1. Digital transformation discussion guide for customers in OIL/GAS, ENERGY
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HOW TO USE: This guide was created to provide a foundation for your digital transformation sales calls. The first two columns can help frame your customer conversations and should be tailored to your company’s offerings. The third column explains how Microsoft IoT solutions help meet the needs of the industry. The fourth column should be completed by you with examples of your unique solutions and services and how they deliver on the IoT promise. Examples are provided to get you started.
VALUE PROP: The Internet of Things (IoT) builds on the technology investments you have already made and brings your data together in new ways that engage your customers, empower your employees, optimize your operations, and transform your products to drive tangible, real-time business results. (Your name) delivers this value by integrating devices, systems, and people to enable the digital transformation.
(This is the value you provide to your customers. Modify to fit your unique value-add.)
SELLING OPPORTUNITY: About 5.5 million new devices are connected to the Internet every day1, representing a $1.7 trillion market opportunity by Taking advantage of this opportunity will require system integrators that can securely integrate these devices to new systems and software as well as legacy infrastructure to help businesses reduce costs and inefficiencies, increase revenues, and create new business models and opportunities.
1 Gartner press release, Nov. 10, IDC press release, Jun 2, 2015
WHO ARE WE SELLING TO? CEO, CFO, Utility board, managers: plant, operations, utility, supply chain
PAIN POINTS | CONCERNS
High-level challenges and objectives of businesses in the industry
PROBING QUESTIONS
Probing questions uncover the prospect’s unique challenges and objectives. (Add questions related to your offering.)
HOW CAN MICROSOFT HELP?
Microsoft digital transformation messaging
HOW CAN YOUR SOLUTION HELP?
(Tie the benefits of your solution back to pain points and Microsoft key messages.)
ENGAGE CUSTOMERS
Drive proactive customer engagement in power usage control.
Create positive customer experiences and public perception.
Provide public insight into key metrics to build positive perceptions and goodwill.
Differentiate products and services while keeping cost down.
Anticipate market demands and energy trends.
Secure customer trust in new technologies, data confidentiality, and how the data will be used.
How do you engage with customers, the public today?
What is their perception of your organization?
What would you like it to be?
How do you secure the data you collect and ensure it is used properly?
Do you have an advanced metering program in place? (utility)
How do you customize communications to diverse audiences?
Engage forward-thinking (and cost-conscious) customers with apps and portals that give them insights into energy usage.
Collect and curate data to build public perception and goodwill.
Deliver targeted, seamless, and differentiated customer experiences at the pump, in a retail store, and in an app, all while harnessing social analytics through mobile apps.
(Highlight ways your solution can help energy companies engage customers to engage customers, increase goodwill, and build a more efficient ecosystem.)
Examples:
Create portals that provide personalized information to customers, such as ways to save energy based on their consumption patterns.
Embed intelligence into existing appliances to allow consumers to monitor usage and control appliances remotely.
EMPOWER EMPLOYEES
Do more with fewer employees.
Decrease time spent in the office filling out paperwork.
Create tech-savvy workforce that embraces innovation.
Ensure data security, even with a BYOD policy.
Help employees be more efficient.
Can your employees complete their work in the field or do they have to spend time in the office filling out paperwork?
Do your employees have access to the information they need to make decisions? To engage with customers?
Are your employees using their own devices?
Engage employees and attract younger workers with familiar devices and apps that make work inviting and help ensure data is kept secure, edge to enterprise.
Provide employees with innovative apps and devices to complete work in the field and engage customers appropriately.
(Highlight ways your solution can empower employees in the energy industry to make smarter decisions faster.)
Improve customer satisfaction and create a more satisfying work environment by providing new field personnel with in-field access to customer information and other assets such as a troubleshooting knowledgebase.
Implement a secure BYOD policy that allows new field personnel to securely use their own cloud-based apps and devices in the field.
OPTIMIZE OPERATIONS
Reduce downtime (SAIDI, SAIFI, MAIFI for utilities, or production time for energy producers).
Improve power quality and stability.
Extend the life of aging assets.
Secure assets against cyber and physical threats.
Synthesize disparate systems, including structured and unstructured data, to surface meaningful actions.
Respond quickly to market fluctuations, such as price variability.
Keep up to date with changing/new regulations.
Integrate IT and OT (operational technologies)
Do you have visibility into asset performance and condition?
How confident are you in your security systems, both cyber and physical?
How do you currently store and archive exploration, production, and operations data?
How do you enable rapid scalability during shifts in demand and price?
How are your operational technologies integrated with your IT systems?
Gain insights into asset performance and health, reducing downtime and lowering OpEx through condition-based maintenance practices.
Identify problems before they affect power quality, power supply, or production runs.
Monitor and protect assets against suspicious activity with edge-to-enterprise security.
(Highlight ways your solution can help companies in the energy industry optimize their operations to decrease costs and reduce inefficiencies.)
Reduce downtime and decrease costs with systems that monitor asset health as well as environmental conditions that could impact performance.
Improve situational awareness and protect facilities and workers against potential physical threats by integrating your physical security systems to your IT systems.
TRANSFORM PRODUCTS
Reliably introduce green energy assets into power generation mix.
Prioritize projects.
Achieve price parity with lower-cost options.
Transform the utility/consumer relationship.
Where do you see your industry/business headed and what insights do you need to stay ahead of the curve?
What challenges keep you from achieving your goals?
If you could change anything about the way your industry works, what would it be?
Increase green energy offerings by using intelligent assets.
Take advantage of big data to spot and respond to market trends.
Use data to increase project bankability and improve operations to achieve cost parity.
(Highlight ways your solution can help companies in the energy industry deliver innovative solutions that increase energy efficiency.
Use adaptive analytics to monitor loads, efficiency, and demand and enable deeper penetration of renewables into local grids.
Improve bankability of solar and wind farms by monitoring the performance and health of key assets.
Improve consumer confidence by implementing sensors throughout sensitive points in the supply chain, such as pipelines near protected areas.