Questions to Close the Year

 The Cloud ERP Strategy: Questions for 2026

The ongoing, rapid transition to cloud-based operations requires immediate consideration from oil and gas producers regarding the adoption of a single, industry-standard Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, such as the Preliminary Specification.
This strategic imperative raises critical questions:

• Unified Approach: Is a standardized, objective and unified ERP approach essential for future operational success, and would a failure to adopt it constitute a strategically irresponsible decision?

• Vendor Integrity & Risk: Given the shift to multi-vendor, AI-driven cloud ERP systems, how can vendor integrity be effectively authorized and verified? Furthermore, does a single-vendor solution offer superior advantages by simplifying operations and mitigating business risk?

• North American Strategic Benefit: What strategic benefits will North American producers gain from establishing "People, Ideas & Objects Intellectual Property" as an Organizational Construct to define and set clear boundaries for the ERP environment?

We must resolve the industry-standard and objective question in 2026: Should the standard be an ERP system like the Preliminary Specification and Oracle, or a derivation of an existing major system (e.g., Exxon's or Chevron's)? Considering the potential for proprietary bias inherent in a system derived from a single producer like Exxon, the key remaining question is how the industry values the objectivity and non-proprietary advantage offered by the Preliminary Specification and People, Ideas & Objects.