Written By: Lee Clarke, OneView Director, RLDatix
The business case for investing in new technology is much more than simply looking for new capabilities on the promise of greater efficiency and lower costs. Lee Clarke of RLDatix advocates looking at the bigger picture and explains why it pays to implement automated Workforce Management (WFM) solutions to increase safety, optimise assets and maximise competitiveness.
After years of oil price volatility, offshore organisations might be forgiven for using technology to drive efficiencies and achieve their cost-saving ambitions. When Ernst & Young surveyed 100 global oil and gas executives a few years ago, they discovered that 89% expected to step up their investment in digital over the next two years with 42% citing efficiency as the main driver. The multinational professional services firm then urged executives to ‘think holistically about technology’ in a bid to ‘unlock ambitious growth opportunities and emerge as industry leaders.’[i]
It’s an interesting thought that reflects RLDatix’s own experience of serving customers in the offshore industry with solutions that underpin their complex workforce management (WFM) challenges. What is more, increased safety regulation and recent trends such as widespread mergers and acquisitions activity, and the advent of autonomous or smart technologies are having a dramatic impact on how organisations, people and resources are managed, motivated and maximised.
The proven effectiveness of automated WFM as a highly efficient ‘right staff, right place, right time’ mechanism has encouraged offshore organisations to explore other ways the technology can be utilized to support the wider business. Creativity combined with constant innovation have transformed traditional WFM solutions into a valuable strategic planning tool that supports longer-term growth, change management and business continuity programs.
One constant solution in a sea of change
As the offshore industry accelerates its investment in digital technologies, let’s take a closer look at why it pays to implement an automated WFM solution:
- Competitiveness – starts with successful project bids and they depend on the organisation’s ability to predict accurately the total costs of a project to customers while fully utilising their own assets profitably. The latest WFM solutions bring together all information in one place – staff and equipment assignment and deployment, staff qualifications and competencies, travel plans and documentation, regulatory compliance and timeline management – to provide real-time visibility of people and resources. What is more, they can also model for future requirements quickly and efficiently. This makes accurately predicting the specific costs associated with each new business tender far easier than ever before.
- Protect your human capital – skills shortages are notorious across the industry. Once you have the best talent, nurture them. Use automated WFM to build trust by creating flexible schedules that play to crew strengths, personal preferences and holidays. Through self-service, empower staff with easy access to up-to-date schedules and the option to request shift swaps or book time off. Finally, motivate them. Use WFM to build a living, virtual library of complete crew asset information and introduce meaningful training and personal development programs. Managers and clients get the skills they need while crew get the careers they want.
- Mergers & acquisitions – combining two organisations is never easy. Gain back control using the unifying force of WFM technology. Automation removes duplicated effort and reduces the administration burden of merging two disparate organisations. It streamlines processes to encourage consistent ways of working and promote collaboration. What is more, a cloud-based infrastructure gives increased protection against data security threats as organisations move data and merge their respective IT infrastructures.
- Compliance and risk management – alongside people, offshore organisations need to show that the vessels and equipment they are providing are safe to use and that their people are protected at all times to minimise the risk of industrial accidents, significant financial penalties and long-term damage to corporate reputations. The ability of an automated WFM solution to provide a joined-up approach to availability, competency and compliance management gives offshore organisations a framework they can trust to protect their overall business.
It pays to implement automated WFM systems in more ways than one. Expand your horizons, look beyond cost and create positive change by making the most of strategic workforce management technology for efficiency and maximum competitiveness. There are no limits. For more information, visit https://www.allocatesoftware.com/workforce-planning-software/
To find out more about our WFM solution, Oneview, visit our website. Or to book a free demo, visit here: https://www.allocatesoftware.com/request-a-demo/
