RoboBusiness conference – showcasing the future - Beaming-in

Don’t just fly, don’t just drive, don’t just walk, and don’t park yourself in a closed Video Conference

Beam is here to place you at site of action! Beam-in and be part of the fun at the site.

Those of you who think, being there is important, but difficult and expensive – Beam-in is a real option!

I went to Santa Clara Convention Center, CA to attend the opening session of the RoboBusiness conference. I woke-up an hour before the event in Mumbai, India and took my “Beam-walk” at 6.40AM Indian time. Six hours before, I took a very useful driving training from Suitable Technologies, the company supporting the conference with “Beam” attendance.

Walking through the exhibition, I visited 5 stalls showcasing the state-of-art innovative products in robotics. Examined the product demonstration and discussed one-on-one with the innovators! I exchanged pleasantries with quite a few participants and watched some of the working robots in action. You can link to my G+ post for some of the interesting products.

This is a very invigorating experience. Something, I will remember and use for rest of my life!

1.          The world is open to walk-around. It is not just another Video-Conference from a fixed set of locales
2.        It allows the stake-holders to meet at regular work-place, rather than at a “staged” room
3.       Virtual teams are now not so impersonal. Team members can meet at different venues and deliberate
4.      People-to-People contact is now without all the complexities of inter-continental travel.

The “Beam’s” pictures and features are on the web site of the company. It is very easy to learn and navigate. The computer needs are very standard; the communication should strong and reliable.

My experience is worthwhile to open the avenue of opportunity. The personnel manning the booths, participants and other “Beam” walkers, all recognized the novelty. They all acknowledged the value of a “Beamer” from India joining the conference and deliberating with them. It was possible to zoom-in to their products and demonstrations, while meeting the presenter personally! I am planning to join all the keynote presentations in next 2 days and perceive the power of being there!

• Managers now have a tool to walk into their work-centers and offices
• Lead Scientists can go into their world-wide labs to examine prototypes and results
• Social Leaders can do public meetings and interactions on “Beam”
• Big-Fat weddings can have world-wide well-wishers join through "Beam"!

The possibilities are large and with 4G coming into India (and many other parts of world), this could be one of the directions the next decade will take.

Computer Science -vs- Computerization

Computer Science (CS) is a flag-bearer of 21^st century human enterprise. It is all pervasive and is radically transforming everything from an Abacus to Z-transform (A to Z). For most of us and especially in the typical company’s IT department, the computer science is – i) Modern hardware (Smart phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and printers); ii) Infrastructure (Storage, network, IDC etc) and iii) Applications (MS-Office, Emails, ERP (SAP or equivalent). Two additional aspects – iv) Access Control and v) Security complete the typical staffing and emphasis of most IT departments in any company. In this post, understanding of what Computer Science offers and what Computerization defers (takes away) will be examined. There is urgent need to rethink how Computerization is thought about and implemented in companies to utilize the power of Computer Science.

Petroleum E&P needs Computerization that fosters Computer Science to achieve the performance beyond the marginal

A.                 Computer Science (CS)

Computer Science (CS) is among the world’s most “Open” and “Equal-Opportunity” branch of “Knowledge”. I am learning Python and wish to do Python+R coding to address some innovations I have conceived. Just every one reading this post has same opportunity to learn and be “Creative” in (or with) CS – with or without any formal degrees, recognitions or affiliations. Any number of examples can be cited to show how individual private efforts created new innovation in Computer Science.

Due to its (CS) promiscuity with almost every branch of human intellect and conduct, there is often an overlook to the core tenets of this subject matter. It covers many specialized areas of electronics, logic, mathematics, classification and organization methods. The unique approaches developed in CS created a revolution in human thought and contribution. Computer Science is best characterized by the way computer scientists approach the problem solution. Through their novel approach, the CS developed and delivered results with certain fundamental principles and practices. These are:

1. Abstraction                    : Right from the principle of semi-conductors through the binary arithmetic to the progressive building of complex standards and services like ASCII coding, TCP/IP, Logic Programming, Encapsulation, Objects, Knowledge Representation and Ontologies – are built logically and reversibly on robust abstraction.

