Internship at Schlumberger Limited

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Executive Summary

This is a coop report that focuses on Schlumberger Limited, its competitive advantages, strategies, history, and an internship project in Hub Web site development. Schlumberger Limited is an industry leader. Hence, it provided the best opportunities for internship experiences.

The company has relied on its products, services, and solutions to remain competitive and create products for the global market.

The Hub Web site project shows that internship taken in a professional organization exposes interns to vast experiences within their departments.

Moreover, interns learn from professionals, who have vast experiences and knowledge in the field. Schlumberger Limited has over 70 people who make significant IT decisions in the company. This exposed the intern to a complex organization that relies on advanced IT knowledge or usages.

Introduction

This is a coop report about an internship at Schlumberger Limited. The coop report presents training achievements in the IT department at Schlumberger for seven weeks. The report gives details about the company and the actual project undertaken during the internship, including accomplishments and challenges experienced throughout the training period.

Company Background

Schlumberger Limited is “the world’s leading supplier of technology, integrated project management and information solutions to customers working in the oil and gas industry worldwide” (Schlumberger, 2013). The company has more than 120,000 employees, who represent people from over 140 nationalities. Schlumberger’s employees work in over 85 countries globally. The company offers various “services and products for all stages of oil exploration and production” (Schlumberger, 2013).

Schlumberger has two main business segments. These include oilfield services and IT services. Oilfield services are a wide range of services and products that cover “formation evaluation through to directional drilling, well cementing and stimulation, well completions and productivity to consulting, software, and information management” (Schlumberger, 2013). On the other hand, IT infrastructure services are services that are responsible for supporting the main industry operational processes.

In the fiscal year 2012, the company recorded $41.73 billion in revenue. The company trades in the New York Stock Exchange (SLB), Paris, London, Amsterdam, and the SIX Swiss stock exchanges.

Schlumberger relies on an aggressive management strategy that covers 35 GeoMarket regions. The 35 GeoMarket regions focus on its global operations to provide “a single platform of contact at the local level for customers to reach the company” (Schlumberger, 2013). This ensures that the company consolidates its field operations from different locations to allow teams from various dispersed locations to deliver customized services that would meet the needs of customers.

The IT department and technologies have been effective in facilitating the outcome of GeoMarkets by providing avenues through which information and technical expertise reach customers. Moreover, technologies offer a means through which “Schlumberger engineers and geoscientists maximize technological synergies over the entire life of the field” (Schlumberger, 2013).

The company has gathered adequate knowledge in the exploration and production of oil for over 75 years. Moreover, Schlumberger has demonstrated its commitment to the use of technology and innovation in its processes through extensive research and a network of innovation centers. The company also derives its competitive advantage from the global outlook, which provides diversity among its workforce, international experiences that support local knowledge for excellent service delivery at any place.

Schlumberger constantly engages in research and development to obtain advanced techniques for its operations and procedures. It aims to offer leading-edge technologies and innovative solutions for oil and gas exploration from the reservoir to the surface.

The company has massive investments in the area of research and development because it believes that technologies are long-term strategies that would support and grow its operations. Schlumberger invests, “more each year in R&D than all other oilfield services companies combined” (Schlumberger, 2013).

Schlumberger has developed products, services, and solutions that rely on the combined domain “expertise, best practices, safe and environmentally sound well site operations, innovative technologies, and high-quality support” (Schlumberger, 2013). These products, services, and solutions strive to meet unique customer needs for enhancing oilfield efficiency, reducing costs, enhancing productivity, taking utmost advantage of reserve recovery, and promoting the value of assets in an environmentally acceptable way.

Currently, Schlumberger offers some of the most advanced oilfield services in the industry. It has the following oilfield services (Schlumberger, 2013):

Open-hole and cased-hole wireline logging
Drilling services
Well services, such as cementing, coiled tubing, stimulations and sand control
Well completion services including well testing and artificial lift
Interpretation and consulting services
Integrated project management

Schlumberger has been able to deliver these services, products, and solutions because of its strong technical and operational strategies in the industry. These approaches can support any form of complex global activities, including those in remote areas.

Schlumberger services aim to offer real-time solutions through the best expertise, knowledge, and experiences, which allow it to provide the best solution always. The company has a platform known as InTouchsupport.com, which is a knowledge management platform that offers field access to its technology center by using superior IT tools.

Schlumberger uses its IT tools to improve “production, reserves, and drill acceptable wells” (Schlumberger, 2013). It has Schlumberger Information Solutions (SIS), which provides best solutions through “people and processes, technology and infrastructure, and real-time IT enablers-delivering key value-adding solutions to overcome a myriad of challenges confronting industry operational processes” (Schlumberger, 2013). The platform facilitates workflow and achievement of business goals because of the domain knowledge and experience that the company has acquired over the years.

