Performance Improvement Processes
Continuous Improvement Program | Decision Analysis | On Paper Exercises (OPE's)
Process Mapping | RACI Development | Risk & Uncertainty Analysis
Scenario Planning | Technical Limit Performance | Value Engineering
Our portfolio of improvement processes is available as discrete services. We provide facilitation and web based tools that enable their implementation.
After Action Reviews This process was brought to the fore by the US Army to improve their ability to learn in the midst of action and improve team working. It has been developed into a facilitated process that allows teams to learn immediately from both successes and failures. It is based upon a group review that compares what actually happened with what was supposed to happen from which the organization can learn. It is one of the more powerful learning tools available.
Business Delivery Process A methodology that develops a definition and clear understanding of any key business process through focusing on the deliverables. This methodology employs best business practices to maximize the performance of the organization - design to construct, design to operate and maintain, planning and scheduling, risk analysis, integration between departments, etc. All the requisite Lean Manufacturing tools are built into the new process to enable both a step change improvement in performance as well as continuous improvement.
Business modeling A methodology to develop a model (or models) of the way a business delivers value to the customer and consequently identifies those areas that need strengthening. The modeling process enables a team to gain common clarity of understanding on the value their customer desires and how they deliver it. From this understanding, the team can develop plans to improve the competitive advantage they have for delivering this value. This is an essential tool for developing a growth business.
Continuous Improvement Program This program is a specifically client designed process that provides the tools and techniques for an organization to identify, rank and action improvements in its operations and business processes. Through initial facilitation and hand over to in-house personnel, this becomes a powerful improvement process across any organization.
Decision Analysis A methodology for facilitating high quality, logical discussions that lead to clear and compelling action. The process follows a number of logical steps that enable all the issues to be identified, the alternatives to be articulated and evaluated and the solution to be selected. This results in a high quality decision whose logic is clear to all involved.
On Paper Exercises (OPE's) A workshop process that enables multi-disciplinary and multi-company teams to improve their plans ahead of execution. These workshops have been run for drilling operations (DWOP's), completion operations (CWOP's), well clean up, start the field and other similar situations. These workshops address risks / uncertainties, interface issues, program details, operation durations / sequencing, etc. John de Wardt facilitates these workshops, however a program is available to teach the client how to plan and run these workshops themselves.
Process Mapping This methodology creates maps and flow charts that help to make work visible. Increased visibility improves communication and understanding and provides a common frame of reference for those involved in the work process. Maps that show how work is currently done provide the tool for review and improvement to the process. Maps are also used to create decision trees which enable a team to follow a pre-planned set of actions based upon measurements and observations made during a process or event.
RACI Development The RACI matrix is a powerful but simple tool for assigning Responsibility, Accountability, Consulted and Informed roles within an organization, across many functions. Each task is assigned one accountable individual (the buck stops here), one or more responsible individuals (those who do the work) and others who will be consulted or informed concerning the action. The assignments are displayed in a matrix format on a chart. A facilitated process for creating the RACI chart is very powerful for achieving a common understanding of who does what.
Risk & Uncertainty analysis A methodology to identify risks and uncertainties, rate them in terms of probability and impact and develop actions to reduce them to acceptable levels. This methodology has improved the performance of projects, increased the up take of new technologies and overcome hindrances in the roll-out of new strategies.
Scenario planning A methodology to look at possible changes in the business or operations environment and the ways a business or project can prepare to be the most successful in each environment. The value of this process is in the experience of thinking through the “what if’s” and developing solutions that prepare teams for uncertain events. These paper based exercises train the team in both how to recognize the uncertain event and how to react to it. The exercises also provide the information for contingency plans.
Technical Limit Performance (Theoretical Maximum Performance / Stretch Goals) A continuous improvement process that provides a series of tools and activities designed to look for opportunities to improve, take reasoned risks to achieve improvement, build on successes and learn from mistakes. This team based process compares the project plan to a theoretical maximum performance plan based on offset information and past experiences. This process has enabled project teams to deliver significant improvements in performance.
Value Engineering Value Engineering is a systematic and organized process that guides a multidiscipline team through developing a shared understanding of the issue(s) under consideration to create solutions that deliver value. It has been used in many applications. The process is divided into facilitated phases - selection, investigation (information gathering), speculation (creativity / brainstorming), evaluation (analysis), development, presentation, implementation and verification. It has been successfully used by many companies to reduce project costs, de-bottleneck processes, improve schedules and enhance new products.
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Testimonials
His insight into the oil and gas industry is invaluable, and his knowledge of best practice in manufacturing has added measurable value to several of our investments.
We have seen significant improvements in results and have adopted the principles in our planning and operations efforts.
John de Wardt provided us with a straight forward, hard driving, no nonsense approach to strategic planning that is still helping us define and achieve new business goals.
John’s emphasis on rigorous planning has resulted in tangible and measurable results in the area of drilling and completing wells. A true step-change.
...substantial improvement in product delivery and resultant reductions of inventory. The catalyst for these new processes was the Strategic Planning workshop lead by John de Wardt.
His recent corporate strategy development work resulted in a set of strategic initiatives that are already beginning to deliver value only a few months into their implementation.
Case Studies
Multiple projects achieve Best in Class
Lean Drilling has been applied to many projects offshore Norway. The plot on the right shows the results from three projects with different challenges benchmarked against other N Sea results. These wells were drilled with different operators, different drilling contractors (and rigs) and to a large degree different service companies. These results show the ability of the Lean Drilling program to consistently differentiate the performance of our clients against their peers.
Excellent performance in a challenging environment
When depletion strategies for BP Amoco's Valhall field on Norway's continental shelf required the drilling of extended reach drilling (ERD) wells, problems appeared which threatened the project economics. Average trouble costs approached 35% and occasionally exceeded 50%, while some wells failed to reach their objectives. Lean Drilling was applied to a very challenging ERD well. Starting with a slot recovery that historically took 29 days being completed in 18, the well concluded 31 days (30%) ahead of past performance including a 1000m horizontal section. The challenges that were overcome to achieve this performance included active faulting in the over burden section, very tight equivalent circulating density (a narrow band between rock strength and pore pressure), lost circulation, over pressurized shale, proximity of well bores, distorted seismic date with non-homogeneous pressure depletion and flowing chalk in the reservoir.