2. Generalization             : Principles of data structures, database definitions, Codd’s relational model, Java architecture or Organization of WWW, are powerful examples of multitude generalizations, which do not limit to any single subject or aspect of human endeavor. CS brought forward the possibility that strong principles and inventions are defined by their ability to go across human boundaries. Universal appeal of the products and derivatives of computer (and communication) sciences arrive from the power of generalization

3. Scalability                      : The ability to seamlessly scale from supporting a smartphone with processing capability to form a network of a million computers to address complex problems is easily grasped by most of us. There is another unique aspect of CS scaling. It is about integrating the different foundation principles and building blocks to create a vastly complex new technology – aggregating and enhancing. 

This is more akin to life that uses “simple & robust” building blocks and creates everything from a bacterium to man – billions of them.  

CS is a bit like “God”, one perceives it in proportion to one’s grasp, capability and outlook!

B.                 Computerization

Computerization is the term used in formal organizations to describe the role of the “IT” department. Since the early days in 1970s when more and more companies started using computers for business and work, the IT department came into existence and sustenance. In Wikipedia, Computerize refers to:

è Equipping with a general purpose computer, or computer system

• Inputting data (computing) into computers
• Digitizing information for computers
• Creating computer-generated content

Because the remaining 3 aspects “inputting, digitizing and creating” is done by users from business, the role is dominantly towards “Equipping”. That is exactly typical IT department delivers! Check your IT department home-page for its services to confirm this approach!

Throughout 20^th century, the IT department and its work is typically “Cost”. Very few measures exist in most businesses to measure and quantify the value of IT.  

Collins English dictionary states “Computerization” as – ” the conversion of work or processes to control by computer” – a very important distinction from earlier definition in Wikipedia. Sadly, many IT departments align with this simple tenet ONLY for the ERP based processes. Long-live SAP!

Equipment + Processes (ERP) + Access Control + Security + Cost are the universe of Computerization as practiced. 

The consequences are:

1. Computers have been made a “Commodity” NOT a technology for “Innovation or Growth”
2. Users are required to follow the “Rules” and “conduct” as defined by ERP or the IT policy – no other expectations. This “de-empowers” the users – a big loss of intelligence in most organizations!
3. Competencies of IT department and the wider business users are never guided towards the core strengths and features of Computer Science. Therefore, they remain in the periphery of man-kind’s most impressive technological leap. This “denies” organizations the advantages of CS.

21^st Century needs in Alignment of Computerization principles with Computer Science.

The first step to supporting strong Computer Science use in organizations is to recognize that "we're doing it wrong for the present century’s capability". The first mistake we made was in the organizational model. Centralized, IT-dominated computerization models are not conducive to empowering end users. Technology leaders should replace the existing Service-Customer or Control-Controlled relationship that persists between IT and the business with a cross-functional team that blends CS and business skills."

C.                 Transforming Computerization Fundamentals

Being at the cross-roads of a transforming world, stuck in the past and unclear about the future the approaches available need to allow continuity of present and favorably receive the future. 

1. Create a separate IT department or controlled outsourcing of the “classical IT” elements.
2. Pursue consistent and wide-spread “CS trainings” – supported by HR, compensation and performance metrics.
3. Develop a comprehensive “data management” framework to capture all digital data into formal structured databases. 
4. Nurture an "Ecosystem of Creativity" using CS. Empower all users with tools and techniques to facilitate solution creation.
5. Capture and convert individual innovations into proper engineered solutions and deliver for wider use.

Companies which can “Crowd Source” and “Capture” intelligence and innovation embedded in their workforce will have distinctive advantage when the business models change from “quantity” to “quality” of knowledge.

It is not an issue of cost or funds. It is a matter of conception and perception.

SWN case history of success with data and analytics

Southwestern Energy (SWN) is an independent E&P company with ~$14Billion market cap and ~4TCF reserves is bringing quantum growth in performance over the past decade, producing ~3% of USA gas supply with over 3000 wells.

E&P Magazine has showcased webcasts from (on) SWN highlighting their approach as an example of systematically adopting information technology, data management and big-data analytics. 

