Case Study on how Columbia Natural Resources used hand held computer devices to save 300 man hours per month

1. Case
Study
Natural Gas Producer
COLUM BIA NATURAL RESOURCES
Columbia Natural
Resources Saves 300 Comparing mobile computers with manual computers are key components of a
methods of capturing data on Columbia business automation system that saves
Labor Hours a Month Natural Resources’ (CNR) natural gas wells CNR more than 300 hours of labor each
with Mobile is like comparing today’s e-mail with month by eliminating duplicate data
yesteryear’s Pony Express. The first is entries and the subsequent errors those
Computing designed to deliver data or messages entries could introduce.
directly from point to point quickly and
accurately. The second may or may not Prior to the system’s implementation, the
deliver the messages in a timely manner – well tenders had to write each well’s
depending on the thousands of variables production information into a logbook
the horse and rider encounter along the and transcribe the information onto data
At a Glance path. entry forms. The forms were mailed to
headquarters, where clerks manually
Industry: “Our old manual method of data collection input the data into the company’s
was labor intensive, error prone and time computerized accounting and production
Field Service
consuming,” said Jack Watson, CNR vice data system.
Market: president of operations. “The new mobile
Utilities computing system allows our company to As one of the largest producers of natural
Application: collect, record and capture data in one gas and oil in the Appalachian basin, CNR
Inspection and Survey seamless process.” needed an automated data-collection
system that not only offered cost
Products:
Rugged Hardware Required efficiency, but one that was also reliable in
6920 Communication Software
More than 100 of CNR’s well tenders (field a variety of harsh outdoor conditions. Well
6360 Rugged Mobile Computer
personnel who monitor well activity) use tenders would be taking the mobile
Intermec Custom Application
ruggedized mobile computers from computers in vehicle mounts over rutted,
Intermec Technologies Corp. to capture unpaved roads to well sites. The comput-
data on each of the company’s 9,000 ers had to operate without incident in hot,
production wells in a six-state region. The humid, rainy and snowy weather.

2. COLUM BIA NATURAL RESOURCES
Taking It Out For a Test Drive wells. He or she also takes measurement
Rollout of CNR’s mobile computing readings on the amount of natural gas
program followed a two-month pilot coming from each well. This information is
project that enabled 12 volunteer well essential in determining production
tenders to “test drive” the computers. volumes and calculating payments to
owners of the minerals.
“We wanted to try the mobile computers
in field conditions,” said Roy York, CNR’s Well tenders transmit their collected data
director of pipeline systems and supervi- to the computer network at CNR head-
sor of the pilot project-working group. quarters on a weekly or daily schedule. To
“We also wanted to find ways to make the download the information, a well tender
units as user-friendly as possible before sends it either by telephone line or
being distributed throughout the through an Intermec docking unit in the
company.” local field office.
Reliable Customized Software Solution Intermec 6920 communication software,
To aid in usability, CNR and Intermec along with a server software solution,
developed customized software for the “The Intermec equipment has proven its handles communications between CNR’s
handheld devices. Each company reliability in the most rugged and difficult dispersed field servers and mobile
independently built its components so weather extremes. It’s also easy to use and computers.
when the “engine” was assembled; the cost competitive,” Shaffer continued.
combined system delivered the expected Efficiency at the Well Head
performance. Armed with Information Shaffer has traveled the sometimes-rough
In addition to enabling well tenders to terrain of many projects in his 15-year
“With Intermec personnel developing the record and transmit information, the information technology career. “This
well tending data collection piece and mobile computers contain production project, because of its logistics, personnel
CNR personnel developing the historical data for a well tender’s specific wells. This issues and new technology, could have
data view, report collection and back-end information includes historical volumetric been one of the most difficult,” he said.
program integration, things went very records and reserve information. By “Instead it turned out to be one of the
smoothly,” Jack Shaffer, manager of having such information in hand, the most successful and enjoyable projects
network services, said. tender is better able to service wells and I’ve had the pleasure of leading. I give
understand trends. The information can credit to the dedication of the Intermec
The result is reliable, accurate and user- easily be shared among personnel to employees assigned to the project. Their
friendly software that helps a well tender accommodate reassignments, new hires, attention to detail and customer service
become comfortable with a mobile illness or vacations. allowed it to be a complete success.”
computer. Data entry is simplified and the
computer confirms the information as it is Each well tender at CNR is responsible for
entered. maintaining and reporting on 60 to 120
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