Technology … Coming soon to a Cloud near you!!
The talk in many boardrooms is currently fixated on technology.
“Our strategy needs to focus on technology”,
“Technology has to be a key part of our business plan”,
“Techno! Techno! Techno!”.
After almost two years of pandemic and remote working, boardrooms around the country are gushing with self-satisfaction and hubris at having survived a global crisis by virtue of their expert implementation of home working supported by the latest technological advances. Many honestly think that a smartphone with WhatsApp and video messaging is the cutting edge! … Well, it’s not!!
The industry, supported by government, has tried valiantly to drive the technology message forwards with significant funds being provided for organisations like the Net Zero Technology Centre and major tax breaks provided for qualifying R&D projects. Initiatives like these can help, but they also run the risk of creating a “grant-application” mentality … a welfare state for research and development.
Real technology that disrupts and is truly ground-breaking emerges from the hearts and minds of passionate individuals and groups, whose eyes are open to novel concepts and who see risk as something that is exciting and life affirming rather than something that needs to be mitigated against. These people identify a need and then create a solution; if the need is real then the solution will be adopted regardless.
So where is hi-technology heading in the oil industry? Well in terms of the inspection and integrity business that we are involved in, a short but likely list includes: –
· Artificial Intelligence – Automated support with risk-based decision making.
· Laser scanning – Remote inspection of laser scanned digital representations of plant and equipment to reduce offshore and plant inspection time.
· Machine learning – Automated identification, interpretation and screening of damage and anomalies.
These are all ideas that are under active development at this moment. Within the oil industry these are considered cutting edge. Drone based photography and tablet-based input systems are very much last year!!!
But on their own without a solid foundation of quality, data management, competence, and experience, the value of these “grand sounding”, hi-tech additions can very soon be lost, and they can potentially even have negative repercussions.
That’s why PIM are developing quality enhanced, simple, user focussed software that does exactly what it needs to, in a reliable manner; software that will soon incorporate all these technical advancements in a package that actually delivers.
PIM Software – It really is that simple!
Gloss