1.  Oil & Gas: Big Data Management:

Most people think the business as molecule of Hydrocarbon; SWN CEO articulates the business as – information processing (never touching the molecule). Exploration, Development and Production as information maturity gates emulating old-time EDP (Electronic Data Processing).

Creating a complete, competent and correct data management system, and arriving at a single-source of truth is shown in their case history.

Everything one can imagine is on the E&P data complexity. Key to success is within the data. It is not just to standardize, but to work for detecting and value creating from the anomalies. 

2. Leveraging Business Intelligence to get the 360 Degree View: 

The SWN CEO expands on their drilling information system and its optimization for managing the large number of wells. Integration of Technical, Operational, and Business systems provides a complete unified information view of the business. Their investment into information maturity is highlighted by the SWN Management view of the E&P business as the information management.  

3. The Game Has Changed: 

The SWN CEO brings forth how ‘right people working for the right things’ is achieved by – i) “can-do” workers who are loyal to the company; ii) Seamless information through overhaul of their infrastructure (IT); and iii) Process transformation with 360^◦ view {PastàPresentàFuture} and data driven KPI.  SWN identifies it as their business transformation, showing in performance and value. 

The path to successful value creation in E&P is clearly through information maturity and integrated processes driven by ‘right people doing right job’. Considerable drive, investment and knowledge are needed to follow the path to value creation. Value of Information (VoI) is the power of 21^st century.

“Growth is Living with the Information”.

 

Actionable Data

In this world of information overdrive, gigabyte is poverty (megabyte is abject penury), terabyte is the middle-class and petabyte is the target of growth! The Richie-rich are already at Exabyte and wanting to get Zettabytes!

None of data and information comes free, like the imaginary free-lunch; there is no cost-less data. As it gets cheaper to obtain data, it is fast becoming a curse like plastic. In life’s quests ranging from best travel deals, affordable real-estate, medical diagnostics to petroleum discovery the entire gamut is ridden with data and information. There is a big bad world of data sellers, who will sell you expensive latest data for a fancy million dollar price. DME (Data Marketing Executive) comes in all professional forms from a Chartered Accountant, Specialist Intervention Cardiologist, Personal Equity manager, Business Process Consultant, to Specialist Petroleum GeoScientist!

I can’t resist, You can’t resist and nobody can resist the temptation of acquiring the super-duper data from the latest gizmo at an affordable $12.5MM, with a promise to solve all worldly problems interrupting a $10B business opportunity! With such possibilities powerfully presented on  PowerPoint, especially in Petroleum E&P company MM gets treated as small as a millimeter!

There is a sensitive balance between the cost, quantity and actionability of information (or data). One can acquire a lot of high-fidelity information (at some cost) but may be incapable of acting on it. Many different examples can be shown to elucidate this situation.

1.      Stuck in a Mumbai traffic jam, with not an inch to move in any direction, any amount of detailed real-time information about the free-way 2km away is interesting, reassuring and comforting – but not actionable!

2.      After getting a nemesis assessment for the advanced cancer, and demonstrated lack of response to all drugs, any further new data of the progress of cancer in the body is – just more worrisome details and not actionable!

3.      Standing on the bow of Titatic as it is about to hit the ice-berg, the detailed data of seagulls which are sleeping on the bars of the deck is irrelevant, unconnected and not actionable!

4.      Watching rapidly declining production of oil or gas wells which are following their predecessors in death, all further high-resolution real-time well sensor data is great, but not necessarily actionable!

5.      When the entire reservoir model is a gross large-scale assessment, obtaining detailed instrumental data for 1cm core sample, is wonderful science but not always actionable!

Smartness lies in knowing what data is actionable and only pay for it!

{In this schematic representation, note the information value of the new data is tapering off in different situations. The actionable information is marked by <-- double arrow line -->. All investments in data beyond that level is futile}

Science and Technology continues to strive to make data actionable beyond the “typical” limits in different areas. Different situations elicit different sensitivity to more data and actionability. The relevant processes, process-response understanding, control mechanisms, response-ability, action-costs and other socio-political aspects intervene.

Business who have acquired Petabytes or more data needs to access how much of their data is “acted upon”, providing business relevant answers or corrections. Most expensive data are largely not actionable! They are acquired and collected as a trend or a fashion to keep up with peer pressure or for other personal gains!

