The 2022 ASUG State of the Oil, Gas, and Energy (OGE) Industry Research show SAP customers already strongly focused on cloud strategy and implementations and seeking more, particularly cloud analytics and dashboards.
These were among the findings in this year’s research, one of several industry-specific studies ASUG conducts each year. For ASUG members, the data provides context to view themselves versus their peers.
In addition, the research provides important context for SAP and ASUG to collaborate on themes and the session framework for the upcoming ASUG Best Practices: SAP for Oil, Gas, and Energy. Find more information on that event and register here.
Here are further details from the 2022 research; data and analyses are based on more than 60 responses.
Trends and concerns unique to the OGE industry include the substantial demand for renewables and environmentally friendly solutions and challenges presented by rising oil and commodity prices.
- 26% of participants said the topic industry trend is rising prices of oil/ commodities
- 26% also said the shift to sustainability is the biggest trend
- Adapting to technology changes is topmost on the minds of 18% of respondents
- Keeping up with ever-changing technology was a concern identified by 19% of the participants
- Data protection and security are concerns identified by 22% in the survey
- And only 10% said that sustainability is their biggest concern or pain point related to technology, job, or industry.
Importantly, OGE companies voiced their needs for accessible, accurate, and secure data, as data privacy/security surfaced as the #1 challenge identified by SAP customers that are moving to the cloud.
SAP customers in OGE are looking to innovate using cloud, IoT, and more analytics and dashboards.
- 85% of the participants said they have a cloud strategy in place; 15% said they exploring such strategies and not one participant said they are not exploring cloud strategies
- 11% of survey respondents said implementing automation/AI/Cloud are their highest priorities over the next two years
- Also over the next two years, Impactful technologies in the coming 12-24 months: 87% said cloud technologies would have the highest impact on their jobs; 85% said data analytics/dashboards would have high impact; and 72% said IoT.
Utilities reported concerns about and the need for help training and upskilling—for themselves and their teams.
- Employee training and upskilling is an important job factor according to 72% of respondents
- When asked where they need to most help and information, training and onboarding employees to use SAP products was cited by 28%; optimizing current technology products, 23%; integrating current technologies, 16%; exploring new technology products for future purchase, 16%; and implementing already-purchased new technology products, 16%
- Perhaps surprisingly, skills gaps is a concern identified by 7% of participants and only 9% said hiring will be their top focus area in the next 24 months.