Schlumberger also has Integrated Project Management (IPM). The IPM is responsible for the company’s growth. It concentrates on enhancing post-plateau production and recovery, as well as solving the challenge of extensive resource requirements in the oil industry. IPM enhances the “long-term relationship between the company and the customer” (Schlumberger, 2013). Customers have derived enhanced efficiency, low investments, and improved production.

WesternGeco is a service platform that offers inclusive global reservoir imaging and monitoring. It has the most extensive “seismic crews and data processing centers in the industry, as well as the world’s largest multiclient seismic library coupled with 3D and 4D seismic surveys” (Schlumberger, 2013).

Schlumberger also aims to protect and sustain the environment in which it operates.

Schlumberger has one of the most extensive IT departments in the oil industry. There are over 70 key decision-makers at Schlumberger IT department.

SWOT Analysis

The company is a world leader in the industry. It supports oil and gas exploration and production globally. However, it also experiences different factors that control the oil and gas industry activities.

Strength

Schlumberger has a strong market position
The company has shown steady growths in revenues
The global presence and diversified services
A leader in technologies and innovation

Weakness

The slow growth of revenues in WesternGeco products and services
Too many companies, products, and services to track
Lawsuit challenges, e.g., Norwood Resources

Opportunities

Exposure to large international markets
Improve on existing technologies, innovations, and solutions
Peak supplies in the oil and gas industry
Continued exploration and discoveries of new oil fields
Incentives for new wells

Threats

Political risks in some major oil producing nations
Fluctuations in the oil market
Volatile industry
Competition from other innovative firms
Weakening dollar

Organizational Marketing Strategy

Schlumberger offers solutions, products, and services that appeal to the modern oil and gas exploration and production. It has modern products, innovative solutions, and technical consultancy services for many of its global clients. The company aims to create products and services that can be competitive in the fast-paced hydrocarbon market (Glickman, 2006). It strives to maintain the current supply and exploration. Schlumberger invests heavily in research and development, technologies, and other innovative solutions.

Schlumberger holds the leadership position in the oil and gas industry. The company uses a competitive pricing strategy to position itself in the market as the leader. This is also evident in its stock prices, which are always at a premium to competitors.

The company has strategically positioned itself as the market leader. The eastern presence has strengthened the company’s position in the region. As a result, it aims for the global market. Schlumberger has been able to succeed in international markets because of its aggressive approaches to oil and gas exploration to production.

Schlumberger uses promotional strategies by focusing on corporate social responsibilities. The company has embarked on aggressive environmental conservation.

Schlumberger uses traditional media and social media platforms for publicity.

Organizational Competitive Strategy

The company’s strong local background and investments in international markets have provided it with a competitive advantage, which has allowed it to enhance market share and presence in such regions. Schlumberger tends to employ native majorities from the countries in which it operates. Human resources are a key competitive tool for the company in a highly competitive industry. This has allowed it to gain a large market share and enhance the acquisition of local firms, e.g., in Russia.

Schlumberger has been able to leverage its technologies and innovative solutions to create competitive advantages. The company draws competitive strategies from technologically advanced solutions, services, and products. Moreover, Schlumberger constantly focuses on product and service improvement. The company has used WesternGeco to leverage its technological solutions. Schlumberger has been able to protect itself from sharing oilfield technologies with competitors.

Schlumberger uses advanced seismic services for oil and gas exploration, which allows it to remain competitive in the growing and demanding hydrocarbon markets.

The company has been able to increase its total revenues because of growing demands for oil and gas. This allows the company to operate with large profit margins.

Competitive Advantage

Schlumberger has key advantages in oil and gas exploration and production.

Thorough expertise in exploration and production process, which the company has accumulated for over 75 years
Extensive use of research, technology, and innovative approaches for several decades
A global presence coupled with local expertise and workforce diversity for over 140 nationalities
Excellence services in all branches

Conceptual Framework

This project involved the development of a Web site for Schlumberger. This process requires a conceptual framework that guides all the stages in a Web site development. A conceptual framework helps in determining the conditions, standards, and procedures necessary for the project to create a project of the maximum quality.

The initial stage involves the analysis of how the proposed Web site would contribute to the strategic goals of the organization. The process must account for the integration of the new Web site with the existing systems. It must also focus on the audience or end users. At this stage, the designer must evaluate the available data, software, hardware, and support team.

