Shell and Equinor develop a next generation of Shell Inventory Optimizer, it is a program that leverages historical data analysis to optimize the operational levels of spare parts inventory. Microsoft will support Shell and Equinor in co-developing the tool, which runs on Microsoft Azure.

The goal is for these energy companies to have better control over the available equipment and optimize inventory levels. Since its first deployment in 2017, this solution has been deployed on Shell's Upstream, Manufacturing and Integrated Gas assets globally, generating millions of dollars in value through optimized inventory levels.

In March 2020, Shell and Equinor signed a Digital Collaboration Agreement to work together on digital projects in areas of mutual benefit (and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including competition and antitrust laws).

The co-development project will be carried out by a team of engineers in conjunction with digital and disciplinary experts from Shell, Equinor and Microsoft.

The tool integrates Microsoft Azure Machine Learning, Azure Databricks and Azure Datalake and will be an enhanced tool with new features to further optimize the algorithm, leading recommendations to an improved user experience. Equinor and Shell users will benefit from these new features. For Equinor, this tool can reduce the inflow of inventory by up to 13%, which could save millions.