Before joining Add Energy as Technical Manager, Stuart Murray had worked his way up from maintenance, reliability and operations engineering roles to the Head of Maintenance for an international FPSO operator. 

Responsible for managing global maintenance execution and strategies, optimizing maintenance effectiveness and providing expert advice on maintenance issues, Stuart has experienced and overcome many common maintenance and operational challenges throughout his career. We have asked him to share some of the biggest challenges and lessons he has learned as Head of Maintenance..

The energy industry was already in flux prior to the spread of COVID-19. At the beginning of 2020, weakening economic growth, political risk and intensifying trade tensions were predicted as the biggest challenges that the industry would face. As well as the operational and financial impact to the sector itself, lockdowns across the globe have caused the demand for oil to plummet, a surge in unemployment and a massive decrease in consumer spending.

As a result, there has been an increase in the cost of production within the UKCS and a decrease in the number of projects approved, tightening budgets further. 

It is no secret that there is a lack of female leaders working within the energy sector, with research showing that less than 10% of senior leaders within the oil and gas industry are female. We want to explore what it takes for middle managers to progress to the top, where they are focused on leading the vision and strategy of companies, and assuring delivery of this. 

Susan Steyn joined Add Energy as our Vice President for North America in 2019, leading a team of over 25 asset management experts and overseeing company growth throughout the Americas and project delivery. Starting her career in supply chain, research and planning roles, she rapidly worked her way up to leadership positions due to her drive, determination and dedication - and being recognized as someone who will tackle a challenge head on and see it through to completion. 

During a time where budgets are being scrutinized and cut, we are forced to work smarter with less resources. This is particularly true for maintenance teams due to maintenance being commonly viewed as an expense rather than an opportunity to save money for an asset. 

To use maintenance and materials management as a mechanism for saving money, we need to strike the perfect balance between cost cutting and risk mitigation - where maintenance and materials can be streamlined to gain efficiencies and reduce costs, but integrity and production are not compromised. 

Being a Maintenance Manager can be a very rewarding, yet challenging role. A Maintenance Manager is typically accountable for ensuring maintenance is executed correctly, on time and within budget to assure the safety and integrity of the facility, and that uptime and reliability targets are achieved. 

If you look after your people, they will in turn look after your clients and business. It is therefore fundamental that you influence correctly and lead them in the most effective way possible, to help them evolve, grow and deliver great work. 

With an increasing number of knowledgeable and skilled people leaving the energy industry, and less experienced people stepping into managerial positions, there is a growing skills gap emerging across the globe that is brewing the perfect storm.

Having an effective computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) is vital for running a facility successfully, allowing the maintenance of equipment and assets to be more proactive as opposed to reactive. 

All decisions should be made based on accurate, reliable data - but for many companies, data within the CMMS is inaccurate or missing altogether. This can cause significant knock-on issues, for example high levels of backlog or conducting more corrective maintenance than preventative, which could be easily avoided.