Woodside Petroleum

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Fujitsu creates fast, secure and cost-effective document exchange solutions for Woodside Petroleum

A key benefit of Web applications is their capacity to deliver low-cost, cross-enterprise connectivity at a fraction of the cost of traditional electronic data interchange solutions. Secure Document Exchange solutions are one increasingly popular application of this capability.

Woodside Petroleum is a leading Australian producer of oil and natural gas, with exploration and development ventures ranging across the globe - from Australia's North-West Shelf to the Timor Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and Mauritania.

On the North-West Shelf, Woodside is a member of the North-West Shelf Venture (NWSV), along with joint venture partners including BP, BHP Billiton Petroleum, Chevron, MIMI and Shell. As part of the venture's operations, the NWSV Executive distributes a large volume of commercially sensitive information to the joint venture partners.

In 2002, it became clear that current document distribution methods, such as facsimile and email, were no longer secure enough for the needs of the business or adequate for the volume of information required. It was time for a new solution.

The NWSV considered, and rejected, traditional extranet and electronic data interchange solutions because of the security risks associated with external service providers. Instead, they asked Woodside to develop a secure, Web-based solution on behalf of all of the joint venture partners. That's when Woodside called Fujitsu.

Security features and workflow functionality

Fujitsu developed and deployed SecureWeb, a Web­­-based document exchange solution tailored to the specific needs of the joint venture partners. The application includes access control, tracking and auditing features that deliver flexible, graded information security. Users access the system with a unique access code and a frequently updated authentication code sourced from a physical token. The application's security features are integrated with workflow functionality that controls the development, review and publishing of information to defined classes of users.

In a subsequent phase, SecureWeb was integrated with Woodside Petroleum’s internal document management system, resulting in further operating efficiencies.

SecureWeb was developed using Java and Macromedia ColdFusion, supported by Microsoft SQL Server 7. We used RSA SecurID for access control, together with the RSA ACE Server engine for SecurID authentication.

Rapid and efficient information distribution

SecureWeb has not only made it possible to distribute information more rapidly and efficiently between joint venture partners, it has delivered a significant reduction in administrative costs. SecureWeb combines flexibility and scalability with enhanced information security.

Woodside Internet Record Exchange (WIRE)

Following the success of SecureWeb, Woodside and Fujitsu went on to develop a further Web-based application called Woodside Internet Record Exchange (WIRE). WIRE is a complete tender distribution and management system that is integrated with Woodside's backend document management and procurement systems. WIRE incorporates workflow functionality to manage each stage of the procurement process, from supplier pre-qualification to tender evaluation, contract award, and post-award processing.

WIRE re-used much of the functionality developed for SecureWeb, resulting in a significant saving in development time and costs. WIRE was developed using Macromedia ColdFusion, JAVA and XML, supported by Microsoft SQL Server 2000.

WIRE has brought about a reduction in the costs of conventional tender distribution and delivery, together with improved turnaround times for information exchange. Just as importantly, the application has delivered improved security, auditability and authentication of transactions between the company and its suppliers. The result is a system that is not only more secure, but which has produced tangible operating efficiencies and a reduction in administration costs.