How to identify, evolve, transform and replicate ‘Best
Practices’ with special reference to Oil Sector
ABDUL.THARAYIL@GMAIL.COM

• Knowing Culture is Significant in a
place like ME and specially in a public
sector. Four significant questions to be
noted:
• Who are the people involved and
what level of influence they have
• What level of influence help this
initiative forward
• What does success look like?
• What level of access build success?
Knowing Culture is
significant ME (very
specific)
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Influence
the
Decision
Makers
Drive it
down from
Decide on the Build Tools
the Top Approaches
Bring it Up
from the
Bottom
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Form a Change Management Team
Defining Identifying
Objectives members
Define
Setting the
Enrolling Agenda
Expectation Forward
A team of company staff selected or nominated or volunteered to form part of the
Change, consisting of members from different hierarchical levels of the Company. But
would function as a flat hierarchically non-aligned entity.
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Defining ‘Practice’
• What do we mean by Practice?
• Is a set of frameworks, ideas, tools, information, styles,
language, stories and documents that the practioners
share.
• Therefore, practice denotes a set of socially defined
ways of doing things in a specific domain: a set of
common approaches and shared standards that create
a basis for action, communication, problem solving,
performance and accountability.
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• In KM context, the term refers
to successfully demonstrated
practices. i.e. It must
demonstrate through evidence
that it’s faster, better and
cheaper than the known
practices at a specific point in
time.
So, What is ‘Best
Practice’?
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BP VS . BKP
 What’s BEST for ‘X’ may not be BEST for ‘Y’. The
questions normally emerges are, Is this what you call
Best Practice?
 Therefore, it’s very likely that in a community platform,
while discussing practices shortlisted for consideration,
the discussion would automatically turn to the
definition of BP and the discussion turn fruitless.
 If you feel that, there are chances of such jeopardy,
then it’s best to define the practice as Best Known
Practice (BKP)
 BP = Best Practice
 BKP = Best Known Practice
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Locating the existing ‘Best Practices’
• Discover using regular assessments and audits
• Self-declared through Communities of Practices or other
knowledge flowing channels in the organization
• Are recognized, reviewed and approved by internal and or
external experts or sources
• Triggered through challenges and competition and further
through recognition
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Use Systematic Innovation Techniques
TRIZ
(Theory Of Brain
Mind Six Thinking
Inventive Storming 9 Windows
Mapping Hats
Problem Techniques
Solving)
These techniques can be used for problem Identification and
resolution in a known domain or focus area. And in the Process
Practices Emerge!
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Transformed
Promising or
Tips , Tricks Validated Or
Practices and
and Ideas FAQs Modified Demonstrated
Practices
Understand the stages of Transformation
 At Each level we could use different techniques. For example: To generate
Ideas we may use Brain Storming Techniques. To arrive at a selected set of
ideas to work on, we could use TRIZ. To explore further, we could use Six
thinking Hats/ 9 windows and so on…
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Let’s look at few Case Studies
From Worlds' Oil Majors
 Shell Petroleum
 Schlumberger
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Case Q: How to deal with a lost circulation challenge
Formatio
Study
n of a
KM related to low pressure margins and higher
Steering
Committe
e
pressures due to penetration of a high energy fault
zone in HPHT drilling?
How: A search of the Wells Global Network and
LiveLink for best practices amongst Shell
communities produced a potential solution.
Solution: By applying a DiaSseal-M and Cement
Squeeze technology which had previously proven to
be successful in South Texas HPHT wells, a
tremendous cost saving of $1.5 million was made
whilst still meeting well objectives.
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Case
Formatio
n of a Study
KM
Steering
Committe
e
Corrosion
Major repairs worth $1.5 million, on well
casings and electrical submersible pumps,
were avoided by Petroleum Development
Oman through knowledge-sharing from
Shell Oil which confirmed that stray
current corrosion can occur if the
Cathodic protection system was used.
Anton Sluijterman
Petroleum Development Oman, Muscat
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Case
Formatio
n of a Study
KM
Steering
Committe
e
Approach: Technical CoPs, knowledge
interchange, validation of BPs, and connecting
experts
Technology: InTouch, web Knowledge Hub,
bulletin boards, Eureka community web pages,
expertise locator
Results: $ XXX USD million cost savings/year; $xx
USD million customer savings (projected.); and
95% reduction in problems
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Launch
Communities Of
Practices (CoPs)
 Once you have clear understanding of the
stages through which the practices are emerged
What’s the way and transformed to be the Best. Focus on areas
forward? requiring attention. Design and launch
communities around those disciplines
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Formatio
n of a
KM
Steering
Committ
ee
Identify the initial set of
champions, sponsors and
Launch SMEs. Also, identify
Define KM
agenda
Forward
Sponsors – Must be people
who have authority to take
decisions
Call for an initial meeting to
Form Design discuss, identify the Top 5
Team things that link to business
strategy – for example; things
that improve productivity or
Develop Charter decrease NPT
and Business
Purpose Once identified, form charter,
develop schedule, calendarise
and communicate the CoP
Device Strategic launch date with agenda.
CoP Plan or Device a
Framework CoP approach
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Formatio
CoPs
n of a
KM
Steering
Committe
e
All of these communities can be formed within the most
suitable Department or Directorate called : Exploration and
production and Specifically in Drilling and Operations group.
These communities are most likely to yield results .
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CoPs
Best Practices Framework – In summary
Formatio
n of a
KM
Steering
Committe
e • Understand Culture
• Define terms and ‘Best Practice’
• Understand stages of Transformation
• Form change Management Team
• Learn from others ‘Best Practices’ – evaluate how other Oil
Majors are doing?
• Evaluate and Design an approach – Perhaps focus on forming
Communities Of Practices
• Form Design Team and Roles within the community
• Align with Business Strategy and Develop Business case and
Community Charter
• Identify the success factors and Barriers
• Enlist Top 5 things to be discussed and publish to the
community members
• Develop a Launch plan and communicate
• Launch and build on the initial momentum to sustain the
community movement
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For any further info , please
Contact Abdul J Tharayil
atharayil@gmail.com
Safe Harbour: The company logos (shell and
Schlumberger are taken from respective company
websites and those companies own the copyright.
This is for reference purposes