Self-Help and Leveraging Scale by Means of the Wells' Advanced Collaborative Environment's Global Community of Practice

Abstract

Summary The Advanced Collaborative Environment Community of Practice (CoP) was formed in March 2009 at the request of BP senior management to share good practice and promote standardization in the area of wells. Its mandate was one of self-help and leveraging scale but working through influence and consensus, with management support rather than by direct authority. The CoP was also required to adhere to company information technology (IT) standards and technology strategy. At the time of the CoP's formation, collaborative environments had been commissioned in various company locations worldwide, including Aberdeen; Baku, Azerbaijan; Houston; Stavanger; and Tangguh, Indonesia. In the absence of standardized requirements for Wells’ collaborative environments and with an emphasis on innovation, each of these centers had been developed independently, strongly influenced by local ideas, needs, and resources. However, it was evident that connectivity between the different locations and with other disciplines was lacking, and that effort was duplicated. The CoP currently has more than 30 members, including Wells, subsurface, IT, and well technology from 12 locations worldwide. It meets virtually, involving the widest possible membership in different time zones. It has been instrumental in progressing and communicating standards, supporting the introduction and use of common tools and technology, leveraging members’ knowledge and expertise, and helping startups in new areas. Overall, the CoP has been a great success. The paper describes the CoP's evolution, from its formation to the present, and critically examines its achievements, shortfalls, and future goals. In a rapidly changing technical environment, achieving and maintaining alignment between the diverse stakeholders in a medium to large organization can be challenging. The CoP has earned its credibility and has proved to be an effective means of sharing experience and making good use of scarce resources, both keys for adoption at scale.