Hazardous industry leaders believe digital transformation is key to operational excellence - but reveal some organizations are behind the curve

Sphera's survey reveals digital transformation is fueling operational excellence (OE), but many companies are still trying to figure out what digital means for them

CHICAGO, Feb. 26, 2019 /CNW/ -- Sphera has released the annual Operational Excellence Index (OEI) survey report today, which highlights trends in digital transformation and OE strategies across the hazardous industries.

Previously conducted by Petrotechnics, now a Sphera company, the index is in its third year of surveying oil and gas, chemical, energy and industry manufacturing professionals to gauge attitudes around OE and the measures taken towards its adoption. Year after year respondents agree, OE programs help reduce risk, cut costs, and improve productivity. The 2018/2019 survey reveals senior leaders are relying on technologies to support their OE initiatives and identifies where they are coming up short and what they could do to improve.

Ninety percent of respondents agree digital transformation will accelerate their ability to achieve OE – not just as a one-off target but as an ongoing business objective. This is a significant increase from last year's report where 73% of leaders agreed that going digital was key to achieving OE. Implementing digital technologies is now aligned with overall business goals with 55% leveraging technology to reduce operational risk and 55% to improve asset availability and uptime.

Paul Marushka, President and CEO at Sphera, commented, "As the third-annual Operational Excellence Index shows, digital transformation is upon us. As companies look for new ways to keep their people safe, their operations productive and their products sustainable, being able to tap into and monitor data from Industry 4.0 solutions will be a major differentiator for organizations looking to separate themselves from the competition. It's not surprising that 90% of respondents agree that digital technology will accelerate operational excellence. We couldn't agree more. Sphera believes digital is the wave of the future for operational risk mitigation."

But while industry leaders agree digital is essential to OE, more than half are still trying to figure out what 'digital transformation' means for them, and 69% are just beginning their digital journey. The approach to digital matters, according to 83% of survey respondents, who admit they have relied on legacy systems to improve their business agility but had not embedded operational best practices cross-functionally.

The good news is the industry is on the brink of a major step forward when it comes to achieving OE through digitalization. Seventy-five percent of leaders recognize the need to create new, insight-driven business processes across enterprise functions. Advanced analytics and digital twins were highlighted as key solutions to help operators understand how to make better, safer planning and operational decisions. 

Scott Lehmann, VP, Product Management, ORM for Operations at Sphera, said, "This year's survey clearly illustrates the challenges digital leaders face within their own organizations to understand what digital transformation means or could mean practically and tangibly to their company. While the pace of digital transformation and ROI is still in its early days, the survey points strongly to a rapid acceleration on the horizon. Digital leaders understand digital integration and the adoption of new technologies must focus on creating actionable insights to help underpin new cross-functional business processes that enhance decision-making and the way people work together."

One survey respondent suggested: "The best approach to digital is not to use technologies to close gaps that you know already exist. Rather, start with a blank sheet of paper and define what you need – and then assess the available technologies."

View the full report and results from the 2018/2019 Operational Excellence Index. Sphera and Petrotechnics will also be showcasing their latest technology at the Operational Excellence in Energy, Chemicals and Resources event on 25-27^th February 2019.

Notes to editors

Petrotechnics, now a Sphera company, conducted the survey between October and November 2018, collecting 116 responses from a broad representation of functions, demographics and industries across the hazardous industries, including: oil, gas, chemicals, manufacturing, utilities, mining, engineering and other sectors. The survey included respondents from each major region – specifically Middle East (29%), Europe (28%), North America (28%), Asia Pacific (11%), Africa (3%) and South America (1%).

About Sphera

Sphera is the largest global provider of Integrated Risk Management software and information services with a focus on Operational Risk, Environmental Health & Safety and Product Stewardship. For more than 30 years, Sphera has advanced Operational Excellence by serving more than 3,000 customers and over 1 million individual users across 70-plus countries to create a safer, more sustainable and productive world.

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SOURCE Sphera Solutions

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