By James Lawnin, Mark Allen, and S. Kent Gryskiewicz
WIPRO TECHNOLOGIES
Effective Execution in a Global Enterprise
Unleashing the Full Potential of Technology Initiatives
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Over the last ten years, an unprecedented array of technologies has become available to oil and
gas enterprises. There has been, and continues to be, a steady flow of technological innovations
that impact both upstream and downstream sectors. But in many cases the benefits of new
initiatives have not met expectations. Corporations often do not realize the promised return on
investment that led them to fund and resource key initiatives.
In our work with oil and gas companies over a number of years, we have seen the same
challenges arise over and over again, company after company. Ideas go through a disciplined
project creation methodology, receive approval and funding, and move to a well-executed design
phase and on to roll out— only to founder or die before full implementation is realized. The loss
of money, productivity, and business benefit that this causes are immeasurable.
Why is this a universal pattern when it comes to deploying global technology initiatives? We have
identified seven common “sticking points” that slow down or kill initiatives along with the leading
practices that will “unstick” them.
This white paper, the first in a series of leading practice white papers, addresses the problems that
are commonly encountered in global technology deployments and the solutions that will solve them.
Sticking Point Leading Practice
Too many initiatives in play
No business participation in project governance
Communication to the business falls short.
Business case preparation is limited.
Lack of a strong sales approach.
Business units are expected to fund implementation without a clear understanding of solution benefits.
Lack of project coordination leading to initiative burn out in the business
Include organizational capacity for new initiative adoption in selection criteria.
Select and commit to a well-balanced governance structure within the business unit as a prerequisite to project start.
Report both project progress and impact to the business in a meaningful way.
Create business cases tailored to specific audiences and stakeholders.
Formulate a sales approach for deployment.
Fund project design and proof of concept at corporate/group level and implementation at business unit level.
Create master plans to improve coordination and minimize overload.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ......................................................................................................................4
Sticking Points ...................................................................................................................5
Sticking Point 1: Too Many Initiatives in Play .....................................................................................5
Sticking Point 2: No Business Participation in Project Governance .............................................................6
Sticking Point 3: Communication to the Business Falls Short ....................................................................6
Sticking Point 4: Business Case Preparation Is Limited ..........................................................................6
Sticking Point 5: Lack of a Strong Sales Approach ................................................................................7
Sticking Point 6: Business units are expected to fund implementation without a clear understanding of
solution benefits....................................................................................................................7
Sticking Point 7: Lack of Project Coordination Leading to Initiative Burnout in the Business ................................7
Leading Practices for Effective Execution ..........................................................................8
Leading Practice 1: Include organizational capacity for new initiative adoption in selection criteria .......................8
Leading Practice 2: Select and commit to a well-balanced steering team as a prerequisite to project start ...............8
Leading Practice 3: Report both project progress and impact to the business in a meaningful way ........................9
Leading Practice 4: Create business cases tailored to specific audiences and stakeholders. ................................9
Leading Practice 5: Formulate a sales approach for deployment. .............................................................9
Leading Practice 6: Fund project assessment/design at the corporate level and implementation at the
business unit level. ...............................................................................................................10
Leading Practice 7: Create an overall master plan to improve project coordination and minimize overload. .............10
Unleashing Big Potential....................................................................................................11
Creating an Effective Deployment Model: A Client Experience.........................................12
About the Authors.............................................................................................................13
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Introduction“May you live in interesting times.”
This ancient Chinese saying, meant as a curse wishing the recipient much challenge and upheaval, can be used to
characterize the first decade of the twenty-first century, which has overflowed with interesting times for the oil and
gas industry. Upheaval in the global economy and a range of sociopolitical events has spawned unprecedented
business challenges.
Turning these challenges into opportunities, an impressive array of technologies has become available to oil and gas
enterprises over the past ten years. There has been, and continues to be, a steady flow of technological innovations
that impact both upstream and downstream sectors. Smart technology, process control, ERP systems, procurement
portals, digital oilfield, and intelligent refinery are examples of technological advancements with big potential for
finding and refining more oil, cutting operational costs, and improving safety performance.
These technologies provide tangible benefits to business when implemented; however, the dissemination of these
technologies across an enterprise continues to be a stumbling block for most corporations. As a result, corporations
often do not realize the promised return on investment that led them to fund and resource key initiatives. It is not
unusual for global initiatives, each with a compelling business case and well-executed design, to founder, balloon in
cost, or get cancelled before full implementation is realized.
