Expert exploration

Established in 1992, Interwell has grown to be a major player in increased hydrocarbon recovery and barrier security for global, upstream energy companies. Interwell employs people with extensive and diverse oil field experience in Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Middle East. This broad network of expertise allows the company to focus on the research, development, operation and testing of new and existing tools and technologies. Having built a valuable connection between the pragmatic and leading-edge aspects of oil recovery, Interwell emphasizes sensible but highly advanced solutions.

Need to act fast

Interwell’s products are designed for absolutely optimum performance; there are few businesses in the world where advanced technology, the harsh realities of climate/environment and strict regulations collide with such a magnitude.

Just a few years back, the company faced an increasingly disruptive issue – the handling of increasing volumes of computer-aided design (CAD) models and drawings. A constant flow of new, customized product adaptations for different clients created bottlenecks due to an inability to effectively manage this volume of data, as well as comply with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certifications and other safety regulations. The company needed to address these challenges, while still meeting its customers’ meticulous quality requirements and timelines. Moreover, if action wasn’t taken soon, it was expected that the burgeoning data management problem could escalate to the level of a serious operations problem.

High targets

Due to its complex and aggressive business environment, Interwell needed a solution that would provide lock-tight information technology (IT) security and thorough data traceability, as well as the ability to readily comply with ISO and national regulations. Taking an ambitious approach, Interwell management established high targets, knowing that solution deployment would have to be as fast and flawless as possible in order to keep the company’s regular production optimized. This would be challenging for both Interwell and its suppliers.

To meet the company’s product data management (PDM) challenges, Siemens Digital Industries Software’s Teamcenter® software was the right choice. Interwell was already using Siemens Digital Industries Software’s Solid Edge® software. “We had been using Solid Edge for about seven years; we’re very productive with this CAD software,” explains Anders Ratdal, the company’s managing director at the Trondheim branch. “Then, when the amount of drawings became increasingly larger, we had to find a solution to manage the document flow.” With Interwell’s confidence in Siemens Digital Industries Software and the tight integration between Solid Edge and Teamcenter, it was an obvious choice.

“We had to make a gradual but assertive transition from a PRM (partner relationship management) system to a PDM solution, and it was not always an easy path to walk,” notes Ratdal. “But we simply had to take this trip. Thanks to the powerful functionality of Teamcenter and the great work of the Siemens Digital Industries Software Norwegian affiliate, Summit Systems, we saw the final results emerging in the spring of 2011. Our new PDM system is already quite productive and, very soon, we will have Teamcenter in all of our departments. This is certainly a major breakthrough for us.”