"FieldTwin can help speed up processes and enable better collaboration. By providing a visual representation of what a project could deliver, we can significantly reduce costs and help companies focus on projects with the greatest potential for success."

We've put the spotlight on our Service Delivery Manager, Magnus Oen, for our latest blog. Read on to understand his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing operators and EPCs when it comes to progressing energy projects, as well as his favourite cuisine to cook up in the kitchen...

How has your passion for IT, politics and economics led you to FutureOn?

I've always has a passion for economics and politics, with a focus on the macro scale - global trade and macroeconomics. When starting my career, I found myself gravitating toward specialized fields as I enjoy working with people who have knowledge areas I don't fully understand - it fascinates me to collaborate with technical teams. 

By project managing these teams, I can learn from the best while working with people who truly excel at what they do. And having previously worked at larger companies, I appreciate the agility FutureOn has to solve problems quickly. We deliver projects at a rate I hadn't experienced before. 

What role do you see digital technology playing in achieving global net zero targets? 

Breaking out from siloed work streams and working more collaboratively allows us to determine what works and what doesn't. This is crucial because of the significant cost involved at the start of energy projects - companies can lose billions by beginning projects that ultimately aren't viable. 

FieldTwin can help speed up processes and enable better collaboration. By providing a visual representation of what a project could deliver, we can significantly reduce costs and help companies focus on projects with the greatest potential for success. This more focused approach to energy development is essential for achieving net zero targets while meeting global energy demands. And when we can deliver projects quicker, at lower costs and with greater certainty of outcomes, we can mitigate some of the environmental challenges that traditional energy production might create. 

What are the main takeaways you are hearing from customers and partners as to current energy operations? 

Integration is a consistent theme - customers want a platform that connects everything. For example, one customer might focus on document management and have a requirement to ensure accurate asset locations, while another might use the same tool primarily for cost estimation on future and ongoing projects. With FieldTwin, we tailor our platform to the customers' needs, addressing everything from automation to cost management. 

And as a visualization tool, we help teams working on projects understand how everything connects. When managing larger projects, visualization is crucial - it brings different stakeholders together so everyone can see the common ground. FieldTwin Collaborate allows multiple stakeholders to work on the same project simultaneously. 

In your opinion, what are the main challenges and opportunities operators and EPCs face during energy operations? 

Cost is the biggest challenge. Hand-in-hand with that is project timeline, but time ultimately boils down to cost as well. The golden ticket is to tell operators exactly how much a project will cost, how long it will take and what profit it could generate. When you can provide that information comprehensively, you've solved their fundamental problem by clearly indicating whether a project is worth their investment. 

And by having both the 3D visual asset and the ability to access underlying metadata, we can optimize of subsea projects from concept through operations. If a company has an existing field and wants to explore how to expand or optimize it, FieldTwin can provide a visual representation of what exists today while allowing them to test different scenarios. 

What are your thoughts on the process of change management within energy operators and EPCs, and the wider challenges and opportunities of service delivery?

Change management is always a major consideration of deploying new technologies. People have established ways of working and it can be difficult to disrupt this cycle. However, once we demonstrate FieldTwin's capabilities and its customization potential, showing how it can operate at different levels - from basic field visualization to comprehensive data sharing - we start to see interest and adoption grow.  

Many companies still rely heavily on Excel and PowerPoint files that need to be shared or even printed. FieldTwin reduces the need for these disparate tools, making key data accessible in a single, collaborative location. The benefits of this are compelling, and we find that once people start using our solution, they want to continue. 

Similarly, what do you believe is priority for energy operators and EPCs to action to deliver offshore wind ambitions? 

An often-experienced challenge when energy companies pursue expansion into offshore wind, is that they also manage established oil and gas projects. When comparing the two, oil and gas frequently shows higher returns than wind projects and this can create resistance to transitioning to wind - it represent an unknown factor. 

Someone needs to take that leap of faith, but we're talking about billions in investment, which makes that leap particularly challenging. What we are trying to do is transform that leap into a data-backed decision based on solid, well-supported information. While it's always difficult to be a first mover, we aim to mitigate risks by offering partnership, collaboration opportunities and expert support. 

Tell us about the main priorities and projects you're working on just now as Service Delivery Manager.

Ultimately, understanding what the customer needs and delivering projects on time at the lowest possible cost is my priority. My role falls somewhere between managing projects and relationships. 

As a team, we all invest significant effort in understanding customer needs, maintaining close dialogues with our users and giving them ample testing opportunities throughout development. We often place our software developers and customers in the same meetings because we want developers to understand the use case directly from the user, rather than just receiving a list of tasks. 

This approach enables us to collaborate throughout the project and suggest better solutions because we truly understand what the customer is trying to achieve. We're solving problems, not just completing tickets. 

Describe yourself in three words. 

Curious - I love working on projects where I might not know everything initially, but I dive in and try to understand as thoroughly as possible. This extends beyond work - I genuinely enjoy learning about new things in general. 

Empathic - I enjoy working with people. Project management and service delivery are largely about understanding people as well as projects - figuring out how to work with individuals to bring out their best. 

Active - I like to stay busy, whether that's exercision, skiing, swimming or cooking! 

What's one thing about yourself that would surprise people to find out? 

I love to cook, and I've lived in quite a few different places - Malta, the US (primarily North Dekota for school), Belgium and I've spent summers in England and Cuba. The US left a strong impression on me, and I brought back a llove for Mediterranean cuisine from my time in Malta. Seafood, especially Mediterranean seafood, has become my go-to favourite.