The National Petrochemical Company, as the regulator of the petrochemical industry, requires timely and reliable data to perform its duties more accurately. Digital transformation in this industry has gained special importance, especially in the areas of data collection, exchange, and utilization for decision-making and regulation. Given the large volume of information available in petrochemical complexes, including feedstock, production, sales, and operations data, this need is increasingly felt.
The Necessity of Secure Data Exchange
Shahram Rezaei, the IT and Communications Manager of the National Petrochemical Company, emphasizes the necessity of establishing a model for secure and purposeful data exchange. This model must meet the information needs of the regulator while also maintaining the confidentiality of companies' data. The "Shahab" system is one of the main projects in the petrochemical industry aimed at moving towards data governance and smart regulation. This system seeks to create the necessary infrastructure for the establishment of an intelligent energy system.
The "Shahab" system, as the first and largest digital transformation project in the petrochemical industry, aims to receive information from petrochemical complexes in a federal manner and with a Zero Trust approach. This approach allows complexes to transmit minimal information accurately and in real-time to the regulator without creating insecure connections or broad access.
Challenges and Solutions in Digital Transformation
Rezaei also pointed out the challenges present in the path of digital transformation, mentioning the lack of specialized human resources and weak digital literacy as two significant barriers. He believes that the success of digital transformation is measurable when its impact on decision-making, productivity, safety, and optimal resource management in the industry is observed.
Optimal management of the country's limited resources and improving oversight of the flow and processes of extraction, transportation, storage, production, and consumption of manufactured goods are among the main objectives of the "Shahab" system. Nevertheless, Rezaei reminds that the regulator should not demand all information and should limit itself to specific and essential data to fulfill its duties. This allows the private sector to provide its information to the regulator with minimal risk.
Ultimately, creating a data lake for the entire petrochemical industry can help provide valuable information that plays a role in the optimal management of the industry's ecosystem. This information will be useful not only for the petrochemical industry but also for all industries dependent on petrochemical products.
