Build or buy Energy Software: An E&P Consulting solution for accelerated adoption

The Challenge

The oil and gas industry struggles to adopt digital technology, even though it can improve efficiency, safety, and costs. Overcoming these challenges requires careful planning, strong leadership, and teamwork across the sector. Some key obstacles include:

• Outdated Technology – Many companies still rely on old systems that don’t work well with modern digital tools. Data is often scattered across different platforms, and some new technologies are not yet mature enough for full-scale use.
• Resistance to Change – Some organizations have a work culture that resists new ways of doing things. Employees may also lack the necessary skills to adopt new digital solutions.
• Cost and Investment Concerns – Implementing new technology can be expensive, and companies may struggle to see a clear return on investment, making it harder to justify the spending.
• Security and Compliance Risks – Cybersecurity is a growing concern, and new systems must meet strict corporate security standards. In some cases, they also need approval from regulators.
• Operational Constraints – Deploying new systems in live operations can be tricky. Changes must fit within scheduled maintenance windows, and any new solution must have minimal risk to avoid disrupting operations.

Because of these challenges, the energy sector is one of the slowest industries to adopt new technology—only manufacturing and construction lag behind.

E&P Consulting helps companies navigate these hurdles by providing strategic solutions, engaging leadership, and working closely with technology providers.

Build Vs Buy

One of the key decisions when adopting new digital solutions is whether to buy off-the-shelf software or build a custom solution tailored to your organization. In the early days of computing, large energy companies often built their own systems. Since the 2000s, most have shifted to buying commercial software and customizing it. Each approach has its pros and cons:

Building a Custom Solution

• Designed specifically for your needs, giving you a competitive advantage.
• Can be flexible, scalable, and integrate smoothly with other systems.
• However, it requires significant time and resources to develop and deploy.
• Higher costs and business effort are needed to support the build.
• There is also a risk of failure, as seen in some large IT projects.

Buying Off-the-Shelf Software

• Generally cheaper and faster to deploy.
• Includes industry best practices and comes with vendor support.
• However, integration can be complex, and customization is often limited.
• You may become dependent on a single vendor for future updates and support.
• Security may not always meet your organization’s specific needs.

Businesses must carefully weigh cost, flexibility, and long-term requirements when making this decision.

Timelines – Off-the-Shelf Solution

The typical adoption follows the steps below:

Several factors can influence how long it takes to implement a new solution. The complexity of the system plays a major role—simpler solutions can be deployed quickly, while more advanced and intricate systems naturally take longer. Integration is another key factor, especially if the new solution needs to connect with an existing ERP or other core systems, as this can add time and complexity to the process.

The level of vendor support can also make a big difference. Some vendors provide strong implementation assistance, which can speed things up, while others may require more effort from the internal team, potentially extending timelines.

User readiness is another critical element. If employees are engaged and open to change, adoption tends to be quicker, and the business can start seeing value sooner. However, if there’s resistance or hesitation, additional training and support may be needed, slowing the transition.

By addressing these factors early, businesses can help ensure a smoother and more efficient rollout.

Timelines – Custom Built Software

A typical application build will follow the timelines below:

Larger projects will generally increase the time to deliver. Integrations are also likely to impact the timelines. Regulations that apply to the solution such as safety and environmental rules could delay the implementation of the system. Again user readiness could delay the system go live

The E&P Approach

E&P Consulting accelerates software adoption in Oil & Gas by combining industry expertise with tailored solutions, ensuring faster implementation and better results. This approach drives faster, more effective digital transformation in the Oil & Gas industry.

The Solution

E&P Consulting uses a structured methodology to help clients decide whether to build or buy a software solution. We aim to provide clear insights and guidance, helping clients make confident and well-informed decisions.

Below, we outline the key components of our approach, which guides clients from the decision to build or buy a solution to deployment, adoption and support.

Making the decision to Build or Buy

Using a three-phase approach we help clients decide whether to build or buy a software solution. First, Requirements Analysis (4–6 weeks) defines business needs with expert input. Next, Industry Benchmarking (4–6 weeks) evaluates market options through vendor demos and expert insights. Finally, Build or Buy (1–3 months) compares both choices using proven methods. This structured process ensures a well-informed decision that balances cost, flexibility, and long-term value.

The Buy Solution

We bring a unique advantage in the energy industry. Unlike others, we dedicate equal time to understanding both our clients' needs and the latest software solutions from various vendors. Our vendor-agnostic approach, free from partnerships or biases, provides an objective view of the market and available capabilities. With decades of proven experience, we expertly guide clients through the entire software lifecycle – from selection and configuration to deployment and ongoing support. This ensures the chosen COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) products deliver maximum value and optimize operations. This approach enables a total timeline of 5 to 10 months compared with a traditional 1 to 2 years.

The Build Solution

We use our deep energy industry experience to help clients develop successful digital products. Our proven framework, built from hands-on expertise, accelerates development while reducing the risk of rework or failure. By combining rapid prototyping with industry knowledge, we deliver solutions faster, drive high adoption, and create long-term value. The phases below can be applied within either a waterfall or agile development framework and our approach typically shortens timelines to 10–18 months, far faster than the industry average of 2.5–4 years.

Summary

At E&P Consulting, we accelerate software adoption in the oil and gas industry by combining deep industry knowledge with specialized solutions. We leverage existing data and best practices to ensure software decisions align with operational and regulatory standards. Our ready-to-use tools and scalable frameworks streamline deployment, reducing time to value.

Our team of domain experts brings both technical and operational expertise, ensuring practical, real-world solutions. We offer integrated services and software products designed for seamless adoption and smooth integration with legacy systems.

We provide tailored product assurance, from specialized roles to full teams covering product management, analysis, and technical delivery. Supporting the entire lifecycle, we guide clients through strategy development (Think), agile build and deployment (Build), and continuous operations (Operate) for a seamless digital transformation.

By deploying specialized teams and agile methodologies, we help energy companies strengthen product development, delivering high-value solutions faster and more efficiently. Our industry-specific innovation ensures cost-effective digital transformation, combining deep expertise with practical solutions—without the high costs of traditional consultancies.

Author

Ian Stewart, Upstream Lead

Responsible for developing and promoting E&P’s services to ensure that value is realised from technologies supporting the functions within exploration and production organisations.