What is your value proposal?

HUGO HIGUERA IKM provides support to companies in the oil and gas industry. We specialize in the digital transformation of our client’s internal process to move away from the outdated paper based model to a fully digital one. We do this by incorporating innovative technologies based in artificial intelligence that fit into the standard operating processes of the industry. This topic has always been important and became even more so this past year due to the pandemic.

OSCAR MUí‘OZ We provide consulting services for social, land negotiations, and environmental issues. We also provide consulting services for health matters, archeology and project management. We have had contracts for the design of public infrastructure, geotechnical engineering and geophysics. We mainly work for the oil industry, as well as with the electricity and infrastructure sectors.

How do you assist companies with their digital transformation?

HH If organizations start to integrate technologies without having relevant experience it simply will not work. We provide the knowledge and the technology necessary to take the organization to a modern and more efficient version of themselves. We have our own research, development, and innovation department. We are always aware of the pilot programs under development by the technology provider leaders, like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. We are constantly testing these new technologies and exploring the best ways to apply them for our client’s day-to-day operations. Trying to do this on your own takes longer, tends to be more expensive, and is less impactful over time. Impactful models like the ones we have developed at IKM in partnership with our clients in the keep energy industry are very coveted.

You work with some projects that help rural areas to gain access to infrastructure. Could you explain the impact that Geocol has?

OM Basically, in terms of environment, we seek projects to be completed under certain environmental standards. We want the environmental impacts to be prevented, mitigated, compensated or corrected. We want projects to be coordinated in good terms with the communities. By communities, we also include indigenous communities and rural villages. As part of our services, we provide the services to conduct the consulting processes with the communities to carry out the project. We also have services to rescue archeological objects that are found, for example. About 10% of our employees are from rural areas.

What mechanisms has IKM put in place to ensure a successful international expansion?

HH We want to take advantage of the knowledge and experience we have with large companies in the Colombian energy sector as well as select companies in other Latin American countries. What has brought us success so far is our excellent reputation in Colombia and our outstanding references in neighboring countries. These references open the doors to other geographies, such as the US, where we now have partners that will help us penetrate that market. This has been encouraging because there is an international perception of the Colombian industry as an excellent player in software development and technology.

How is Geocol is positioned to support companies to manage the permitting processes in Colombia and relations with communities?

OM We have been present in this market for 30 years. We hold the ISO:9000 certification in addition to the ISO:14000 and ISO 18.000, now 45.000. We are also committed to the UN Global Compact. We want companies to know that we work with the highest quality standards. We recently completed a project to supply energy to Riohacha and Maicao. And what we did was to do all the social work, and the management of the communities. We also conducted all the archeological work related to the project and land negotiations. That helped to complete the project in an area that is complicated in social terms.