Project collaboration software builds environmental responsibility in oil and gas industry

In a fast-changing world shaped by increasing environmental awareness and expansive connectivity, the energy and chemical industries are inventing solutions that contribute to a better quality of life while safeguarding the planet.

Axens is a growing international powerhouse committed to helping its clients build a sustainable future. The Paris, France-based company provides a full range of inventive solutions for the conversion of oil and biomass to cleaner fuels, the production and purification of major petrochemical intermediates as well as all of natural gas' treatment and conversion options. A core company value is to collectively work with clients to seek out innovative, results-driven solutions. As a company and individually, Axens also is committed to reduce its environmental impact.

Connecting operations

As Axens expanded internationally in recent years across North and South America and in Europe, it was clear that outdated manual procedures hindered workflows. Operational upgrades were necessary to improve efficiency and productivity.

Wasted time and lagging productivity led Axens to a comprehensive, easy-to-use cloud solution that drives collaboration—one that provides a single source of truth throughout the life of any project. Axens now uses Oracle Aconex as its project management and document management platform, easily connecting all project team members, processes, and data for ultimate collaboration.

Before implementing Oracle Aconex, the Axens petrochemical division was using software with links to documents in a folder structure. Tracking, workflows, and reporting were virtually nonexistent. Oracle Aconex provides Axens with superior visibility, and everything is available in a single location, enabling easy access and collaboration.

By implementing Oracle Aconex, Axens now boasts a folderless construction document control system with full metadata search capabilities that does the remembering for them, building collaboration and eliminating the likelihood of folder or document duplication or misplacement that risks team members using outdated information.

Building trust through Oracle Aconex has increased Axens’ percentage of repeat customers while simultaneously driving new business.

Oracle Aconex ensures that all organizations have complete control over their data, assuring everyone that no one organization can alter or limit access to another organization’s data. This assurance, along with an easy-to-use interface, helps drive adoption.

Automating operations with Oracle Aconex also puts documents and drawings at users’ fingertips in moments versus at least a half-hour in the past. As a single data repository, Oracle Aconex eliminates guesswork as to where a document is stored, or which version is most current.

Information flows freely between all project participants, creating a complete record on one system. Axens’ employees have assurance they will find what they are looking for and it will be the right version of the right item, says Erika Dunigan, Axens regional quality manager.

Improving workflows and the bidding process

Approval workflows are much easier to track, follow up, and report on with Oracle Aconex. RFIs and submittals went from an average of three to four weeks to three to five days. That’s between a 66 and 75 percent decrease.

Oracle Aconex also allows easy tracking of all actions and decisions. Employees see their open tasks and deadlines then receive reminders and can quickly report on what is coming, what’s due, and what’s overdue.

The Oracle Aconex bidding module also manages purchase requisitions to the material suppliers and fabricators and for subcontractors when Axens subcontracts out work. Before using Oracle Aconex, it took seven to 14 days to send out a bid. Oracle Aconex slashed that time to about four to five business days.

“We can look at all responses together, so it’s easy to evaluate the bids to determine who will get the job,” Dunigan says.

Security is a vital concern

Considering that the oil and gas industry requires systematic, rigorous checks, security and reliability were clearly top of mind. Oracle’s knowledge, accessibility, security, and stability were vital to Axens selecting Oracle Aconex.

And secure document management through Oracle Aconex means there’s one record with immediate and transparent access to all revisions. Strict version protocols ensure users they’re working with the latest information, and previous versions are retained, providing a complete audit trail.

Build trust with suppliers, customers, subcontractors, and owners

The Oracle Aconex supplier module makes document management collaboration transparent. The supplier easily and quickly sees what documents due, and which ones have been received.

This visibility and automation help ensure that documentation is in order and improves prompt payment to suppliers.

Oracle Aconex improves the flow of crucial materials. The suppliers update the status, and Axens can share the update with the owner. Visibility into this information supports clients making informed decisions to help prevent material delays from affecting project schedules and eliminating surprises.

