In the Oil and Gas sector, operational excellence is always strived for, but can be very challenging to achieve. With siloed systems, manual tasks and data handoffs, changing regulatory requirements, and a large web of people involved in process execution, it is getting increasingly difficult to efficiently and accurately orchestrate operations.
Appian's Glenn Healy recently sat down with Michael O'Sullivan, host of Oil and Gas Network's Tech podcast, and Bruce Taylor, Director of Digital Transformation at Sinclair Oil, to discuss operational excellence in oil and gas, and more specifically, how Sinclair used Appian's platform to implement a project and portfolio management solution that enhances agility and promotes success -- with the first app built in just 1 week.
Check out the podcast titled "Appian on Oil and Gas Tech Podcast" here
While there are many factors to consider when looking to improve operations, here are some key capabilities that proved helpful in Sinclair Oil's innovation journey:
Speed and Agility with Low-Code
Historically, digital transformation initiatives proved a huge undertaking, with prohibitive time and financial investments. That's what prompted Sinclair to seek out a low-code development platform.
By using Appian, they were able to dramatically simplify and streamline their application development. The low-code approach also helps them to stay agile with their project and portfolio management solution, giving them the ability to easily configure processes to changing needs. This is a crucial capability for the always evolving regulatory landscape of refineries.
Unifying Systems with Easy Integrations
A significant concern in considering a solution was the number of legacy systems used across the organization. With a large investment already put into technology such as contractual management systems, gate systems, and other applications, Sinclair wanted to unify, but not disrupt their legacy systems.
Appian accomplishes this by acting as an orchestration layer on top of all other systems and components, keeping all the data in its place yet creating a seamless workflow. Aggregating all project information into a single interface has heightened visibility into portfolios, helping with informed and efficient decision making.
An Intuitive User Experience
When implementing the new solution, major consideration was placed on providing a seamless transition for users. Appian's customizable platform was molded to create an interface and forms that looked familiar to users, mirroring their previous workspaces, but with the added benefits of automation, including auto-filling repetitive elements from one form to another, which streamlined the entire process.
These automation capabilities also help throughout process execution with information handoffs between different systems and departments that don't easily communicate. This saves tons of data that is typically lost in the often manual methods that were used to pass information.
Appian for Oil and Gas
With low-code development, automation capabilities, and easy integrations, Appian is the best choice vendor for achieving operational excellence. Appian is well suited for digital transformation initiatives across oil and gas, helping companies such as Exelon, EDP Renewables, and Alabama Power innovate their operations.
To learn more about how Appian is transforming the oil and gas sector, listen to the Oil and Gas Network's pitch podcast here.