The inability to fully unleash the potential of technology initiatives has a number of root causes. These programs are
complex, spanning multiple business units and many countries around the world. Their success depends on both
operational and human factors, and failure to fully execute each step of the implementation process can create one
or more “sticking points” that serve as obstacles to success.
WIPRO TECHNOLOGIES
Unleashing the Full Potential of Technology InitiativesEffective Execution in a Global Enterprise
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Unleashing the Full Potential of Technology InitiativesEffective Execution in a Global Enterprise
Sticking PointsYear on year, business units must find ways to decrease costs and increase productivity in operational areas, while
corporate departments must do the same across the enterprise. Management commitment is high, impressive
expertise and knowledge is applied to the challenge, and innovations abound. But in spite of the focus, funding, and
attention put into deployment of difference-making technologies across an enterprise, a very small percentage of
launched projects actually reach the finish line and become part of operational processes.
In our work with a number of companies to increase the execution effectiveness of global technology initiatives, we
have identified universal “sticking points” that appear over and over again, no matter the nature of the initiative or
where the sponsoring entity sits in the organization. These sticking points impede project progress, project
completion, and achievement of the benefits upon which the funding decision was based.
Sticking Point 1: Too Many Initiatives in Play
Large scale deployment of an initiative requires good alignment of people, process, and technology and very often
requires that changes be made in all three areas. Various obstacles can significantly impede progress and end up
bogging down an initiative. Resources originally allocated to an initiative may be rerouted, unforeseen challenges
may arise that require additional time, and peoples' natural and almost reflexive resistance to change may play a
part in slowing things down. There are aspects of organizational culture that also contribute to the slowdown of
projects during implementation. These are some examples of what can cause initiatives to slow down significantly
once they enter the implementation phase.
Regardless of the origin of the slowdown, one thing is certain: It has very little impact on the selection of new
initiatives for deployment. Corporate decision making criteria often does not account for the possible impact on the
receiving organization's bandwidth and what it can accept and effectively execute when it comes to issuing a new
initiative. With each budget cycle, funding gets approved for additional projects meant to address operational
challenges and help improve business performance. And with funding, those projects move into implementation and
out into the businesses to join the other projects already in implementation. The result: Too many initiatives in play
requiring significant resources and business commitment to be deployed effectively and efficiently.
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Unleashing the Full Potential of Technology InitiativesEffective Execution in a Global Enterprise
Sticking Point 2: No Business Participation in Project Governance
Generally speaking, internal project governance is effective and efficient over a project lifecycle. There are many best
practices and corporate standards for governance models, internal communication requirements, and performance
management. The sticking point in project governance is the absence of structured engagement and support from
multiple levels in the impacted business.
Typically, a project sponsor in the business receives periodic updates from project team, which assumes that he or
she will also provide governance and remove roadblocks that impact the project's success. However, if a project
sponsor is selected at a high level in the organization (which is common) and does not have additional governance
support from other levels of the organization, the role of the sponsor becomes that of information recipient rather
than active participant. Where this happens, the implementation team engages the business and meets significant,
and very valid, resistance. Resistance takes forms such as unwillingness to provide resources, disagreement with the
objective or need for the solution, or difference of opinion about the initiative priority. This is the result of a lack in
effective governance across the business to set priorities, override resistance, and actively support the project team
in implementation.
Sticking Point 3: Communication to the Business Falls Short
Project teams are generally good at keeping the business updated on project status in terms of timeline, activities,
and budget. But they don't do a good job of communicating about projects in a way that resonates with the focus of
the business. Each business has its own set of goals and priorities, and its own definition of what things look like
when they are working. Communication from the project team does not do a good job of tying the initiative to these
goals and priorities. In addition, there is not usually communication into the business about how the various in-flight
initiatives relate to each other. Without these linkages made clear, the only thing the business sees can are multiple
initiatives all asking for the same information and resources. With communication to the project team to the
business falling short, interest and support for the initiative can falter and fade.
