Sparrows selects Knovel for global engineering teams

Sparrows, a provider of oilfield engineering services, has selected Knovel to increase efficiency in its global business by enabling its engineering teams to work 'smarter and faster' with access to a consistent source of engineering references.

Knovel, used by engineers worldwide, is a web-based application integrating technical information with analytical and search tools that delivers answers for engineers.

'Our organisation is global, therefore consistency and continuity are important to the efficiency of the engineering teams,' said Ewen Kerr, global engineering director at Sparrows, responsible for all aspects of the group’s engineering delivery.  

'Knovel allows engineers to use the same data wherever they are, and having the data online at their fingertips means they can work faster and smarter. I expect to see increased productivity savings because information from Knovel is from trusted sources and auditable, so engineers can search for data reliably with minimal support from senior engineers.'

Feedback from internal evaluations conducted by Sparrows pointed to an estimated time saving of between 20 and 30 per cent for engineers to find answers and data using Knovel compared to searches using textbooks.

Sparrows lays claim to being the market leader in engineered lifting and handling solutions to the offshore sector. Headquartered in Aberdeen, UK, it employs more than 1,800 people worldwide including the US, India, UAE, Singapore, Australia, Brazil and Angola. Its 250-strong engineering and design team, which provides turnkey engineering solutions from design through to build and implementation, is a focus of growth for the company, and Ewan has already recruited more than 60 new engineers this year.

Sparrows’ projects span new build designs, equipment upgrade and refurbishments and mechanical handling schemes involving mechanical, structural, electrical and hydraulic disciplines.  These types of projects require information that Knovel provides. Knovel works with a network of more than 100 recognised societies and publishers to provide validated technical references and data across more than 30 subject areas.

'Knovel enables engineers to research solutions to problems or find alternative methods for carrying out repeat work scopes by giving them access to the latest industry practices,' said Kerr. 'Knovel raises the level of professionalism in our Engineering and Design team. In industry, there generally often not enough focus on document control and knowledge management – Knovel will provide us with a ready-made data management solution.'