The second stage of the framework involves building specifications of the sight. They must include the overall layout, Web site navigation, and other requirements of a Web site. Consultation is critical in this phase. The developer should write the project proposal with its aims, costs, timelines, and responsible people.

The next phase involves the design and development of the site. The developer usually provides a model for the site navigation and content outlines for the proposed Web site.

The fifth phase is content writing. Contents of Web sites should not have irrelevant information. Also, content developers can rely on the available design template (Siegel, 1997).

The sixth phase entails writing of code. This process should not interfere with the design. Also, the Web site developer must understand the process interface to protect the design and navigation elements. This is an interactive process between the developer and the designer. The Web site graphic elements may be necessary for this process.

The seventh stage is testing. The process involves thorough testing of the site. This is mandatory because the Web site would have multi-users. The developer must review the Web site integration, stress, scalability, load, resolution, and compatibility with other software and hardware. The developer can apply both manual and automatic testing. For instance, it is critical for the developer to test for load graphic and time factor during loading of graphics (Mendelson and Simone, 2000).

Eighth, the developer should also conduct Web site promotion. This process normally involves reviewing meta tags, URL reviews, and search engine testing.

Finally, all Web sites require constant updates to allow them to function effectively. Further analysis may be required in this process. Also, the developer may repeat all other processes performed previously.

After all these processes, Web sites require constant promotion, technical maintenance, content management and regular update, site visit activity reports, user staff training, and mentoring” (Eccher, 2011). Complex Web sites may require in a complex organization may require frequent maintenance.

Web site development framework.

Figure 2: Web site development framework.

Technical part

The project

The technical part of the project involved Web site development. Hub Web site for Schlumberger has different departments and all employees. The process involved analyzing and including all data within all departments in the company.

The developer wrote codes for the Web site. The project involved understanding the project requirements and their roles in the site. This would be useful for re-design and update purposes.

The developer and team members reviewed the details to eliminate redundant content from the site. This also included the introduction of new contents for the site.

Feedback was critical for all processes of the Hub Web site development. It was useful for improving certain aspects of the project. For instance, the developer used feedback to develop new contents, introduce new materials, and re-arrange the headline. Presenting a perfect project required a thorough review of the code.

The developer ensured that all parts had the right information about various departments and the company.

Integration of segments was critical for the effective functioning of the Hub site. Designers and developers worked together to integrate their parts.

Methodological used

The development of the Hub Web site involved discussion with the team members, data collection, determination of gaps, and constant reviews with the supervisor.

The team distributed tasks among the members to facilitate the development of various parts of the site every week.

Limitations

In most cases, the task required for the development of the Hub Web site were numerous, but there was no adequate time for the project. Hence, the team developed most segments hurriedly.

New users experienced difficulties working individually. Writing the code presented challenges to new users. This hindered the progress of the project based on the schedule.

The developer faced constant challenges while developing the Hub Web site. However, IT specialists provided the required help for the interns. Moreover, systems also presented challenges during the project.

Finding

Web site development is an interactive process that must undergo all the necessary phases. Moreover, it requires teamwork between the designer and the developer at various stages.

The project promoted the aspect of self-learning. The developer acquired new knowledge and applied learned knowledge in real life situations. Such knowledge can help in restoring system failures, which normally affect IT projects negatively.

Summary of Findings and Recommendations

The internship provides opportunities for learners to interact with organizations, which have significant influences in industries in which they operate. The application of learned knowledge in such situation presents the best opportunities for interns to understand processes in the corporate world.

Projects shape interns and introduce them to possibilities of using their knowledge in real-world situations. Although there are challenges during project processes, learners must learn to overcome such challenges.

Multinational firms like Schlumberger have various methods of ensuring employees’ involvement. For instance, the Hub Web site brings all employees and departments together to allow employees to discuss their thoughts. Moreover, they exhibit creativity in terms of product, services, and solution development.

Conclusions

Internship programs have allowed interns to understand complex processes within the organization. Interns can put their expertise in a practical aspect of running the organization. Interns learn various strategies, which firms use to create competitive advantage and improve their marketing strategies.

Internship projects like the Hub Web site require teamwork, coordinated efforts, and feedback to ensure successful project completion.

References

Eccher, C. (2011). Professional Web Design: Techniques and Templates, (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Glickman, S. (2006). Schlumberger’s Savvy Oil Strategies. Web.

Mendelson, E. and Simone, L. (2000). Design A Great Site. PC Magazine, 19(10), 134.

Schlumberger. (2013). Schlumberger. Web.

Siegel, D. (1997). Creating Killer Web Sites. New York, NY : Hayden Books.

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