Sticking Point 4: Business Case Preparation Is Limited
Project teams typically pursue one of two for business case preparation:
• They will create a single business case and apply it across the enterprise for project approval, regardless of
the variations in business unit geography, culture, recovery mechanisms; or
• They will focus a business case on a single audience (e.g., to top level business decision makers) and neglect
the development of additional business cases for other audiences (e.g., the end users).
Either tactic is insufficient.
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Sticking Point 5: Lack of a Strong Sales Approach
While deployment of an initiative may be well planned from a project management perspective, there is rarely a
step that focuses on ensuring that intended beneficiaries of the initiative (e.g., the business unit management,
operations staff) have bought in to its business value. In other words, the project team doesn't sell the initiative into
the business. Without a strong sales approach, local leadership may resist any initiatives coming from outside
(especially corporate initiatives) and users may resist changes in work processes.
The importance of selling an initiative to all key audiences in a business is consistently underestimated by project
teams. Everything else could be well executed, and a project could fail solely because the need to sell (and continue
to sell throughout deployment) was trivialized or rejected.
Sticking Point 6: Business units are expected to fund implementation without a clear understanding of solution benefits.
Requiring a business unit to shoulder all the expenses of a new technology deployment can create a big sticking
point. The project could be perceived as being foisted upon business unit management with no proof of concept,
which raises resistance and creates friction between the business and the project team. In this situation, the project
is not likely to make meaningful progress or stay on track the implementation plan.
At the other end of the topic, 100 percent corporate funding is not likely to ensure a project's success. With no
investment from their own budget into the initiative, business unit management likely won't have the motivation
and commitment that would be present if they were fiscally accountable for a portion of the deployment.
Sticking Point 7: Lack of Project Coordination Leading to Initiative Burnout in the Business
This sticking point circles back to two prior points: the tendency to fund development of new ideas year on year
rather than focusing on in-flight projects and lack of communication outside of the project team.
Lack of coordination occurs due to initiatives being launched by different corporate groups and also within business
units. It is not unusual for projects to come into being in far flung parts of the enterprise with little or no cross-
communication with other projects.
Regardless of the reason, the impact on the organization is the use of the same key talent by different groups. One
engineer may receive visits from three or four project teams asking for assistance in the space of a month. Over
time, this kind of activity can lead to “initiative burnout,” and business units end up refusing or limiting staff
participation in the development of new ideas.
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Unleashing the Full Potential of Technology InitiativesEffective Execution in a Global Enterprise
Leading Practices for Effective ExecutionIn the course of our work with clients in global enterprises, we have identified leading practices that will avoid or
“unstick” project obstacles. Further, these practices help corporate and business units unleash the huge unrealized
potential of the initiatives that are put into play.
Leading Practice 1: Include organizational capacity for new initiative adoption in selection criteria.
As we noted above, new initiatives in a business unit are often added to projects that are already in flight. However,
the unleashed potential of an in-flight project is huge, much bigger than any new initiative. Avoid spreading business
resources too thin by trying to deal with fifteen initiatives. Better to fine tune focus on the projects that offer the
most value and stop activities on those with less value. Six well-implemented initiatives will produce much greater
value to the business than fifteen that can't get completed.
In the longer term, a change in organizational culture can improve deployment effectiveness. In “hero” cultures,
there are more rewards for managing 15 projects (even if not done well) than for executing six (even if done well).
Alternatively, the culture may confer more rewards on originators of new projects than on the people who complete
them. Taking steps to shift the culture to support the execution of fewer ideas all the way to completion will pay off
big over time.
One way to do this is by including organizational capacity for new initiative adoption in selection criteria for
technology deployment across an enterprise.
Leading Practice 2: Select and commit to a well-balanced governance structure within the business unit as a prerequisite to project start.
The active participation by business decision makers in any project governance is a must. Members of the business
must be involved in the deployment process, making decisions about timing and resources, articulating business unit
requirements, and actively helping the project team succeed. This can be formalized through creation of a
governance structure that includes business staff as well as project team members. An active steering committee
with strong project governance, makes project decisions that align with business priorities, frees up needed
resources, and adjusts the project timeline.
Prior to any engagement, the selection of a well-balanced steering committee and the articulation of clear roles,
responsibilities, and time commitments must take place. If these prerequisites are not achieved, or the organization
does not commit, the project should be put on hold.
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Unleashing the Full Potential of Technology InitiativesEffective Execution in a Global Enterprise
Leading Practice 3: Report both project progress and impact to the business in a meaningful way.