Let us recognize the various types of data: 

1. Actionable data
2. Interesting data
3. Fashionable data
4. GIGO (Garbage In - Garbage Out)data

Next time you see the Petabyte think what is in it!

PRISM the colorful Information

I remember the first time I experimented with a prism in my secondary school science class. The grace and wonder of the multitude colors coming out a seemingly innocuous white light is mesmerizing.

The prism is possibly the simplest and most inspiring tool or technology that made humans wonder and discover the entire science of mankind.

The NSA surveillance program PRISM is an example of using “metadata” from noisy, large-volume and dynamic digital contents for “intelligence”. Metadata examination exploits two factors. One is technological, the other legal. The technological one is the development of algorithms that can search through telephone call logs, sms traffic, email flows, internet search and view, social media traffic, chatting patterns or map locations and derive ‘colorful’ patterns of behavior. Rightfully named as PRISM, it shows the colors of the digital metadata. The point is this: the messages themselves are not read, even the telephone numbers are not looked at. Only the patterns of activity as seen in the metadata drive the prism.

All of us, who come to work, leave a high-resolution digital footprint. From the ‘swipe-in’ till ‘swipe-out’ almost everything the white-collar worker does creates a digital record. For example, in a large office complex, the swipe data is enough to make a very intricate inference about working, leisure, eating, interfaces, team-work, climate-impact, and many others. It is possible to recreate the architecture of the complex from swipe data alone. If we complement with employee LDAP, a very unique interpretation of team dynamics can be gauged. Automate car tags and employee’s mode-of-transport, optimal parking management is a small fringe product. Compound it with the PC usage, file-stamps, emails, shared-drive consumption and internet access, an intricate footprint can be created.

The entire productive work is done with some kind or other of digital imprint. These carry time, location, uid, object, and resource measures. SAP transactions, application license logs, file-system usage under each uid and the swipe-card based location access details are nearly complete representation of everyone’s work done at the office complex!

PRISM is a beautiful back-office technology that can differentiate the red from violet and present an intricate detail of the thousands of personnel who work in an office complex. By creating a contextual business information framework model to obtain few levels of business and asset related metadata, the system can completely provide all necessary details.

People Management, Organization modeling or Process Architectures are far from being science. Their methods and implementations are far-cry from the 21^st century technology. They are quite unstructured, semantically weak and highly subjective to exploit the information revolution. Consequently, it is nearly impossible to determine their efficacy or predict their outcomes in any verifiable manner.

IT footprint record with careful metadata creation and analysis will do everything and much beyond the so called conventional process remodeling! This exploit is vital for all kinds of systems including organizations, businesses and management in this decade. It is restricted mainly due to various organizations’ mindsets and culture which are resident in 20^th century! Most managers cannot visualize the potential or identify the environment needed to cultivate the VIBGYOR! Often we are content with the black and white or unaware of color!

PRISM is low-cost, guaranteed to perform, non-intrusive and can show you lots of color.

Image & Reference to PRISM news:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/12/heres-everything-we-know-about-prism-to-date/

Accountability of the Highly Rated

Italian scientists jailed for six years after failing to issue warnings ahead of deadly L’Aquila earthquake

This is an important development that addresses accountability of the highly rated professionals. As human beings are developing more complex systems and interfaces, the clear process à Response relationships are getting difficult to demonstrate. It could be betting of high-profile individuals in IPL, assessed loss in coal-blocks, extent of land damage in illegal mining, ground-water contamination in a state, downgrade of reserves in a field or decline of production in a plant.

All these and many more have serious impact on the lives of millions of people – often irreversibly. Very routine things like the shampoo, hair dye or the off-shelf pain killer tablet all carry unknown accountability and responsibility of the makers. Examples from proliferation of DDT or Plastics are clearly visible as global problem to see.  Often, the people and organizations that create, publicize, make-you-trust, sell and become “standards” in our lives are driven by highly rated.