Suppliers see clear benefits, so they are eager to use Oracle Aconex as well. Axens can pay their suppliers 40 percent faster on average because nothing is manual, and documentation is a collaborative process around shared information.

It’s an example of the efficiency allowing Axens to strengthen relations with its suppliers, which then pass that improved service on to its customers. Building trust through Oracle Aconex has increased Axens’ percentage of repeat customers while simultaneously gaining new business.

Subcontractors also are excited to jump onboard with Oracle Aconex. Axens specifies the system use and the subcontractors benefit from streamlined communication and workflows. With an unalterable audit trail, collaboration happens smoothly, and everyone has access to the same functionality on Oracle Aconex.

Improving corporate social responsibility

Axens’ core values read in part: “We act responsibly, as individuals and as a company, and we are committed to reduce our environmental impact.”

Oracle Aconex helps Axens act on their bold commitment to sustainability, save money and improve the environment through the vast reduction in printed materials. Axens used to print 25 to 30 books of handover material per project. With Oracle Aconex, Axens now provides electronic handover content and two accompanying hard copies.

Using electronic signatures also have been a huge benefit. Through the Oracle Aconex workflows, Axens and their project team members can sign, code, and work-stamp drawings.

"It could take four hours to get 30 documents into the system. Now it takes just 10 to 15 minutes” using Oracle Aconex.

—Erika Dunigan, Regional Quality Manager, Axens

In the past, to manage squad checks—a multi-discipline review to ensure that all the parts of the project work together and nothing has been missed—Axens printed out drawings to be reviewed, put them in a room and informed all reviewers that the documents were available for revisions. Each reviewer then spent valuable time manually redlining and signing off on the drawings.

But that wasn’t the end of the tedious, time-consuming manual process. Once completed, Axens scanned the documents and sent them back to the client. The laborious process on average took 14 days, with each reviewer having three to five days to review.

That since has been trimmed to just three to seven days, a 50 to 65 percent savings depending on number of reviewers. Per project, there are hundreds of these squad checks—perhaps 50 to 75 per month.

“Bulk uploading and processing have been a huge help at project startup, and anytime you have a group of about 30 drawings that have been approved at once and need to be uploaded to Oracle Aconex,” Dunigan says.

“In the past (this) was a nightmare, and you couldn’t see the documents or history, just a link to a folder. It could take four hours to get 30 documents into the system. Now it takes just 10 to 15 minutes.” That’s a whopping 93.75 percent faster.

It’s clear that working from the wrong version of a document can cost valuable time and a lot of money. Playing lost-and-found with documents also is a huge waste of time.

Collaborative solutions gain valuable ISO certifications

Key to Axens’ growth strategy is gaining certification from the International Organization for Standardization. ISO certification increases efficiency and revenue, reduces product and supply chain waste, and forges ongoing customer relationships. Perhaps most importantly, ISO certification helps Axens win more business.

Certification also mandates Quality Management System requirements for the petroleum, petrochemical, and natural gas industries. These requirements enhance customer trust and confidence in daily operations through the implementation of continual improvement processes, conformity assurance, and regulatory requirements.

Before the Oracle Aconex implementation, Axens had just three ISO-certified locations. Internal company drives were used for data storage and access, slowing productivity, and hampering the company’s efficiency. 

Oracle Aconex improved collaboration by driving alignment and preventing mistakes. Process automation, standardization, and hawkeye-like tracking ensure that all changes are easily communicated for complete process transparency and accountability.

In just a few months following the Oracle Aconex implementation, “Axens gained ISO certification for three more locations,” Dunigan says, doubling their certified locations. They also added new certifications to the original three locations.

Watch our short video to learn more about Oracle Aconex.

Oracle Construction and Engineering, the global leader in construction management software and project portfolio management solutions, helps you connect your teams, processes, and data across the project and asset lifecycle. Drive efficiency and control in project delivery with proven solutions for project controls, construction scheduling, portfolio management, BIM/CDE, construction payment management, and more.

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