A communication methodology that addresses business interests is key to maintaining initiative momentum. In
addition to keeping the business informed about project progress, communicate the value that is being produced in
the process. Quantifying results that the business cares about (e.g., “we have saved the business $X million to date,”
or “we have helped cut 2 days from this activity”) will help management understand how the project is impacting
operations.
Leading Practice 4: Create business cases tailored to specific audiences and stakeholders.
Each business is different from the next, even if operations are similar. As a result, business cases must be tailored
and made fit-for-purpose based on unique objectives and context of the specific business units, and to various
stakeholders within each business unit.
The objectives of a business unit must be considered in preparation of a business case and emphasis must be
tailored for the various audiences. Typical business cases must demonstrate the impact of the technology on: 1)
capacity, 2) capability, 3) operation cost, and 4) production. Taking the time to thoroughly understand the culture,
processes, and issues of the business unit it is selling its solution to, and then creating a business case for that
particular group, will remove many barriers, and is the first step in measuring the post-implementation impact of the
initiative.
Leading Practice 5: Formulate a sales approach for deployment.
If an initiative is valuable enough to roll out globally, it is worth the effort and resources to sell it effectively. As with
any sales effort, clear articulation of pertinent and compelling benefits is needed. This requires a good
understanding of the “buyer” as well as excellent communication and influence skills. Selling the solution to the
business includes tactics like:
• Starting with “easy wins,” implementing the solution in business units or work groups who are already
bought in and who will share the value of the solution with peers.
• Cultivating business influencers and facilitating their advocacy of the solution.
• Communicating successes on a regular basis through multiple avenues.
• Measuring and reporting business benefits.
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Leading Practice 6: Fund project design and proof of concept at corporate/group level and implementation at business unit level.
To make sure that initiatives meet the needs of the broadest group of stakeholders with a common solution, the
early phases of an initiative need to be funded centrally. Idea appraisal and solution design should be done in
collaboration with broad representation from the appropriate business units. This allows the cost to be spread
broadly and encourages synergies that would not be available if funding was business-unit based.
• Validate the business benefits.
• Develop specific business cases that will sell the solution to management and operational - staff .
• Execution of a proof of concept in each separate business.
Project design needs to include funds to:
Funding for implementation needs to come from the business unit. This gives the business unit a stake in the
project's success, helps hold it accountable, and motivates buy in for longer term success.
Leading Practice 7: Create overall master plans to improve project coordination and minimize overload.
A master plan is a timeline-based document that aggregates major initiatives, including project stages, estimates,
and resource requirements. It includes all major initiatives and develops a detailed overarching plan showing inter-
project dependencies, project milestones, and staging processes. A master plan allows multiple initiatives to be
transparent to each other, so that one project team knows what other project teams are doing. As a high level
summary of all project plans, a master plan will also mitigate initiative overload because teams are less likely to
repeatedly tap the same talent. Each business unit should also develop a master plan to coordinate business unit
activities with corporate initiatives. These plans can ensure effective coordination and align expectations with
management, project teams, and business unit staff.
Unleashing Big PotentialThe seven sticking points presented in this paper are the most common obstacles we have encountered when
helping clients deploy global technology initiatives. We identified the corresponding leading practices over time and
by way of multiple engagements and we are confident that they will allow enterprises to unleash the big potential of
their own technology initiatives.
It is important to keep in mind that correcting the deployment process will be a project itself. It will need to be
planned and managed accordingly—using the leading practices we have discussed. Communication, change
management, sales, and business unit governance, for example, will be elements of the correction project.
When a company has pinpointed the sticking points that are impeding its project deployment process, we
recommend prioritizing and concentrating on unsticking one at a time. For example, if a company determines that
ineffective deployment of in-flight projects, lack of a strong sales approach, and lack of coordination leading to
initiative overload are adversely impacting project success, it would be best to correct the most significant sticking
point first, then move on to the second, and then the third. They may require several months to several years,
depending on the severity and how much of the company the sticking point is affecting.
