Gilbert Soufan , CYVIZ vice president for the Middle East and Africa and a conference speaker at IDOC 2012, on the role of visualization in DOF implementation.
At IDOC we will hear a lot about the need for organizational change. How is Cyviz equipping operators to meet this human challenge?
There are two common challenges [when it comes to organizational changes] to face in the DOF arena. The first is how to harness the huge amount of data that is generated every second. The second is that humans are creatures of habit. It is not easy for them to adapt to new workflows required by the introduction of new technologies.
The best way to deal with the huge amount of data is to transform this torrent of 1s and 0s into images. At Cyviz we provide the users with the right medium to look at their data. If you want to see a happy CFO, let him work on a 5-metre spreadsheet!
A large display wall can exponentially enhance your visualization experience by letting everyone from engineers and geologists to CEOs all see the “big picture”. They can also, with a touch of button, share this picture with people across the globe via video conferencing, hence tapping into a bigger pool of talent for the ultimate collaboration.
As for the human factor, the key elements in term of technology are ease of use and reliability. This is where Cyviz R&D is focused. We aim to eliminate all reasons for users to walk away from a meeting or a collaboration session because the technology is too difficult to use or is unreliable. Creatures of habit find excuses to go back to their old habits. We strive to eliminate these excuses.
Can you give a recent example of where Cyviz helped a DOF implementation project?
The most advanced implementation that we have been involved with is at PDO. PDO is streets ahead in terms of connecting the field to their headquarters. PDO aims to achieve this by implementing a wide scale Collaborative Work Environments in all of their field offices. The implementation is ongoing and the first phase showed very encouraging results.
What are the most common misconceptions you find about DOF implementation?
I0 do not think there are misconceptions. I think the industry realizes that implementing a DOF is not a plug and play thing. Building the ecosystem of a DOF is a huge task. It is an ongoing process of integration, optimization, and collaboration.
What interests you about IDOC 2012, and what do you hope to get out it?
IDOC seems to attract key industry veterans. It is a great place to meet, discuss, listen and learn about the industry’s successes and failures. What is most interesting to me is to learn about the new challenges facing the industry. IDOC should give us some food for thought.
