Building a first rate project monitoring software is not so easy in India

Even as we build our project monitoring software, we are trying bring to our readers sample project information that our analysts are throwing up. The information is valuable as it is forward looking. It projects a future RFQ requirement along with all other project parameters. The problem area is in finding phone validated key contacts for each project component even if the RFQ information is specifically available and that's where all our efforts are concentrated at this moment.

Our internal goal is to ensure that we capture up to 90% of the overall oil & gas sector investment in our software. In effect therefore we are talking of over 1,500 projects -- including maintenance projects -- with an investment of Rs one crore. We have detailed facilities and unit level information. A big oil and gas company will have dozens of industrial facilities and hundreds of units, each with its own unique set of technical information. We will also provide equipment level information on boilers, turbine, pumps, compressors and others. The software weaves all of this together into an easy to read format. 

A basic CRM is also included in the package, which we hope to improve upon as we go along, wherein specific projects and contacts can be assigned to team members and tracked subsequently.
A comprehensive turnaround alert system -- be it planned or unplanned -- has been put in place with an avalanche of information so that all the reader has to do is to pick up the phone and call the contact. This alert will provide details of the units where the turnaround has occurred, capacity that has gone offline, reasons for the shutdown (economic, mechanical or environmental) and the timelines involved. An archive of previous shutdown and start up dates will be preserved. More importantly the equipment that would require repair and maintenance will be highlighted. Mechanical engineers within our team will identify the exact nature of the boiler tube failure, for example, so that the reader can get the right perspective in the quickest possible time.

Every client will have a dedicated analyst, and he can be contacted for clarifications or for chasing up more information. An internal alert system challenges out analysts to ensure timely updatation of a project. The Rs 34,000 crore KG-DWN-98/2 project will have scores of updates through the life of the project. The minimum project updation timeline has been set at one month. Our biggest challenge now is to ensure that that we bring this software to our clients as quickly as possible. Internal quality control checks are currently on.

Source: Indian PetroPlus