Advanced Collaborative Environments Stay the Course, Transform the Business
Authors: Moore-Cernoch Kerry 
Published: February 2011

Abstract

Description of the material
Advanced Collaborative Environment (ACE) drives improvements to BP’s business performance by strengthening teamwork, encouraging mentoring and personal development, and enabling rapid response to dynamic situations, all supported by collaborative technology.

Application
ACE is a unique and proven holistic approach to delivering integrated operations in E&P, both in Drilling and Production Operations. ACE is a comprehensive, focused framework which intertwines local, global, and external methods and learnings, and over 35 assets have benefited. The ACE methodology continues accumulating and transferring the value delivered since 2003, and consistently stresses balanced emphasis on addressing People, Process, Technology, Organization and Physical Environment to accelerate the local adoption of collaboration in the field and office. This paper will provide some perspectives on the importance and learnings of each of these five elements.
Both Drilling and Production Operations face non-technical challenges in their daily business: access to knowledge in locations remote from centers of expertise, the cost of travel, the drive to employ more national staff, the need to remove people from harms way, and to share knowledge amongst team members in building a sense of common purpose. How do we address these “softer” challenges, and ensure solutions are enduring?

Results, Observations, and Conclusions
Those assets which have embraced the holistic ACE solution have seen positive changes in culture and team interactions. Collaborative, synchronized working enables assets to plan better and react efficiently, and supports faster delivery of major initiatives. ACE enables a “one team” approach that significantly improves the decision making process and optimization of field operations. Assets’ integrated operations, including E&P Technology’s global support center, have been accelerated and assured by the comprehensive ACE method, including it’s business awareness, ability to conform to local needs, and central position in E&P.
As ACE becomes an embedded part of BP’s Drilling and Production Operations, increasing numbers of anecdotes and benefits are attributable to this methodology. This paper will conclude with a summary of some of the key business benefits attained from the application of ACEs within BP’s Drilling and Production Operations.

Significance of Subject Matter
In the next decade the oil and gas industry may shed as much as three-quarters of its intellectual capital as experienced technologists and explorationists retire. In the 21st century, as we reach deeper and further to secure the world’s energy supply the leaders in global E&P will be those companies which can make the best use of scarce experienced human resource and can build expertise in areas where the workforce are well qualified but inexperienced. Collaboration and communication are the linchpins of this connected organization.
Advances in technology have created an opportunity to address the future challenges of our businesses. The application of technology will allow BP to leverage data, knowledge, and expertise dispersed throughout the organization, to increase collaboration and ultimately, the efficiency and effectiveness of decision making. This, in turn, will deliver significant benefits in improved operational performance.
Advanced Collaborative Environments will bring the right information, to the right people, at the right time, creating real time and multidiscipline decision environments supporting Drilling and Production Operations. ACE’s are more than just technology; they are about building our collaborative capability, allowing people to work collaboratively, regardless of distance, making better decisions, faster, thereby enabling enhanced productivity and delivering operational performance improvements.