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Creating an Effective Deployment Model: A Client ExperienceA global oil giant elected to develop proprietary software for a strategic upstream program. Each application would
require global deployment; however, at the time the first application was ready, the enterprise did not have a
standard deployment process in place. As a result, the implementation of the solution across the company’s many
business units was extremely challenging. For example:
Though the application implementation was completed, it required more time, resources, and problem solving than
initially expected. The initiative was an important strategic undertaking for the company, and it was extremely
important that its applications be effectively deployed across the enterprise, no matter the location, the business, or
the asset. Based on this less-than-effective initial experience, the company launched an effort to ensure that future
deployments would take place at the required efficiency level.
We participated with the project team in this effort and helped the client model their deployment process to a
commercial software vendor model. In other words, we assisted in creating the types of processes and tools that
third party vendors utilize to sell, implement, and support their applications. Today, four years after that first difficult
deployment, the company has a clear approach to its global application implementations. The approach addresses
business requirements, technical requirements, deployment scale, timing, and tasks, and post-deployment support.
Standard templates have been created and stored in a central repository. Because each business unit has unique
characteristics, project teams tailor these templates as needed for specific deployments.
The creation of a multi-faceted, business-focused process will support significant performance improvement in
deployments as the company’s program becomes firmly established.
• Business managers did not buy in to the solution as the team has assumed they would.
• Documents pertaining to the application were sitting in multiple repositories with no version control.
• The deployment project did not have established processes, templates, or documentation to support the team’s activities.
• No post-deployment plans had been created (e.g., how the application would be supported from a business perspective, or how to ensure that benefits realization is documented)
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James Lawnin
About the Authors
Mr. Lawnin is Vice President and leader of Wipro’s Global Energy Consulting Practice. He has over 25 years oil and
gas experience: 15 years as an energy consultant for several large management consulting firms and 10 years
experience as a petroleum engineer, Before joining Wipro, Mr. Lawnin led the oil and gas industry practice for SAIC,
a large consulting and outsourcing firm. He also led their global consulting and systems integration practice. He
holds certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Black Belt 6 Sigma, and has held certifications
as a licensed CPA, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and licensed Professional
Engineer (PE). He is a frequent lecturer on solving complex oil and gas industry issues through innovative solutions.
S. Kent Gryskiewicz
Mr. Gryskiewicz is a Senior Manager with Wipro’s Energy & Utilities Global Consulting Practice. Mr. Gryskiewicz is
accountable for global strategy, delivery, management, and growth of the Digital Oilfield Solutions program for a
Super Major. Mr. Gryskiewicz has over four years of major technology deployment in the Energy space. Prior to
working in the energy sector Mr. Gryskiewicz played a similar role for US Government agencies. Experienced in
national and international political, defense, and energy sectors, Mr. Gryskiewicz has cross-cultural business fluency
in the Middle East, Europe, South East Asia, and Americas. Mr. Gryskiewicz is fluent in English, Turkish, and
conversational French.
Mark Allen
Mr. Allen is a Partner in Wipro’s Global Energy Consulting Practice. He has over 20 years of experience in the oil and
gas industry, working for one of the industry’s Super Majors for six years, then 14 years with two global management
consulting firms. Prior to joining Wipro, Mr. Allen was the upstream industry lead for SAIC’s oil and gas practice. Mr.
Allen’s focus is in the upstream oil and gas, and midstream natural gas and liquids energy segments. He has a long
history of helping oil and gas clients with process improvements, cost management, system implementations and
strategy execution.
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Wipro is the first PCMM Level 5 and SEI CMMi Level 5 certified IT Services Company globally. Wipro provides comprehensive IT solutions and services (including systems integration, IS outsourcing, package implementation, software application development and maintenance) and Research & Development services (hardware and software design, development and implementation) to corporations globally.
Wipro's unique value proposition is further delivered through our pioneering Offshore Outsourcing Model and stringent Quality Processes of SEI and Six Sigma.
ABOUT WIPRO TECHNOLOGIES
Wipro Global Energy Consulting offers solutions across the entire oil and gas value chain. Practice consultants apply field-tested and deep knowledge of the industry to a wide range of projects, programs, and services that improve performance, ensure safety, and offer cost benefits. They also draw from Wipro’s entire enterprise to bring innovative and leading edge technologies from other industries for effective application in upstream and downstream operations. Our strong strategic partnerships with key technology providers to the oil and gas industry allow client to take full advantage of comprehensive solutions that include both the tools and the means to implement them into business unit workflows.
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