NT + OO = EOO
or
New Technology plus Old Organization = Expensive Old Organization
Investment in technology without investment in people, process and organization could prove to be a very expensive mistake in the long run.