Improving Governance of Integrated Reservoir and Information Management Leveraging Business Process Management and Workflow Automation

Abstract

Abstract This paper illustrates strategies, methods, and techniques that have been successfully utilized to model and deploy collaborative solutions to help teams and individuals within and across companies execute business processes efficiently and consistently, whilst ensuring adherence to norms, standards and agreed guidelines for the benefits of shareholders and contractual parties. Cases are presented related to Integrated Reservoir Management, E&P Technical Information Management, and Surface Rights Management for O&G operations. Whilst some contextual aspects of information technology are mentioned in this paper, the focus rather lies in the aspects of value delivery through process governance, workflow automation efficiencies, process improvement, and reduction of time to learn how things must be done on a day to day basis by newcomers. Business process management (BPM) is a technique that brings efficiency and effectiveness to the execution of processes. Rather than replacing big systems, companies are looking at technologies that facilitate implementing operating processes on a workflow orchestration platform that establishes a controlled environment to execute defined activities efficiently. The convergence of business process modeling, business rules engines, process performance monitoring and human workflows has led to adoption of integrated systems leveraging BPM platform solutions. Wide market availability of BPM platform solutions makes possible chosing from diverse types of architecture, functionality, usability and integration capabilities to meet the information management requirements of an operating company. However, adherence to Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) and to data and integration standards, is critical to balance governance of processes with agility and flexibility to adapt workflows, especially in companies that require to scale-up workflows initially created for the needs of one functional or organizational area across and into others. Using standards is critical in cases where collaborative workflows require integration and interaction with data, calculations, and transactions performed in existing back office and/or Petrotechnical systems. Successful BPM implementations are those that become adopted by business users and create incremental value. This requires a systematic approach to process improvement opportunity identification, creating realistic business cases, defining and tracking process performance metrics, communicating value and strategic alignment lead by management, and effective management of change.