Accenture Plant and
Automation Solutions
Accenture helps Saipem implement an
integrated business information system
on its journey to high performance
Client profile
A subsidiary of Italian energy company
Eni, Saipem is a complete oil and
gas service provider specializing in
engineering, procurement, installation
and construction (EPIC/EPC) turnkey
projects. Headquartered in Italy, the
company has operations in over 100
countries, annual revenues of over
$14 billion and employs some 38,000
people. Saipem is organized into three
global business units: offshore, onshore
and drilling and differentiates itself
in the market by its superior services
and particular focus on the toughest
and most technologically challenging
projects with activities in remote areas,
deepwater and heavy oils.
Business challenge
Energy companies are under increasing
pressure to gain access to new
resources and to extract more from
existing ones—and to do so with
ever-greater operational reliability
and efficiency. While a multitude of
technologies are available to maximize
recovery of new and existing assets,
some players are not succeeding in
executing their technologies to the
fullest extent possible, finding it
difficult to take advantage of new
approaches and solutions to improve
key business areas. Those organizations
that differentiate themselves by
optimizing new and existing assets
will be those that will be well
positioned to achieve high performance.
Since the late 1990s, Saipem has
executed an extensive change initiative
called Integrated Business Information
System, or IBIS. By redesigning
processes, procedures and applications
at the group level, the goal of this
initiative was to improve integration
between company functions,
well as increase the operational
efficiency of EPC projects. Specifically,
the challenges to be overcome in the
capital project business included:
•The increasing complexity of projects
(large size, extreme conditions).
•Low margins and fluctuating
supplier prices.
•The short time frames imposed by
client/business (time-driven projects
with overlap among EPC phases).
•The organization of projects with
unique combinations of operating
companies and partners.
•The execution of projects worldwide
(with subcontractor and local
content constraints).
•The battle for project management
and technical skills (matrix to
improve efficiency and knowledge
management).
Accenture was recognized by
Saipem for its proven knowledge
with regard to engineering and
construction projects and industryspecific business processes, as well
as its deep experience with client
operating models.
How Accenture helped
In all its work, Accenture draws on
the insights gained from its High
Performance Business research.
This ongoing research looks at the
approaches and action businesses
take to achieve high performance.
As Accenture addresses challenges
with clients, it thinks in terms of
developing businesses that can deliver
sustained results and outperform peers
over the long term. The combination
of Accenture’s proven experience,
thought leadership, leading-edge
tools, resources and global capabilities
contributes to helping deliver
innovative business solutions.
Since 1997, Saipem has enjoyed
a long-standing relationship
with Accenture built on strong
collaboration during the design and
development of its Integrated Business
Information System (IBIS) model.
Following the successful
implementation of a SAP-based
enterprise resource planning
(ERP) system and several years of
deployment in Saipem’s offices and
vessels around the word, Accenture
helped create and execute various
continuous improvement initiatives
to optimize and support the adoption
of the IBIS project throughout the
organization. Accenture also helped
enhance the model to provide
increased support to Saipem’s
core business processes around
engineering, procurement and
construction integrated solutions.
The original business process
analysis and ERP implementation
was conducted entirely by
Accenture in close collaboration
with key client representatives.
For the later initiatives, Accenture
operated in conjunction with
client representatives and software
vendors or integrators. Accenture’s
scope in recent projects is primarily
related to project management
support; interaction with business
representatives and change
management; requirements
gathering; business processes and
operating model design; solution
blueprint definition; and system
integration support.
Specific project workstreams, both
completed and ongoing, arising from
the collaboration between Saipem
and Accenture include:
•Saipem SA (formerly Bouygues
Offshore) and Snamprogetti
mergers. Accenture supported the
ERP change management and rollout activities, improving the model
with leading practices.
•Project Management Coaching
Tour. Prepared and executed by
the Accenture team, this initiative
outlined the scope of IBIS and the
benefits it would deliver on EPC
project activities. This tour was
attended by 200 Saipem Project
Managers.
•Engineering Data Integration.
This project was aimed at improving
engineering efficiency and plant
design information management
through data-centric and crossdisciplinary integration, leveraging
the implementation of IntergraphSmartPlant technology.
