Best Practices for Field Ticketing in Oil & Gas

Field ticketing in the oil and gas industry is a crucial process that, when executed correctly, can significantly enhance the efficiency and productivity of work crews, roustabouts, service technicians, water haulers, and other essential oilfield workers.

Current best practices for field ticketing in Oil & Gas include automation, mobile approvals and e-ticketing.

What is a Field Ticket?

A field ticket is a document used in the oil and gas industry to record the details of work performed or services provided at a job site. This can include labor, equipment usage, materials, and time spent. Field tickets serve as a crucial link between the field operations and the back office, ensuring accurate and timely invoicing, payroll, and job cost tracking.

Importance of Field Ticketing

Field ticketing, when done correctly, streamlines operations by providing a clear and accurate record of work performed. This helps in several ways:

1. Efficiency: By having detailed records, work crews can avoid redundant tasks and ensure they have the right tools and materials for each job.
2. Productivity: Accurate field tickets help in tracking the performance of work crews, enabling better scheduling and resource allocation.
3. Accountability: They ensure that all work is documented, which is critical for billing clients and paying employees accurately.
4. Compliance: Proper field ticketing ensures that operations comply with industry regulations and standards.

Best Practices for Oil & Gas Field Ticketing

Empower Vendors with Direct Access to SAP

Provide vendors with an intuitive portal where they can directly access their purchase orders (POs), check progress, and record services directly into SAP. This approach reduces administrative overhead and ensures that services are recorded accurately and in a timely manner, leading to improved on-time payments.

Ensure Real-Time Visibility and Flexibility

Embrace Digital Solutions

Embracing digital solutions like electronic field tickets offers a transformative shift from conventional paper-based ticketing systems, delivering substantial gains in productivity and efficiency. These solutions harness mobile apps or cloud-based software for immediate data capture, fostering seamless collaboration and heightened visibility throughout the operation. By eliminating physical paperwork, electronic field ticketing mitigates the risks associated with lost or damaged tickets, enabling swift and efficient data retrieval and analysis.

Standardize Processes

To standardize processes, it is essential to develop a uniform format for field tickets that can be used consistently across all job sites. This standardized format should include comprehensive fields for all necessary information, such as job details, labor, materials, and equipment used. By ensuring that every field ticket follows the same structure, companies can enhance the accuracy and reliability of the data collected. This consistency not only facilitates easier data entry and review but also ensures that all relevant information is captured systematically. Moreover, a standardized approach helps in training employees more effectively, as they become familiar with a single format, reducing the likelihood of errors and omissions. Overall, standardizing the field ticketing process is a crucial step towards improving operational efficiency and ensuring that all job-related data is accurately recorded and easily accessible.

Implement Automated Workflows

Implementing automated workflows optimizes electronic ticket processes, minimizing manual errors, expediting processing times, and bolstering overall efficiency. By establishing predefined approval workflows and integrating ticketing systems with pertinent software applications such as invoicing and production accounting, tasks like approvals, billing, and reporting are streamlined seamlessly. A critical time-saving feature of automation includes the capability to compare ticket details against statement or invoice data to pinpoint discrepancies beyond approved thresholds, empowering staff to focus on managing exceptions effectively.

Train Employees

Training employees is crucial to ensure that all personnel involved in field ticketing are adequately trained on how to fill out tickets accurately and completely. Providing regular training sessions helps keep everyone updated on any changes in procedures, ensuring that all staff members are aware of the latest practices and standards. This continuous education fosters a culture of accuracy and attention to detail, reducing the likelihood of errors and omissions in the field tickets. By investing in comprehensive training programs, companies can enhance the competency of their workforce, leading to more reliable and consistent data collection, which is essential for effective field ticketing and overall operational success.

Real-Time Data Entry

Encouraging real-time data entry is essential to avoid delays and ensure that information is as accurate as possible. This practice can be facilitated through the use of mobile devices and field ticketing apps, which allow workers to input data immediately as tasks are completed. By promoting real-time data entry, companies can significantly reduce the risk of errors and omissions that often occur when information is recorded later from memory. This approach ensures that the data captured is timely and precise, enhancing the overall reliability of the field tickets. Additionally, real-time data entry enables faster processing and analysis, allowing for more responsive decision-making and better resource management in the field.

Regular Audits

Conducting regular audits of field tickets is essential to identify any discrepancies or areas for improvement. These audits help maintain the integrity of the data by ensuring that all entries are accurate and complete. Regular reviews can also highlight patterns of errors or inconsistencies, providing valuable insights into where additional training or process adjustments may be needed. Additionally, audits ensure compliance with company policies and industry regulations, safeguarding against potential legal or operational issues. By systematically auditing field tickets, companies can enhance the reliability of their data, improve operational efficiency, and maintain high standards of accuracy and compliance.

Clear Communication

Maintaining clear communication between field crews and the back office is essential to ensure that any issues with field tickets are resolved promptly. This open line of communication helps prevent delays in invoicing and payroll processing, as any discrepancies or missing information can be addressed immediately. Effective communication ensures that all parties are aware of any updates or changes, reducing misunderstandings and errors. By fostering a collaborative environment where field crews and back office staff can easily share information and resolve issues, companies can streamline their operations and enhance overall efficiency. Clear communication is key to ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of field tickets, ultimately supporting better business outcomes.

