In today’s highly digitalized world, there’s an app for virtually everything. Century-old industries like oil and gas are no exception. Today, numerous firms within the industry have adopted apps and other digital initiatives to accelerate operational efficiency.
IT leaders, CIOs, and business executives in the oil and gas industry seeking innovative solutions to enhance their operations and drive digital transformation need to know how to achieve this through efficient application development.
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Importance of application development in the oil and gas industry
The oil and gas industry is traditionally associated with clunky machinery, intricate processes, and complex operations across the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors.
These everyday operations can benefit from the ongoing wave of digitization. Oil and gas companies can streamline their internal processes and boost productivity by embracing various cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and IoT.
In addition to maintaining smooth production daily, leading oil and gas companies use apps to manage assets or projects, generate data-based insights, and respond to emerging challenges in real-time.
Key features and functionalities of oil and gas applications
Oil and gas businesses can build different types of web and mobile apps to enhance daily tasks and optimize operations. Some of the basic must-have features your oil and gas application should have include:
Integration capabilities
Oil and gas operations can be quite complex, with many moving parts. One of the key features needed in any oil and gas application is the ability to integrate seamlessly with various systems, software, and data sources that you currently use or will be using in the future.
User-friendly dashboard
In traditional industries like oil and gas, the target users for applications are field workers and business users that may not be tech-savvy.
Therefore, applications should have an intuitive interface with relevant functionalities and a user-friendly dashboard.
Account management
Since multiple team members will use the oil and gas applications, account management features such as profile management and access permissions are important. These features ensure each user has appropriate access to relevant information and resources based on their role and responsibilities within the company.
Document management
Oil and gas applications need robust document management capabilities, especially for apps built for midstream and downstream operations where users have to handle vast volumes of documents such as contracts, permits, technical specifications, and compliance records. The application should be able to store, organize, secure, retrieve, and share documents seamlessly.
Workflow automation
You can automate repetitive tasks such as data processing and approvals with workflow automation. Streamlining workflow accelerates processes, reduces errors, and enhances operational efficiency.
Compliance and security
Data relating to oil and gas operations can be quite sensitive, so applications used to manage operations must have measures to protect sensitive data based on industry-specific standards. These features include authentication protocols, data encryption, access controls, and audit trails for user activities.
Reporting and analytics
Applications with reporting and data analytics features provide users with comprehensive insights into operational performance. They also allow users to track trends and follow vital metrics. These features empower decision-makers to identify areas for improvement, optimize processes, and make data-driven strategic choices.
Notifications and alerts
Oil and gas applications provide notifications and alerts to inform users about critical events, system updates, workflow milestones, and compliance requirements. These features minimize downtime and ensure a proactive response to issues as they occur.
Customer support and helpdesk
Oil and gas applications often include customer support and help desk functionalities to address user queries, provide technical assistance, and resolve issues promptly.
Scalability and flexibility
The oil and gas industry is fast-paced. Applications must be designed to accommodate the dynamic nature of the industry. The application should be able to handle high data volume and adapt to changing business requirements as necessary.
Factors to consider in oil and gas industry application development
As oil and gas companies continue to invest in applications that can potentially boost business growth, bringing these app ideas to life must be carefully executed for the best results.
Here are the key considerations when embarking on oil and gas application development.
Security
Since the oil and gas industry has to deal with sensitive and confidential data, keeping your application secure has to be one of the top priorities, and it must begin with the app development process. Encryption, access controls, secure authentication protocols, and regular security audits are some security measures that can help protect your app against potential cyber threats.
Integration with existing systems
Oil and gas apps should easily integrate with the systems you currently use. It should be easier to exchange information, transfer workflows and synchronize data across different departments and stakeholders in your key operations.
The application should be compatible with software, hardware, and data sources commonly used in the oil and gas industry. Your app should leverage existing infrastructure without replacing legacy systems, enhancing efficiency, saving cost, and minimizing disruption.
User-centric design approach
When building apps for stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, you should prioritize the needs, goals, and workflows that the end-users of the application will be working with. Your app should be easy-to-use and navigate.
A user-centric approach ensures a positive experience for the end user. It begins with conducting user research, carrying out usability tests, and incorporating feedback into the development process to ensure the app meets the end user's expectations.
Intuitive navigation
Oil and gas operations are already complex, involving multiple workflows, disparate modules, and numerous datasets. Users need an application with a well-structured architecture and intuitive navigation to make sense of these.
The goal is to develop an app where users can locate the required functionalities and retrieve data as quickly as possible.
Clear and logical navigation menus, search functionalities, and contextual guidance will contribute to the user-friendly experience you should always aim to achieve.
Responsive interfaces
Building a responsive application is important since users are likely to access the application from various devices with different screen sizes. The user experience should remain the same regardless of how users access the app. Responsive interfaces improve accessibility and allow users to perform tasks on the go, whether working on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, or smartphones.
