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Case Study: Managing Oilfield Knowledge for Improved Efficiency and Reduced Operational Risk
Challenge
Prior to 1999, the Schlumberger Oilfield Services organization operated largely as a series of semiautonomous, regional organizations in over 100 locations globally, with training and technology support provided from the operational center in Houston. To improve its knowledge management (KM), it was imperative to continue to consistently supply the best solutions and practices.
Solution
Schlumberger started a KM pilot to build a knowledge hub for oilfield personnel. Success depended on motivating people to share their knowledge and reuse that of others as part of their day-to-day jobs.
Results
The KM solution for Schlumberger Oilfield Services offered a blueprint for implementing and institutionalizing KM in Schlumberger. What developed is a robust process and technology model that can be used as a basis for KM implementations in other organizations.
Improve efficiency and reduce operational risk
Oilfield techniques and technology change rapidly as the industry continues to innovate in well construction. To keep pace with these advances, training and best practices management must take a new direction, so personnel are able to take advantage of new measurements and techniques in real time to improve efficiency and reduce operational risk.
Prior to 1999, the Schlumberger Oilfield Services organization operated largely as a series of semiautonomous, regional organizations in more than 100 locations across the world, with training and technology support provided from the operational center in Houston. Procedures and technology were standardized across the world, but communication between different operating regions could sometimes be slow. To increase drilling efficiency, there needed to be greater progress in sharing experiences about working in the most challenging operating conditions.
In such a demanding and dynamic environment, it was imperative that Schlumberger improve its KM–the ability to capture, share, and apply expertise worldwide–if it was going to continue to consistently supply the best solutions and practices.
Corporate knowledge hub
In 1999, Schlumberger started a KM pilot to build a knowledge hub for oilfield personnel, primarily to improve the ability of its people to provide the best quality service. Technologically, the challenge was manageable; the Schlumberger global intranet, SINet, already provided secure, authenticated connectivity between most of the company’s sites and offices, and the Schlumberger corporate knowledge hub offered a software tool to publish and easily disseminate information. Although the ability to use in one part of the world what we have learned in another is helped by tools and technology, people are both the key to successful KM and its most challenging element. Success depends on motivating people to share their
knowledge and to reuse that of others as part of their day-to-day jobs. The elements of primary importance in development were:
- capture, share, and apply expertise worldwide
- take advantage of new measurements and techniques in real time
- consistently supply the best drilling solutions and practices
- reduce learning time
- “Just-in-time, just enough, and just for me.”
The first phase, which took five months, involved key “start-up” tasks: assigning a Knowledge Champion as a focal point and a steering committee to work with the Knowledge Champion to set up and organize a useful hierarchical structure for storing and accessing the knowledge, and getting good input from the field community and keeping it informed of progress through designated local Knowledge Champions assigned in each operating location. Phase 1 of the implementation also included finding the knowledge and good practices that were being used in the field and ensuring that this information was entered into the knowledge base before the site was announced to the community at large. Mining of bulletin boards provided one of many rich resources.
The second phase of the solution required the creation of a knowledge-sharing culture among the oilfield services personnel. This is an environment where field experts systematically share their experience and incorporate the knowledge of their peers as a normal part of their everyday jobs. Phase 2 required identifying the factors that motivate individuals to share, and rewarding the behaviors that support the culture.
Building a knowledge-sharing culture
For workers, a knowledge-sharing culture translates into reduced job preparation time, less stress, and better performance, leading to recognition by our customers. These are powerful incentives. Recognition by management takes place as knowledge sharing is now a key competency on the Schlumberger performance appraisal form. Recognition from within the peer community is also much valued. All contributors are recognized publicly on the Knowledge Hub and a quarterly nonmonetary award is given in each of the four geographic operating areas, chosen by the community and presented by a senior manager.
The KM solution for the Schlumberger Oilfield Services group offered a blueprint for implementing and institutionalizing knowledge management in Schlumberger. The InTouchSupport.com* online support and knowledge management system started in 1996 and in 2000 Schlumberger merged the KM pilot processes into InTouchSupport.com technical support.
Some of the KM processes in Schlumberger today were derived from data gathered in an early benchmarking study with seven leading KM companies. What developed is a robust process and technology model that can be used as a basis for KM implementations in other organizations.
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