American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2023 - 36

SpecialReport: Comprehensive Computing
In its pioneering journey, Vital Energy has achieved a remarkable
milestone of migrating 100% of IT operations to the
cloud, positioning it among the first operators to accomplish
this objective. This migration involved all traditional IT hardware
including servers, storage and telecom. This was not an overnight
decision. It involved a deliberate three-year process that commenced
with pilot studies and progressively expanded while
balancing portfolio modernization and traditional infrastructure.
This transition represented advancements in technology as well
as investments of time, energy and resources, underscoring a
core corporate commitment to unlock the cloud's potential.
The strategic move to harness modern technology's capabilities
not only has bolstered the success of the organization, but it has
also resulted in substantial savings and revenue growth. By
transitioning from traditional on-premises infrastructure, we
have eliminated the need for hundreds of servers. This move
has significantly reduced costs linked to conventional IT infrastructure,
thereby eliminating the need for data centers. This
evolution will result in an estimated savings of some $2 million
annually in traditional IT expenditures. Such financial benefits
bolster our resources, allowing us to chase innovative endeavors
and champion fiscal responsibility and visionary strategies.
Through its ongoing commitment to cloud-based innovation,
Vital Energy stands as a beacon of innovation in the energy
sector, providing a real-world example of how investing in a
strong and decisive IT department can agilely advance an organization
into digitization.
IT Migration And 'Reskilling'
IT departments are capable of pivotal transformation in the
journey toward complete migration to the cloud. Cloud technologies
offer unparalleled scalability, flexibility and cost-efficiency,
making them indispensable in today's fast-paced business
environment. However, this migration is not just about shifting
data and applications to cloud servers. It is also about reimagining
workflows, optimizing processes and ensuring the instillation
of adequate security within new digital landscapes.
Equally crucial is the " reskilling " of the IT team. As technology
paradigms shift, it's imperative that the team acquires new skills
and competencies. Reskilling ensures that IT departments remain
at the forefront of innovation, driving an organizational digital
transformation with expertise and confidence. Vital Energy has
considered the many facets of both IT migration and reskilling
our IT team to ensure positive forward momentum.
One example is the elimination of traditional constraints and
day-to-day obligations that consumed most of the IT staff's
bandwidth. Cloud solutions architects have revolutionized server
administration, backup, data center management and disaster
recovery, ensuring we optimize performance and resources
while avoiding both over- and under-provision.
At the same time, IT personnel are able to develop new capabilities.
The digital transformation journey has ushered in a
new era for Vital Energy's IT department. Moving beyond traditional
hardware maintenance, we now are harnessing the expansive
potential of the cloud, leveraging machine learning
and artificial intelligence capabilities, and the automation capabilities
of robotic process automation (RPA). This evolution demands
that we provide holistic upskilling for our IT professionals,
thereby ensuring they are adept in a landscape dominated by
cloud solutions and automated processes.
Central to this upskilling initiative is the integration of data
science, machine learning and RPA. Our IT team is immersing
itself in these domains, extracting valuable insights from a wide
range of extensive datasets, including edge devices, automating
intricate decision-making processes and implementing bots to
streamline repetitive tasks. The synergy between edge computing,
ML and RPA not only enables real-time operational optimization,
but also empowers us to anticipate future trends, making them
invaluable tools in our arsenal.
Data engineers play a pivotal role in guaranteeing the dependability
and accessibility of our data. Our IT department is
equipped to leverage the cloud's robust tools to swiftly prototype,
validate, and roll out solutions. This ensures Vital Energy will
continue to benefit from rapid revenue enhancement. Concurrently,
Vital Energy has achieved the milestone
of migrating 100% of its information
technology to the cloud-
including all traditional hardware
such as servers, storage and
telecommunications. This strategic
move not only has bolstered the
success of the organization, but
has resulted in substantial savings
and revenue growth.
36 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER
American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2023

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