Oil extraction giant saves millions by streamlining engineering workflows

Company background

One of the world's leading oil and gas companies, operating in over 70 countries and employing tens of thousands of people, relies heavily on efficient and accurate document management to maintain operations, ensure compliance, and drive productivity across its global operations. The company is a major player in the energy sector and is engaged in every aspect of the oil and gas industry, including exploration, production, refining, distribution, and marketing.

Operational challenges

The company faced significant challenges related to its document-intensive processes. These challenges included:

1. Inefficient Data Sharing Practices: The company operations generate vast amounts of data from various sources, both internal and external. These files, often in different formats, needed to be stored as PDFs to ensure consistency and ease of access. However, converting and sharing these files efficiently was a significant hurdle. Engineers and other staff were losing valuable time manually creating PDFs, which also increased the risk of missing critical data.
2. Inability to Compress Files: Large files and diverse formats put a considerable strain on their IT systems and data storage servers. Compressing files into sharable, archive-ready formats while preserving all metadata for improved searchability was a pressing need that their existing systems could not adequately address.
3. Disparate Solutions Causing Delays: The company's use of multiple, disparate solutions led to delays in communication and information loss. There was a crucial need for a unified solution that could seamlessly integrate with their existing document management system, Bentley ALIM, to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

The solution: integration of Adlib

To address these challenges, the company integrated Adlib's document transformation and workflow automation solutions with their Bentley AssetWise ALIM workflows. This integration provided a robust solution for managing their document-intensive processes.

Business outcomes

The integration of Adlib with their existing workflows resulted in significant improvements across various facets of operations:

1. Cost Savings and Efficiency for C-Suite:
   • The company saved $186,500 on AutoCAD licenses by reducing the need for extensive access to AutoCAD software.
   • They also saved $1.1 million in engineers’ time by automating the PDF creation process, allowing engineers to focus on high-value tasks rather than administrative chores.
   • The ability to operate in a tight margin environment was enhanced due to these cost savings and greater operational efficiency.
   • Risk of non-compliance and potential losses due to equipment malfunction and outages were significantly reduced.
2. Enhanced Productivity for Engineers:
   • Engineers gained greater knowledge of their refinery operations and working conditions through more accessible and consistent data.
   • Collaboration and communication with internal teams, external providers, and regulators were made easier and more effective.
   • Engineers were able to focus more on highly skilled tasks rather than being bogged down by administrative duties.
3. Improved IT Operations:
   • Server capacity improved due to the reduced strain from large, uncompressed files.
   • The time spent on software implementation and support for AutoCAD users decreased, freeing up IT resources for other critical tasks.

"Before we had Adlib, we needed far more access to AutoCAD, and that was expensive while also placing more strain on our systems as a whole. Engineers lost time creating PDFs, and we were at risk of missing critical data," - Deployment Consultant.

Conclusion

The integration of Adlib with the company's Bentley's AssetWise ALIM system has proven to be a game-changer for their document-intensive processes. By streamlining data sharing, improving file compression, and unifying disparate solutions, the company has achieved significant cost savings, enhanced operational efficiency, and reduced risks.