A specialist doctor who needs a 30day forward booking, elite scientist who graces all big events, attractive star who advices health and fairness,  big bull CEO who claims new BT food, and the high-profile bureaucrat who announces national water policy – all of them are HIGHLY PAID and VENERATED. They carry expensive price-tags often making millions in their career doing such high-value things. When these go wrong, they also expose millions of people, life and environment to serious sufferings.

There is seldom any accountability to such high-profile “postures” in modern society. It gets very difficult to pin the responsibility to any specific people, and much more difficult to prove it in court and get punishment. This is due to – the millions of ‘escape paths’ such functions have. They can state, that the data was wrong, the computer program was only 32bit precision (while it needs 128bits), the implementation didn’t see the ‘cautions’ raised in report, uncertainty with science and hundred other things. It is so easy to escape from any wrong happening, whereas, invariably all of them accrue wealth from all good outcomes.

In view of the extensive impact that the failures cause, there is reason why the high-profile people and companies are accountable. After all, they benefit from the successes, therefore, they have right to be given responsibility for the failures! In this 21^st century, the ability or need to work on “Trust” is unnecessary. Science being practiced as a “TRUSTFUL” activity is creating unalterable damage.  Science needs to be verifiable and auditable. The problem is global, national, social, within companies, and within individual teams.

There is an irrevocable need to bring accountability in complex processes at all levels.

This is possible by implementing proper databases, workflow systems, analytics and publication of information. Business Information Framework is the information solution that brings “ACCOUNTABILITY”.

All the great men and women, please note, you can, should and in 21^st century will be made accountable.

Workflows

Workflows are the game-changers in the formulation of 4th Paradigm. Almost all aspects of modern human endeavor involves workflows of one kind or another. Business, Commercial, Governance, Science and Technologies have always adopted some kind of workflows. Simple things like changing  the security level on the facebook account to clearing a space-craft pre-launch test, everything follows a pre-defined sequence of steps or a workflow. The context, scope and applicability of workflows in complex businesses like petroleum E&P are wide. Before attempting to address such complex systems in to a package of “Standard Operating Procedures” or “Processes & Workflows”, it is necessary to understand what workflows are and how they manifest.

Workflow is –

1.      A Sequence of connected Steps with definitive INPUT -> PROCESS -> OUTPUT.
2.      Every step of a workflow transforms the input into the output through a sequence of physical, logical or computational stages.
3.      It is an abstraction of the actual work. It can be treated as the LOGICAL representation of the work on a paper through some common notation.
4.      In the context of 4th Paradigm Science (Science of 21^st century), Workflows are treated slightly more intensely.

This brief description of workflow has emerged from years of working with Workflows in various organization models, commercial processing (e.g. Insurance claim), Industrial shop-floor, Instrumental methods of Science, and Computer Software Development.

When a workflow is taken on to some kind of computer based system and delivered as a solution (either on WWW or on other tools), it grows to describe the various levels of “Business Processes”. A large number of “Business Transformation” exercises aim to relook at the process hierarchy and arrive at a set of workflows and deliver it on some kind of computer platform (commonly SAP or similar ERP).

A hierarchy is now formed. 1) Process Category à 2) Process Group à 3) Process Principal and à 4) Activity. Workflows capture the flow very elegantly and precisely for a well-defined ‘Activity’. Within higher levels above activity, workflows show how orchestration of information flow, assessment, evaluation or decision making process is conducted in achieving collective goals from multiple activities in the context of the process level. Essentially, it is just an aggregation of information embedded in lower-level workflows.

“Workflows, Workflows everywhere and not a task to innovate” ?!

There is some difference in the way workflows (and their hierarchic masters – Process elements) behave in different situations and contexts. SAP (www.sap.com) is a popular Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system used in many organizations for managing standard workflows in many non-technical business areas (Finance, HR, Procurement etc.). Most of the IT programming is devoted to establishing workflows in commercial systems area. Banks, Airline ticketing, tax payments, stock-trading etc. demonstrate mature workflow based interfaces and usage. Basic concepts of workflow and methods of management of workflows  in commercial business processes is available (http://wwwis.win.tue.nl/~wvdaalst/workflowcourse/ ).

