Asset Digitalization, Change, and Psychological Adaptation: A Study of Human Response Patterns under Integrated Operations

Abstract

The oil and gas industry is globally and geographically dispersed, some operations are in remote, politically, and economically unstable locations. Therefore, it is critical that companies maintain their production in a stable manner, with sustainable operational costs. Conventionally, people involved in the oil and gas industry work in discipline silos, old-fashioned data management systems, and inconsistent communication. A successful company operating in the oilfield needs efficient and consistent communication among all the disciplines involved in the operation, even in remote locations. This research presents Baker Hughes as an oilfield services company which is now entering the market as an energy technology company. Baker Hughes has championed developing and deploying technologies better and more effectively to deliver the next generation of oilfield services, IO3. This model moves a significant number of personnel from offshore roles to the remote operation center (ROC) for better utilization and synergies of the workforce expertise, reduced HSE risk exposure for personnel, improved efficiency, quality, and reduced cost per well. This research presents that reducing the number of offshore personnel through the implementation of Integrated Operations (IO3) cannot be trouble-free either for management or personnel. The main organizational challenge is preparing the personnel psychologically for the major changes that occur before, during, and after the implementation of IO3. Although significant progress has been made to discuss the role of humans in the major changes in the organizations, little research has yet to be published which examines the diversity of psychological responses over time in the Integrated Operations process. The study introduces the Affective Event Theory (AET) as a psychological model to evaluate positive and negative inducing psychological responses among employees involved in the change. Moreover, the research presents a goal-oriented change management model, named the ADKAR model, to assess the success level of the ongoing change management model and therefore to propose a mind map based on the five tangible factors; Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement in ADKAR model.