EGYPES 2024: User-centered design for Enterprise Management by Aashish Solanki

Energy transition. Sustainable production. Climate conscious practices.

These were the primary themes of EGYPES – Egypt Energy Show 2024 at Cairo, Egypt, where our CEO & Founder Aashish Solanki presented a detailed design case study on how design & design thinking can empower petroleum & energy sector achieve the above goals.

EGYPES 2024 brings together Egyptian, North African and Mediterranean government representatives, key project owners, NOCs, global IOCs and IECs, international service and technology providers, EPC contractors, consultants and financiers to address the evolving opportunities in the Egyptian and North African energy arena.

The Energy Show at Cairo, Egypt was a platform for global energy leaders to unite at the epicenter of innovation and transformation.

Supported by the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the Egypt Energy Show took place on 19-21 February at the Egypt International Exhibition Center. 

There was participation from over 35,000 attendees and 2,200 delegates spanning the entire energy supply and value chains, EGYPES 2024 engaged in comprehensive discussions concerning worldwide energy dynamics, the latest industry trends, regional progress, and collective actions to achieve net-zero emissions.

At the intersection of innovation and expertise, the EGYPES Technical Conference occupies a central position within the Egyptian, African, and Mediterranean oil, gas, and wider energy landscape, serving as a hub of technical enrichment catering to engineers, technical experts, and digital champions.

Enterprise Management with a User-centered approach: A Talk by Aashish Solanki

Our founder & CEO, Aashish Solanki, was a speaker at the esteemed event in the technical conference, among 45 others. The talk focused on the topic “User-Centered Design for Enterprise Energy Management Systems For Petrofac” largely highlighting the importance of user-centered design in the petroleum and energy sector.

We embarked on  a transformative journey to optimize the enterprise energy management systems for Petrofac, a leading international service provider in the energy industry. Recognizing key pain points and challenges faced by users, we undertook a comprehensive user-centered design initiative aimed at enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and fostering collaboration.

User-Centered Design Approach: How did we do it?

• By conducting user interviews and gaining insights into user perspectives, psychology, and goals, Petrofac aligned its design strategy with user needs. 
• Leveraging principles of ethnography and design psychology, the focus was on creating intuitive, dynamic, and differentiated solutions that provide real-time insights.

Identifying Pain Points:

• substantial expenditure on software licensing, 
• escalating prices of internal projects,
• overreliance on Excel for data management, 
• and the lack of unified dashboards across departments.

How did we Intervene?

• extensive user research, driving digital transformation initiatives
• implementing user experience and interface design enhancements. 

This comprehensive approach also included the development of style guides and component structures to ensure consistency and usability.

How did we drive business growth and results?

• Improved efficiency was achieved through streamlined processes and real-time data access. 
• Costs were reduced by optimizing software usage and eliminating redundancies. 
• Enhanced collaboration was fostered by providing unified dashboards 
• facilitating cross-departmental communication and decision-making.

By prioritizing user needs and employing a holistic design strategy, we successfully transformed its enterprise energy management systems. The journey not only led to tangible improvements in efficiency and cost savings but also reinforced Petrofac’s commitment to delivering exceptional user experiences in the dynamic energy industry.

How can design scale your business?

It was a moment of honor to be representing the Indian design community on an international platform, sharing our insights, experiences, & learning as a Design Studio on how we empowered an 18,000+ strong energy enterprise with Enterprise UX.

Egypt, with its rich historical legacy, is not only preserving its past but also heading into a digital future. Known for its pyramids and pharaohs, it is now embracing a new era.

Egypt is witnessing a digital revolution, driven by factors such as a young, tech-savvy population, increased internet penetration, and a growing IT sector. As businesses and government services adapt to digitalization, the country is experiencing a remarkable transformation.

Advocating user-centered solutions for large, multinational energy enterprises (such as Petrofac, the focus of our talk here) & how Design can alleviate wicked enterprise challenges to a global audience – from engineers to scientists to analysts to business leaders – was an interesting & rewarding opportunity.