Technological Review of Oil Industry Software Systems

As an executive, you may question whether your company’s suite of software applications is continuing to efficiently support current operations and align with your strategic objectives. Since software systems are purchased on a periodic basis and organizations evolve daily, it makes sense that this question will occasionally arise. E.A.G. Services works with executives to evaluate the systems that are in place and assess whether or not the systems individually and as an integrated whole, are providing the value that you expect.

Examples of questions that can be addressed during a software assessment include:

• Do the systems I own support our current operations in an efficient manner?
  We often find that software will meet your basic business requirements, but the manpower required to generate key reports and analyze data is higher than necessary due to inefficient business processes, poor integration or antiquated applications. Once we understand the underlying problem, we provide recommendations on ways to improve your processes and/or systems in a cost-effective manner.
• We have purchased best of breed systems, but they do not “talk” to one another. Is it possible to improve the integration across systems?
  There is value to owning both “best of breed” systems and integrated systems. With “best of breed” systems, it is typically necessary to develop interfaces and processes with single points of entry. Integrated systems often lack the comprehensive functionality found in specialized applications. We assess which of your existing systems provide the best benefits for your organization and then work with you to determine how those systems can be integrated or whether integrated modules should be purchased to replace systems that cannot be easily integrated.
• Can we eliminate redundant data entry by integrating disparate systems?
  Companies frequently purchase software to solve problems quickly. Unfortunately, fast purchases rarely take into account strategic IT objectives or manpower costs from duplicate entry. There comes a point when reviewing your systems and how they interact with one another can result in both operational and reporting improvement recommendations.
• Our investors/lenders/key executives are asking that we upgrade our systems in order to improve our audit and reporting capabilities or add new functionality. Is this truly necessary?
  There are ways to improve existing systems to meet reporting and auditing requirements. In general, it is important to calculate switching costs against the expense of enhancing or re-configuring your existing system or making no change at all.
• Should we upgrade to the latest version of our existing software or switch to an entirely new package?
  Often, software vendors claim that upgrading to a Windows or GUI version of their software is free. Sometimes that is the case, but before moving forward, it is best to verify that there are no conversion costs or customization costs associated with the upgrade. A detailed cost assessment can help you determine which option is the best value for your company.

The reasons behind conducting software system assessments vary greatly across companies. As a result, our recommendations vary. E.A.G. Services is not partnered with any software companies. We base our recommendations entirely on our client’s business requirements, strategic objectives and budget. If you want to learn more about software application assessments or just have a question about your suite of packages, please feel free to contact us. We are here to assist you and provide you with the information that you need to make the best software application decisions possible.