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Players in the French-African oil and gas industry should seriously consider taking steps to increase their supply chain visibility

 

Africa is experiencing an oil and natural gas boom. Foreign direct investment in infrastructure is expected to top $150bn over the next decade. Many
countries in Francophone Africa will rely on their strong oil and gas profiles to propel them forward in their economic development; however operators in this
industry find themselves in a turbulent environment. Changes in supply and demand, regulatory modifications, ecological concerns, and sharp price
increases for raw materials are just some of the factors that are hamstringing producers.

Despite these daunting circumstances, the outlook is a positive one. Oil and gas bodies have can mitigate these challenges by running their organisations according to a visibility-based approach. 

Visibility – the spectrum upon which the ability to transmit large amounts of data safely and securely across all sectors of an organisation is measured- is a key feature of any well-functioning supply chain. A streamlined supply chain needs a reliable information network to function. 

Many companies operating in French-speaking are not as visible as they could be. This ultimately has a negative long-term impact on their bottom line, as a lack of visibility can result in inefficiency, wastage and suboptimal asset management. 

Here are three ways in which companies can dramatically improve the visibility of their profile using mobile computing technologies: 

Data Analytics:

 

The primary weapon in a company’s visibility arsenal is data. Having the right amount of information at the right time is of the utmost necessity in making decisions that will benefit the organisation. Data and memory analytics are the means through which companies can collect in-depth data regarding their
operations and zero in on that which is relevant to them at any time. 

One important feature of analytics is that they identify patterns. This allows for predictability, automation and streamlining of operations. Problematic situations can be isolated and dealt with in real time. Companies simply operate smarter and thus more efficiently. 

Remote Workforce Management:

Managing large-scale oil and gas bodies in often remote areas of the African continent can be a mammoth task, particularly when your infrastructure relies on silos that have difficulty in interacting with each other. Cloud computing provides an elegant solution to this by centralising the platform through which every organ of a business functions onto a virtualised network. 

Managers can effectively oversee operations via remote networking, while employees have the power to work proactively and with little to no disruption from whatever location they might find themselves. The exact status of these operations will be at a company’s fingertips at any given time, and mobile computing offers them the flexibility they require to make manage in real time. 

Resource and Asset Management:

Every gap in visibility along a supply chain is a point in which assets can lose their value and resources can be wasted, whether through damage, unexpected incidents, corruption or simple miscommunication. Companies that make the switch from inefficient vertical network infrastructure to one an
end-to one focused on integrated communications have found their efficiency in managing resources dramatically increases. 

The ability to track and trace assets in real time is an invaluable one. Integrating processes from engineering to sales and everything in between mean allow companies to utilise assets and resources effectively, reduce maintenance costs, and extend lifetimes. The final result is a significant increase in productivity, safety, and compliance with an accompanying reduction in overheads. 

Following the three steps outlined need not be an overly complex task. Companies can transform their infrastructure quickly and professionally by investing in end-to-end solutions offered by a trusted name in business mobility.SAP has both industry and regional expertise in the African oil and gas market, as well as an extensive portfolio of successes in optimising visibility. 

The value of supply chain visibility is unambiguous. The tools with which to create this visibility are at hand, and with them Africa can leverage its oil and gas deposits into something truly remarkable.