Adopt agile development methodologies and continuous testing
An iterative development approach using agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban gives you flexibility in app development. The agile approach divides the project into manageable phases completed in short development cycles.
It prioritizes collaboration between developers, stakeholders, and end users while emphasizing continuous testing and improvement.
It also ensures that the application is thoroughly tested for key metrics like functionality, performance, and security at each stage of development. As a result, you reduce the chances of issues occurring at later stages and enhance the overall quality of your app.
Oil and Gas application development process
So what’s the typical oil and gas app development process like? It begins with requirement gathering, which involves research, conducting interviews, or carrying out surveys to understand the needs, challenges, and goals of the potential end-users of the app.
Based on the knowledge of the end users' unique needs and the application requirements, the project proceeds into the design phase, where UI/UX designers work to create the wireframes, prototypes, and actual visual designs for the app.
Application development can then begin based on the approved designs and requirements. With an iterative approach, the project is divided into time-bound phases.
Feedback and collaboration with stakeholders help refine the app in development before moving on to the next phase. The progress is reviewed at the end of each phase, and the application is rigorously tested.
Once the app passes the performance and quality tests, it is pushed for deployment, after which it has to be maintained to ensure optimal performance.
Building an oil and gas application involves collaboration between different cross-functional teams, including designers, developers, business analysts, Quality Assurance engineers, and other professionals contributing to successful application development.
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Best oil and gas apps you can build to streamline internal operations
Oil and gas companies can build different types of apps to streamline workflows across their upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. Some of the best apps you should consider building for your company
- Digital document management app: It securely stores, organizes, and shares documents such as certificates or oil well approval permits.
- Task management app: It streamlines operations by providing tools and functionalities that supervisors can use to assign tasks, track progress, and monitor performance seamlessly.
- Digital asset management app: Oil and gas companies need a digital asset management app to keep track of their numerous assets.
- Legacy application migration/redesigning app: Legacy software used to manage oil and gas operations can be redesigned for greater effectiveness. It can involve simply building a mobile version of an existing software or completely redesigning it.
- Leasing management app: With a lease management app, oil and gas companies can manage land acquisition, lease agreements, and contracts seamlessly from the same platform.
- Payouts management app: Payouts management apps handle complex financial processes associated with oil and gas operations and projects. It tracks payouts and ensures timely and accurate disbursement of funds.
- Material management app: It gives complete visibility into materials, equipment, and supplies needed for daily operations.
- Logistics planning and tracking app: It enables oil and gas companies to plan, schedule, and track the movement of equipment, personnel, and materials across various locations, ensuring timely delivery and minimizing disruptions.
- Inventory management applications app: It keeps track of inventory levels across different facilities. It may also have procurement management features and other functionalities to enhance operational efficiency.
- Terminal scheduling app: It is useful in the downstream sector for tracking activities and schedules at the terminal.
- Supply chain portal app: You can build an app to connect to stakeholders across your supply chain to simplify procurement management.
Challenges and solutions in oil and gas application development
Building the different applications highlighted above does come with some challenges. Knowing these challenges is the first step in figuring out how to navigate them.
Here are a few of the biggest challenges you’re likely to face in the oil and gas application development process (and how you can effectively resolve them):
Data security
One of the main areas of concern is data security. Safeguarding the data stored on your oil and gas application involves implementing robust security measures such as encryption protocols and authentication that only grant access to specific users based on predefined roles and permissions.
Legacy system integration
Integrating new apps with the legacy systems and databases that most oil and gas companies use can pose a challenge. One way around this is API integration frameworks that connect different data formats and structures.
Complex workflows
Workflows across traditional industries like oil and gas tend to be quite complex. They involve numerous intricate processes with multiple stakeholders and stringent safety regulatory constraints.
Deploying solutions for these complex workflows through traditional coding can be difficult and time-consuming, but a low-code development approach can help simplify app development. With a low-code platform, you can build complex and fully-functional apps faster while maintaining operational efficiency and accuracy.
Regulatory compliance
There are many regulatory compliances and standard practices that oil and gas companies need to follow. Compliance monitoring tools can plug into the development process to ensure full compliance with data retention, audit trails, and reporting policies. Doing this ensures regulatory adherence throughout the development process.
Conclusion
Digital apps help oil and gas companies automate vital processes and digitize operations to boost productivity. But building functional applications can be complex. A lot of effort has to go into planning, designing, and developing an app that meets the needs of the end-users.
An iterative development approach simplifies the development process, allowing you to continuously improve the app based on feedback and collaboration between relevant stakeholders.
To learn more about building functional apps for oil and gas companies, leverage low-code platforms like Kissflow.
Experience the power of low-code with the simplicity of no-code.
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