E.L. Batchelder, Senior Vice President, Services, and Chief Information Officer

Global Systems and Services
Delivering World-Class Services and Support

Global Systems and Services (GSS) made significant progress in 2003 in consolidating services, leveraging computing and financial systems and streamlining processes, while supporting ConocoPhillips’ businesses around the world.

“GSS is helping enable the rest of the corporation to capture greater business value, additional synergies, and operating and process efficiencies throughout the company,” says Gene Batchelder, senior vice president, Services, and chief information officer. “The vision for GSS employees is to lay a foundation that, ultimately, will help empower all of our employees and businesses to maximize performance.”

Comprised of aviation, facilities management, financial services, information services and procurement, GSS offers a wide realm of support, delivering services to all groups across the company. GSS efforts in 2003 provided millions of dollars in business value, through efforts such as:

	Converging the domestic lubricants business to a single set of systems and platforms, resulting in optimized production planning, improved sourcing contracts, and reduced operating expenses;
	Partnering and championing with business units to gain procurement savings through improved supplier management and better commercial relations;
	Eliminating redundant systems by providing an integrated global platform for businesses to conduct financial, materials management, and plant maintenance activities;
	Integrating telecommunications networks to create a single global network and provide cost efficiencies through optimization of carrier contracts; and
	Consolidating data center operations, allowing for maximum leverage of support, service contracts, and facilities usage.

Shelley Rigdon-Dow and Dave Baldwin, both employees with the global information systems group in Bartlesville, Okla., test new software on a server before installing it on the company’s network. The group is looking at ways to automate server maintenance tasks, giving the group’s employees more time to help business units with other innovations.

“As we put new systems and processes into place during 2003 and 2004, we want to help ConocoPhillips’ businesses take advantage of those services and exploit the knowledge, technology and capabilities of GSS,” says Batchelder.

During the initial planning stages for the merger, groups within GSS recognized that the size of the company — the large number of employees, locations and functions — would present challenges in delivering new systems and services. Despite those challenges, GSS remains ahead of schedule on its major systems integration projects and plans further globalization and streamlining of service delivery processes throughout ConocoPhillips in 2004.

While GSS strengthens relationships with the staffs and businesses it supports internally, maintaining strong relationships with its business partners, vendors and key consultants also remains a top priority. 

Says Batchelder, “As GSS continues putting the technology, processes and other major components in motion, we want to continue exceeding synergy targets, completing transitions ahead of schedule, and delivering world-class services to ConocoPhillips.”