Automating and E-Ticketing

The traditional paper-based field ticketing system has several limitations, including the risk of lost or damaged tickets, manual entry errors, and delays in data processing. Automating and implementing e-ticketing systems can address these issues and provide additional benefits:

Efficiency

E-ticketing systems significantly enhance efficiency by streamlining the process through electronic data entry and real-time submission of field tickets. This modern approach reduces the time spent on manual data entry, allowing field crews to focus more on their primary tasks. By minimizing the need for paper-based records, e-ticketing systems also reduce the likelihood of errors that often accompany manual entry. The immediate submission of electronic tickets ensures that data is quickly and accurately captured, facilitating faster processing and better overall workflow management. This increased efficiency leads to improved productivity and more effective resource utilization across the board.

Accuracy

Automated systems greatly enhance accuracy by ensuring that all required fields are completed and by validating data for accuracy. This reduces the risk of discrepancies that often occur with manual data entry. Automated validation checks help to catch errors in real-time, preventing incomplete or incorrect information from being submitted. This systematic approach ensures that the data collected is precise and reliable, supporting more accurate record-keeping and reporting. By minimizing human error, automated systems contribute to higher standards of accuracy, which is crucial for effective field ticketing and overall operational efficiency.

Accessibility

Digital field tickets enhance accessibility by allowing authorized personnel to access them from anywhere, facilitating better communication and collaboration between the field and the back office. This remote access ensures that all relevant parties can view and update field tickets in real-time, improving the flow of information and enabling prompt decision-making. The ability to access digital tickets from any location also supports a more flexible and responsive workflow, as issues can be addressed quickly regardless of where team members are located. This improved accessibility fosters a more connected and efficient operational environment, ultimately leading to better coordination and productivity.

Cost Savings

E-ticketing systems contribute to cost savings by reducing the reliance on paper and manual processing. By eliminating the costs associated with paper tickets, such as printing, storage, and transportation, companies can achieve significant savings over time. Moreover, e-ticketing systems streamline data entry and processing, reducing the labor hours spent on manual tasks. This efficiency not only cuts down on operational expenses but also frees up resources that can be allocated to more productive activities. Additionally, by minimizing errors and discrepancies, e-ticketing systems help avoid costly mistakes that can arise from manual data entry. Overall, the adoption of e-ticketing systems represents a strategic investment in reducing costs and enhancing operational efficiency in the long run.

Integration

Integration capabilities of e-ticketing systems enable seamless connection with other enterprise systems, such as ERP and payroll systems, resulting in improved operational efficiency. By integrating these systems, data from field tickets can flow automatically into backend systems, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors. This integration facilitates real-time updates across different departments, enhancing communication and collaboration. It also enables quicker processing of invoices, payroll, and other financial transactions, leading to faster decision-making and improved cash flow management. Ultimately, by streamlining workflows and enhancing data accuracy through integration, e-ticketing systems contribute to overall operational efficiency and organizational effectiveness.

Advantages of Electronic Field Tickets for Oil & Gas Operations

Implementing an advanced solution for managing field workflows offers substantial benefits to both operators and OFS providers:

1. Enhanced productivity: Accurate electronic field tickets minimize time spent on resolving disputes and eliminate the need for rekeying data into invoices. Eliminating lost or illegible paper tickets reduces proofing time and decreases customer disputes.
2. Streamlined operational efficiency: Transitioning from paper-based systems to electronic field tickets, such as for water hauling, optimizes route assignments, minimizing inefficient short hauls and ensuring loads are assigned to units closest to the site.
3. Automated operations: Integration of SCADA systems with intelligent field operations platforms automates callouts for water and crude hauling, triggers chemical replenishments, and schedules preventative maintenance alerts, further boosting efficiency.
4. Improved cash flow management: Near real-time ticket data accelerates invoicing processes, resulting in faster payments. Integrated electronic invoicing further shortens the ticket-to-invoice cycle.
5. Enhanced financial visibility: Real-time insights into field activities, sales tickets, and statements provide daily operational expense reports, enhancing forecasting and budgeting accuracy. Automated data validation speeds up financial reporting and reduces adjustments.
6. Transparent field operations: Real-time visibility into field crew locations optimizes scheduling and enhances safety awareness among workers.
7. Enhanced service delivery: Integration of electronic field ticketing with mobile apps enables dispatchers to assign jobs efficiently based on proximity to well-sites, improving route planning and reducing travel time.
8. Environmental benefits: Optimized route assignments minimize miles driven and reduce emissions. Efficient planning and route optimization further decrease windshield time and environmental impact.
9. Improved safety: Reduced driving distances lower the likelihood of accidents and lost-time injuries, preserving a strong safety record for operations.

Implementing electronic field ticketing systems not only enhances operational efficiency but also improves safety, environmental performance, and overall service delivery in the oil and gas industry.

Conclusion

Implementing best practices for field ticketing in the oil and gas industry is essential for enhancing the efficiency and productivity of work crews, roustabouts, service technicians, water haulers, and other essential oilfield workers. By standardizing processes, training employees, encouraging real-time data entry, conducting regular audits, and maintaining clear communication, companies can ensure accurate and timely field ticketing. Additionally, automating and adopting e-ticketing systems can further streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve data accuracy and accessibility. Embracing these best practices will enable oil and gas companies to optimize their field operations and maintain a competitive edge in the industry.

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