Pedro Buhigas is a results-driven Senior Technology Executive currently serving as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Kodiak Gas Services, Inc. With a distinguished career spanning several years, Pedro has established himself as a trusted leader in the design, development, and delivery of cost-effective, high-performance business and technology solutions.
Please tell our readers about your journey in the industry and your key roles and responsibilities at your organization.
As the CIO at Kodiak, my journey in the industry has been centered around managing various aspects of technology and driving efficiency through its implementation. My key responsibilities include overseeing the organization's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, internal IT solutions, and operational technology solutions. I strive to make the business more efficient by leveraging technology and technology-assisted processes.
Currently, we have three major initiatives underway. First, we are implementing a new ERP system that consolidates multiple systems into a single platform. This consolidation reduces the need for manual processes that provide minimal value to the organization. By eliminating these manual tasks, resources can be redirected toward more strategic and value-added opportunities.
Furthermore, our unwavering commitment lies in effectively surfacing actionable business intelligence and data, providing the essential foundation for empowering our operations, service workers, and operational management to make well-informed decisions. By leveraging KPI-driven business intelligence, we empower operations to concentrate on targeted problem areas and prioritize their efforts where they yield the utmost value.
“I strive to make the business more efficient by leveraging technology and technology-assisted processes.”
Finally, we are utilizing operational technology, specifically Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives, to collect telemetry data from our field assets. This data serves as the foundation for conducting predictive analytics, implementing condition-based preventive maintenance, and applying advanced machine learning and AI algorithms to maintain our assets efficiently in the field.
What are the challenges and pain points that you have observed in the industry?
In the industry, organizations face challenges in addressing environmental concerns, meeting ESG reporting requirements, and overcoming staffing shortages. The focus on ESG factors, particularly in the energy sector, requires businesses to justify initiatives like cloud migration and emissions reporting tools. Due to the pandemic and the resulting shortage of skilled labor, it has become imperative to optimize technology in order to offset the decrease in workforce capacity. Furthermore, the younger generation's technology expectations differ from previous generations, demanding advanced tools and mobile access. Meeting these expectations not only fosters innovation and productivity but also serves as a talent retention strategy. To remain competitive, organizations must adapt by leveraging technology, addressing environmental concerns, and meeting the expectations of a tech-savvy workforce.
Please tell our readers about some of the recent trends in the industry.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a prominent trend in the industry, drawing significant attention and interest, especially due to the recent groundbreaking advancements made by OpenAI. Many are eager to explore the potential of AI and its applications for businesses. However, effectively harnessing AI requires careful consideration, skill, and ethical decision-making.
In the current hyper-cycle of AI, it is crucial to navigate through the pervasive excitement surrounding this technology. Businesses need to identify the genuine value opportunities AI can offer and find reliable partners and vendors to help them achieve their goals. With the abundance of information and options available, choosing the right AI projects is a key strategic decision for CIOs.
Similar to previous hyper cycles, such as the one witnessed in the realm of cloud computing, the current AI landscape follows a comparable pattern, where significant players emerge and evolve over time. CIOs must be strategic in selecting AI initiatives, ensuring they understand the true value proposition and associated costs. It is important to assess whether the effort invested in AI aligns with the expected returns rather than adopting AI simply because it is the trend of the moment.
The marketplace is currently saturated with discussions and developments related to AI. CIOs and businesses must carefully evaluate the viability of AI projects before embarking on them. By taking this approach, they can maximize the benefits while avoiding the trap of pursuing AI solely for the sake of hype, ensuring that their efforts are purposeful and yield meaningful outcomes.