Commercial and Scientific (Engineering) workflows differ in many aspects. Science embarks on Discovery, whereas standard commerce addresses existence. New invoice processing has no new discovery embedded; it makes a SET transformation of input to output. A new airline ticket booking, a new leave application processing, or new inventory order are not expected to result into a new discovery.

• Analysis of a production profile of a well can easily and often spawn a new discovery and pattern hitherto unknown.
• New sample analysis using X-Ray microscopy can lead to a discovery of a new mineral or new composition.
• An experiment in genomics can identify a new epigenetic variation.
• A new scan of the Southern Sky with the LSST telescope may discover a new planet made of diamonds!

Two clearly different types are workflows are noticeable; Tethered : Untethered

1. Tethered: (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tethered ) is about workflows that are designed to be “restrictive” holding the flow in place and allowing a “defined short room” for any changes to the predetermined course. It holds the flow “in place”. When the activity or task (e.g. invoice processing or leave approval) has definitive and firm options and flow towards the logical result, it is designed as a tethered workflow. ERP systems are ingenious in allowing a wide variety of tethered workflows covering most (if not all) business, commercial, inventory, logistics and similar processes.

When a sequence of steps is DEFINITIVE and BINDING with EXACT set of options and RESULTS (Tethered)

2.    Untethered: (untethered - not confined or restricted with a tether unbound - not restrained or tied down by bonds). Untethered workflows are designed to liberate the process element and allow ‘controlled variation, to its sequence or approach.

Steps are DIRECTIVE and INTELLIGENTLY CONDITIONAL with INEXACT set of options and thus VARIABLE RESULTS (Untethered). The sequence, the nature of options, parameters of running a step, and the method of screening the further course of action – any or all may change with the data conditions and the analyst’s judgment – within a broader boundary of the workflow.  

E.g. Invoice Processing – Tethered; Climate Prediction – Untethered. Task steps could even become abstract and broad guidance rather than specific directive!

e-Science is a term close to the 4th Paradigm wherein, the various steps in Science are carried out through a workflow addressing –

1. The steps and flow are formally defined using established notations and structures
2. Standards for Quality assessment at each step and across the entire workflow are specified and often measured within the workflow
3. Workflow is amenable for analysis and assessment (e.g. Petrinets)
4. Integrate with necessary process (Numerical – Math/Stats/Graphics, Instrumental – DCS/SCADA, Physical, Communications etc.)
5. Delivery and Distribution on platform (internet) for wider usage

Tethered and Untethered workflows are determined from the characteristics of the activity. Uncertainty, inferential deduction, multiple possible outcomes, natural system analysis, complex inter-dependencies and intricate data elements – all drive towards untethered workflow descriptions.

Reasons for seeking Untethered workflows are numerous in E&P (being a very complex science, technology, data and inference based deduction).

1.      Sequence of steps cannot be defined DEFINITIVELY due to continued changes to processing elements
2.      Steps are subject to change with data and analytical results
3.      Targets are NOT exactly the same with different runs of the workflow. Analyst (E&P professional) is targeting slightly different result on same data and workflow.
4.      Larger amounts of data, which cannot be confided into a precise sequence.
5.      Commercial workflows typically are transactional (your invoice processing and then mine), Scientific systems tend to look into entire data (relationships of invoice values with age, sex, rank etc.)
6.      Heterogeneous and Distributed techniques (stats or math methods), rendering (graphics) and resources (grids, super-clusters, special software).

It is not just impractical but can also be counterproductive  to force a tethered workflow on to a untethered problem. Inability to distinguish these two kinds of processes often leads to SAPping the whole world!

Taverna (www.taverna.org.uk ), Myexperiment (www.myexperiment.org ) have embarked on bringing Scientific Workflow systems into practice and creation of new scientific discovery. Biosciences, Astronomy and Physics are leading the initiative. These Workflows have created wonders in the collective quality and discovery in these areas. Clearly the known Science Workflows have not adopted the best of commercial Workflow systems like SAP.

It is essential to bring Petroleum E&P with all its sciences and technologies into correct perspective and prepare adopting proper workflows and suitable system tools. Not adopting Workflows today is akin to using snail-mail (post-card) only for communication! But adopting a SAP system to drive E&P is like using a road-roller to go drive everywhere.