•Procurement Data Warehouse
Reengineering. A complete
reengineering of the procurementrelated area of the business
intelligence solution.
•Construction Site Management
Model. Assessment of the processes
and flow of information during the
construction phase, particularly
focusing on the work planning and
progress monitoring activities.
•Workload Management Solution.
The design and implementation of
an operational model to support
workforce planning during all
project phases. Leveraging the
implementation of CA-Clarity
software, this solution enables
comparison of workload and capacity
at the professional role level to
support decision making with regard
to long-term HR planning and
project resource allocation.
•Project Document Management
Solution. The definition of a
standard corporate model and
unique application to manage EPC
project deliverables and worldwide
collaboration with third parties
including suppliers, subcontractors,
partners and clients.
•Vessel Reporting System. The design
of a new daily work progress tool
for construction vessels, simplifying
and standardizing data to enhance
project scheduling, asset analyzing
and offshore operations productivity
as well as controlling a scorecard
of financial and operational key
performance indicators aligned with
the company’s strategic objectives.
•Information Technology Governance.
The support of project management
office activities and the design
and implementation of a client
information and communication
technology (ICT) governance model
and infrastructure.
Accenture has acted as a core
business process advisor in EPC
projects execution, providing
operational support and coaching to
the company’s project managers and
motivating technology and application
adoption to improve critical business
process performance.
High Performance Delivered
All the solutions designed
and implemented through the
collaboration between Accenture and
Saipem can be considered on the
technological frontier and tailored to
the specific capital project business,
affording a number of key benefits:
•Integration between EPC project
processes, companies and systems,
facilitating the exchange of
structured information between
multiple functions and legal entities.
•An increased degree of process
and data standardization ensuring
the adoption of common methods
of working, data and integrated
reporting.
•Real-time access to information
(such as project control data,
material quantities and financial
records) across all locations—
regardless of where the activity
is physically performed—enabling
global monitoring by headquarter.
•Effective human resources
management, assigning key project
resources with appropriate skills and
enabling a long-term HR strategy in
order to support strategic decisions,
as well as reducing low value-added
activities through automation.
•Increased business process support,
leveraging dedicated, industryleading applications implemented in
alignment with the operating model
defined in the corporate strategy.
•A superior technology
infrastructure to ensure effective
and timely support of delivery of
both onshore and offshore projects
all over the world.
In a testament to the success of the
IBIS project, Saipem states “with
its enhanced business processes,
organization and systems, the IBIS
Model is the environment that has
enabled increased internal and
external collaboration, marked
integration and communication
among processes, enhanced visibility
and control across the enterprise and
a high degree of data standardization
and audit… and, ultimately, it delivers
to our clients a better managed
project from a financial and logistical
point of view.”
As a result of Accenture’s contribution,
Saipem is able to rapidly implement
EPC solutions, beating its competitors
to the punch and often acting
as a source of requirements or
specifications for software vendors to
develop their products. Furthermore,
Saipem is recognized by owner
operators as a leading, technologyoriented global EPC contractor. These
factors, together with the numerous
other benefits, place Saipem firmly
on the road to becoming a high
performance business.
Contacts
About Accenture
Fausto Torri
Accenture Plant and Automation
Solutions lead: Italy, Greece,
Central and Eastern Europe, Russia,
Middle East (IGEM)
+39 027775 1493
fausto.torri@accenture.com
Accenture is a global management
consulting, technology services
and outsourcing company, with
approximately 204,000 people serving
clients in more than 120 countries.
Combining unparalleled experience,
comprehensive capabilities across all
industries and business functions,
and extensive research on the world’s
most successful companies, Accenture
collaborates with clients to help them
become high-performance businesses
and governments. The company
generated net revenues of US$21.6
billion for the fiscal year ended
Aug. 31, 2010. Its home page is
www.accenture.com.
Cristian Corbetti
Saipem account lead
+ 39 02 7775 1111
cristian.corbetti@accenture.com
Copyright © 2010 Accenture
All rights reserved.
Accenture, its logo, and
High Performance Delivered
are trademarks of Accenture.
About Accenture Plant and
Automation Solutions
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Solutions is a suite of offerings
designed for asset-intensive
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Our offering comprises solutions
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