48 HoursNo Rest for the Weary!
By: Bruce A. Stanfill, Aquila Analytics, LLC.
Two days.
that’s the time limit to
get the equipment ready to go on a
new client’s site. The same client
will close out bids on four more jobs
in a week. Success brings more
opportunity. Failure? Well, that’s not
an option.
When there’s a crucial deadline, who
do you count on to get the job done?
If you are like most mid-sized or
family-owned businesses, it is
probably your right-hand man, the
one you’ve brought up in the
business. Or possibly, it’s yourself
because you can’t trust anyone else.
When there’s a looming deadline,
what keeps you up at night? Is it the
on-going day-in/day-out things that
you know will happen every day? Or
is it the “What if?” that might happen
tomorrow and ruin your whole week?
In all likelihood, the unpredictable
has the biggest impact on your sleep,
your schedule, and your pocketbook.
Of course, there is no real crystal ball
to predict the future; but there are
some resources available to help
companies, some in the Oil and Gas
someone who says “Go get
industry included, are actually a se-
‘em, boys!” but rather
ries of “projects”. “A project is a
“Come on! Follow me.”
temporary endeavor undertaken to
create a unique product, service, or
2.
Skills: Able to evaluate fi-
result. The temporary nature of
nancial costs and benefits,
projects indicates that a project has a
and to adapt to changing
definite beginning and end.” Many
environments by making
types of oilfield operations are
good risk-reward decisions.
projects; even though those projects
Able to plan and execute a
may be repeated countless times with
tight schedule in spite of
minimal changes, they are projects
conflicts. Able to commu-
nonetheless. Therefore, the expertise
nicate the facts and risks,
of a good project manager can be
without causing panic or
beneficial to the on-going success of
down-playing impending
the company.
doom.
A recent survey of world-wide CEOs
found that three key skillsets are
Project Management
3.
Business/Industry Exper-
needed for successful project
tise: Not only able to speak
implementations: project
the oil and gas lingo and
management skills, business
know who’s who, but also
management skills, and leadership
able to learn quickly as
skills. Entrepreneurial oil and gas
emerging technology be-
operators wanting to improve service
comes available. Able to
delivery and profitability should seek
adapt their life experiences
out employees or other resources
to the situation of the “cri-
with the following talents:
sis-du-jour” and make
oilfield operators improve the
consistency in their operations and
ultimately, their profitability.
The Project approach to
Operations
Nearly all businesses focus on “operations” and have Operations Managers. However the products of many
1.
Leadership: Able to influ-
sound decisions. Able to
ence not only the people
know when that crazy idea
working for them, but
just might work, perhaps
peers and customers as
even better than knowing
well. Able to gain consen-
when that supplier is blow-
sus and encourage collabo-
ing smoke.
ration to achieve a common
goal. Not just a butt-kicker, but an enabler. Not
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