At Entrance, we’re excited about what 2013 brings for information technology in Oil and Gas, because we’re seeing the industry starting to really commit to and invest in data , information and knowledge strategies. Here’s a quick list of the top 5 energy technology trends for 2013.
1) Data management
More than integration and workflow is on the line when it comes to information in oil and gas. True data management has finally reached the industry in force as a proven valuable investment. More and more data is produced, fewer and fewer people can decipher it, and more and more dollars are committed based on information rather than just experience. Add to that picture that speed is money, especially in shale where if you’re late to a play you overpay and it’s that much harder to beat the low margins in natural gas. Suddenly the industry needs to get intelligent and informed, fast. This is driving effort toward quality of data, optimal storage, visibility, distribution, governance, collaboration, and business intelligence in 2013.
2) Windows 8 Applications
Windows 8 really is the beginning of a new era, and while the 2012 Windows 8 release was mainly a consumer release, the business world will begin to implement it in 2013. The essential change in Windows productivity tools is driving new questions for businesses: ‘Is your application one of the ones that can exist in the Windows 8 world?’ ‘What business drivers make a Windows 8 application the right choice?’ ‘What will maintenance costs of older applications look like?’ etc. Entrance already created our first Windows 8 application and SharePoint 2013 success story, and we think they’re just the tip of the iceberg. As user expectations change, applications that were already aging will begin to look truly ancient, and the time will come to consider the best options for what’s next.
3) Mobile Workforce
Employees today want to be productive away from their desks. Whether that be in the field, at a Starbucks, in someone else’s office, at a conference or in a meeting, mobile devices’s main usage is no longer calling and tablets do way more than Angry Birds. And companies cannot enforce which types of device employees work with in many cases. ‘Bring your own device’ will cause energy companies with large field presences to really think about what constitutes productivity, and how information is consumed and created remotely. Central to a mobile workforce are global worker productivity applications. Most people product information with Microsoft Office applications like Excel, Powerpoint, Word, Visio etc. Slates like Microsoft Surface will move us from only consuming data in a mobile environment to also being able to record and produce information remotely. They’ll need access to those applications everywhere, which is a problem solved with various apps. The interesting aspect is how mobile access to company information will affect data governance, business collaboration and enterprise content management.
4) Systems integration
Departmental siloes are an unfortunate reality in small and medium energy enterprise today. But that is about to change. Conversations about data are no longer limited to G&G, but are now focused on visibility and access during key moments along the value generation process. With buzz around big data in many industries, in Energy it’s the importance of data to productivity and profitability that’s been brought to the limelight. As companies begin to see information as an asset, focus will be on guiding that data’s movement through different systems as the related asset moves through its physical lifecycle. Systems-level integration strategy will integrate data along assets’ critical path, reducing downtime and increasing profitability.
5) Natural User Interface
This might be your last non-touch machine. Your non-touch screen is the next giant CRT of the past. Not quite extinct, but soon to be outdated. Touch began as a novelty, mainly based around online information consumption and game interaction. 2013 will be the year of bringing touch into productivity. This isn’t to say that keyboards and mice are going anywhere. The conversation that will happen is to choose what the best interaction method is to achieve the goal at hand. As a result, we will see a shift in the machines people use based on whether they are creating or consuming information. Those consuming information in particular will have a more specialized interface that focuses largely on touch, while those creating it will probably use something that looks more like the traditional model we are all familiar with.
Thinking about the year to come and need some help planning for new technology? Attend one of our lunch and learns scheduled every month on specialized topics like lease compliance, data integration or field ticket management. Click here for the full schedule.