Harnessing data, upgrading digital infrastructure and increasing connectivity to improve data accuracy and decision-making are top-of-mind when it comes to discussions of digital transformation.
Srinivasan Vanchinathan, director of refining digital operations with Phillips 66, said the company has been hard at work to optimize connectivity and opportunities.
"It’s been a journey. We’ve been doing a lot of different things in phases. One of the things we realized right away was the connectivity was not available everywhere," Vanchinathan said during the Reuters 2024 Downstream USA conference held in Houston. "What do we need to do to build the infrastructure to provide the connectivity?
"All the things we wanted to do were solely dependent on the infrastructure. It’s a big commitment from the organization in terms of firsts; we were able to convince the organization that this is the right thing to do because there is value in doing it. You’ve got to have the right leaders and commitment from the organization to start on that journey."
Ibrahim Al-Syed, director of digital transformation manufacturing with Celanese, said the company had to confront new challenges when the pandemic hit in 2020.
P66, Celanese: Data integration, connectivity key drivers of digital transformation
Pictured from left are Reuters Downstream USA 2024 panelists Dharmesh Mistry with L&T Technology, Ibrahim Al-Syed with Celanese, panel moderator Jeremy Osterberger with BIC Alliance and Srinivasan Vanchinathan with Phillips 66 before their discussion on how best to leverage data for successful and digital-driven results.
"We started really getting serious about digital transformation about two and a half years ago, around the time we were coming out of the pandemic," Al-Syed said. "It was real for us when we realized the importance of having access to data, access to information, access to data remotely — to have access to it where you need it, when you need it.
"As we all know, during the pandemic, we had people getting sick; not everyone could be at the facilities, and it was a significant challenge while we continued to operate our facilities."
He noted that Celanese’s approach to digital transformation became a key focus and goal for the company.
"What was not clear for us was what is the overall vision and aspiration. So, we did a shift from more of an incremental value to a vision-focused transformation," Al-Syed said. "The analogy I like to use is we first need to identify what we want to do as a company as we grow in the next five or 10 years."
Al-Syed said the company recognized the need to refocus on what would drive success in the years ahead.
"We started really focusing on what are the foundational capabilities that Celanese would need in order to power that vision," he said. "Do you want to focus on really driving incremental values on a quarterly earnings basis or do you want to invest something today for much longer term returns."
Vanchinathan said integrating data is essential for success and future plans at Phillips 66.
"We keep the data and the forefront of our journey," he said. "If you truly want to leverage these new technologies and come up with insights we probably didn’t know about, then you need to integrate data."
Osterberger asked Al-Syed how the emergence of AI technology has had an impact on day-to-day operations at Celanese.
"We just got started with a significant focus on AI and in order for them [operations] to scale and be successful, it meant having a solid foundation," Al-Syed said. "When we think about our vision, we can really only achieve that vision if AI is embedded in everything we do."
