Oil
Performance improvement in the Oil
Industry
Attempting to generate improved performance through workforce
involvement within the Oil Industry through instilling a team-working
concept is not a new process. Many companies have attempted
this with varying degrees of success. In general, the concept
has been accepted and promoted, but the detail of exactly how
this would/should work has received only limited attention and
it is here that we find the weakness of these approaches.
Approaches that simply made the assumption that because teams
had been given some training in ’teamworking’ would
somehow result in greater efficiencies had never worked unless
great attention had been given to the ‘actual’ differences
we wished to see; the ‘devil is in the detail’ and
previous attempts had quite simply omitted to pay sufficient
attention to this key fact. Significant planning for implementation
is quite simply the key issue.
The Problem
The platform was run in two major silos
production and
maintenance.
This meant:-
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Manpower not optimally utilised. |
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Poor feedback of information especially
between production and maintenance. |
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Perceived lack of opportunity to develop
skills and competencies. |
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Lack of knowledge by personnel as to
the
reasons for production losses. |
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Lack of knowledge of production processes. |
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Poor communication between shifts. |
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Loss of information between operations
and maintenance. |
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Lack of longer term integrated maintenance,
engineering and production plan. |
Vital Resources prepared and facilitated
performance workshops, recorded and collated all data and
then worked with the offshore and onshore personnel in order
to implement the proposals.
Vital Resources
role has proved invaluable, since as an ‘objective’
third party we have been able to bridge the gap between management
and worker and have developed excellent communications
at
all levels.
Vital Resources consultants spent much time
offshore, driving, devising plans and advising and helping
the teams to implement their plans.
The ’two on two’
off rotational schedule meant that communications between
some of the teams was very distant and Vital Resources
were able to bridge this gap very effectively. If we had not
employed this method, it would have been likely
that the whole
concept might have’ foundered’, this approach,
with their involvement has been vital.
Present
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Multiskilled team members willing to bridge
the gap between maintenance and operations and increase
the responsibility levels of the teams. |
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The teams are now solution developers and
implementers in areas where previously
only senior managers
would have handed
down solutions. |
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Increased integration between production
and maintenance personnel resulting in improved communication,
plant ownership and
work efficiency. |
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Increased focus on plant performance and
platform key performance indicators. |
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Increased workforce flexibility |
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Increased safety performance |
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Deck crew supporting core teams |
This approach to performance improvement has been very successful.
It could be used as a model for similar improvements in operating
practices across many organisations.
Vital Resources have driven the process throughout.
We now have a ‘process manual’ based upon the
experience on this project which could be used as a tool to
replicate similar changes where there is a need to improve
performance.
To hear the full story of what has been a 2 year ongoing
project click
here to contact us.
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