Implementation of lean knowledge work in oil and gas industry - a case study from a Risk-Based Inspection project

Professional engineering service-delivering firms (PESDFs) that provide knowledge-intensive technical services to oil and gas (O&G) operators are under pressure to deliver their services/products in a more effective and efficient way, especially in the current oil crisis situation. While the objective of the firms is to deliver the highest value to their clients, waste is still embedded in the processes involved in value delivery. One initiative to cater for the aforementioned is to implement lean principles that have evolved in the manufacturing industry during the past few decades. The main challenge is to translate these principles to knowledge-intensive technical services that have completely different characteristics when they are compared with manufacturing settings. A case study from a Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) assessment project is undertaken to illustrate the potential of lean implementation. The Value Stream Mapping (VSM) technique is employed to identify the waste as well as to provide recommendations for future process improvements.