One of the huge trends in software and technology is consumerization. Instead of adapting to the technology, consumers of technology are now experiencing that the technology are adapting to them. Within 2015, 8 billion will be used on mobile enterprise applications in the oil and gas industry. If these vast investments are going to be successful, consumerization of the oil and gas field should be among the highest concerns when making and implementing a mobile strategy.
The first day at your first employer is an exciting experience. You have been looking forward to this for weeks, maybe months. The walk into the office, factory or worksite or field is an amazing experience. The atmosphere, your colleges, the projects, everything exceeds your expectations. You step into your office, sit down at your desk and turn on the computer and the disappointment could not be larger. The fact is that most enterprise software uses clunky, outdated solutions that do not cope well with the experience from other software and looks ugly.
The situation in the oil field is worse. Instead of providing you a device to do your operations you are handed a clipboard and a stack of paper forms. This makes the oil field operations clunky, ineffective and risky. With the change from a paper based to reporting system to a mobile reporting app like SEE Forge, consumerization of the oil and gas field can be achieved.
Facilitating for a new generation of oil and gas employees
As more and more people in the oil and gas industry is retiring, we are looking at a generational change in the oil and gas industry. The generation that are coming in to the oil and gas industry use their cell phones, tablets and computers for everything. Going through an educational system where they probably have used digital technology all the way since high school, the transition to paper based reporting is for sure a letdown. According to Google 80% of people between the age of 18-34 owns a smartphone, and they use it for everything. To these people it is more natural to write notes on their phone rather than in a notebook, read newspapers online rather than buying one in the store and even buy merchandise through their phone rather than going to the mall. To this generation making a table or document without a computer is unthinkable. Thus, it is fair to assume that a transition from paper based to mobile-based report systems is necessary change.
But the consumerization of the oil and gas field through changing from paper to mobile isn’t only benefiting the new generation coming in and the people hiring them. 71% of people in the oil and gas industry are saying that they use their cell phone for work purposes. Thus, for most people already working in the oil and gas industry the usage of mobile technology when filling out forms and audits will be welcomed.
Achieve consumerization of the oil and gas field
So, what is important to achieve consumerization of the oil and gas field. Primarily, the software needs to be personalized. Employees should be able to use their own devices. With SEE Forge the software can be used on the employees personal cell phone by just downloading the app. With our cloud-based service, the app can be entered from any device, anywhere.
Secondary the software that are being used must be fit for the operations being performed and the people using it. SEE Forge is built to serve the needs of people in oil and gas enterprises and can be customized to fit each company’s process and way of doing things. Instead of trying to adopt your business to fit a unfitting system you should choose a system that fits your needs.
Thirdly, the software needs to be easy to use. SEE Forge is so easy to use that everyone can pick up the phone and start using it. With our “fat finger” technology, everyone can use it, independent of background and experience.
Consumerization of the oil and gas field have many benefits. When people are comfortable using a system, the likelihood of them actually using it is bigger. When you are using personal, easy to use technology, the likelihood of your employees being satisfied is bigger and you are better suited to attract top talent.
When you are using a system that is optimized to fit your need, you use your system to be more effective, productive and more professional. Instead of using an unsuited or outdated system, and let your system run you.