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Case Study

How Preem accelerated its journey toward AI adoption

Sweden’s largest fuel company sought out EY wavespace™ to understand how it can embed AI across their business.

1. Better question

1

The better the question

How do you confidently use AI to create value?

Preem was eager to establish an AI strategy and see what AI could offer beyond the realm of IT.

As Sweden’s premier petroleum and bio-fuel company, Preem operates approximately 505 petrol stations and maintains two cutting-edge oil refineries. With a robust portfolio that includes the refining, distribution and sale of gasoline, diesel, heating oils and renewable fuels, as well as the production of lubricants at its Gothenburg facility, the company has cemented its position as a key player in the industry.

Preem’s commitment to innovation does not end with its product offerings. This commitment is evident in its prioritization of digital transformation as a key part of its strategy. Preem has, in fact, been one of the first adopters of Microsoft Copilot in Sweden. Concurrently, it also wanted to actively pursue the development of a well-defined artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. This realization sparked a strategic pivot, with the company’s leadership acknowledging the need to understand the opportunities AI could offer beyond the realm of IT, aiming to integrate it across its entire organization and thereby maintain its competitive edge.

The challenge was clear: Preem needed to accelerate its understanding and adoption of AI to embed it into all its business areas and functions. To achieve this, it sought the knowledge of the EY team in Sweden, which, having previously collaborated with Preem on multiple projects, had become its trusted advisors.

The challenge for the EY team in Sweden was to co-create an EY wavespace session — a hub of innovation and collaboration designed to facilitate transformative thinking and execution. This was to support Preem with a panoramic view of AI’s capabilities and to chart a strategic course for its AI adoption journey. This endeavor was not just about technology; it was about inspiring a cultural shift, supporting both senior management and change agents within Preem to embrace AI at an organizational level.

The outcome was a detailed engagement that not only showcased potential AI use cases specific to the sector but also demonstrated the practical application of AI through a proof of concept (PoC) developed by the EY team.

EY Wavespace
2

The better the answer

Demystifying AI through select use cases to accelerate adoption

An EY wavespace session was facilitated for Preem to reimagine what’s possible and help drive transformation.

To understand how to accelerate AI adoption and navigate the transformation roadmaps, an EY wavespace session was facilitated for Preem in Madrid, where approximately 20 of its key organizational members convened, including the CEO, CFO, head of HR and CIO.

A key component of the engagement was the pre-work assigned to Preem participants. This foundational step, which included readings, was crucial in equipping participants with a baseline understanding of AI and enabled them to contribute to the AI maturity assessment.

The workshop itself employed the scan-focus-act methodology, a proven approach that facilitated a deep dive into the value of AI. Rui Bastos, EY Global Risk Leader, shared the most impactful AI use cases across the oil and gas sector, covering a wide range of applications from value chain to sustainability. Even Vinge, EY Nordics’ Data and AI Partner, presented a Synergi HSMQ app, a PoC developed using Preem’s data, showcasing the tangible benefits of AI for the company.

Participants were then encouraged to generate, select and define AI use cases specific to Preem, resulting in 51 ideated use cases, with four selected for further exploration. These selected use cases underwent rigorous scrutiny and were challenged against Preem’s employee personas, emphasizing the critical role of change management in AI transformation.

The EY wavespace session was more than just a workshop; it was an energizing team-building experience that fostered high engagement and laid the groundwork for continued collaboration. The focused time away from daily operations, facilitated by experienced facilitators and subject matter professionals, allowed the Preem team to realize the “art of the possible” with AI.

It is this realization, coupled with the identification of change agents within the organization, that will help propel Preem’s AI transformation forward. The focus was not just on the technology itself but on how AI could be leveraged to support Preem’s goals, showcasing the EY team’s ability to guide clients through the complexities of a digital transformation project.

Daniel Karlsson
It’s fantastic to unlock the potential of AI by using different types of tools and technologies and to identify areas we can use to accelerate our AI transformation. Even though technology is an important aspect, it is perhaps more important to address the change management needed to reap the benefits from it. After all, it’s all about the people. This was an important step in our AI journey, which led to a whole array of initiatives addressing major parts of our company, and I was able to witness a shift in the energy levels of people. I feel confident that we now have a platform to begin building our next steps.

Daniel Karlsson

CIO, Preem

Chapter 3
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The better the world works

Bolstering business operations through strategic partnerships

The collaborative approach helped Preem take a monumental leap forward in its AI adoption journey.

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The culmination of the EY team’s engagement with Preem was the development of a detailed AI strategy and roadmap. Within a few months, AI had become a central topic within Preem, with the PoC developed by EY organization’s AI data team being showcased to various leadership teams within the company. The aim was to conduct business with greater effectiveness and efficiency, and Preem is well on its way to achieving that.

 

The dialogue between the EY team and Preem continued beyond the initial EY wavespace session, with discussions under way about integrating the developed PoC into Preem’s production environment. These conversations have opened the door to further engagements, including discussions with the company’s finance and HR departments regarding AI and change management. According to Preem CIO Daniel Karlsson, “It’s fantastic to unlock the potential of AI by using different types of tools and technologies and to identify areas we can use to accelerate our AI transformation. Even though technology is an important aspect, it is perhaps more important to address the change management needed to reap the benefits from it. After all, it’s all about the people. This was an important step in our AI journey, which led to a whole array of initiatives addressing major parts of our company, and I was able to witness a shift in the energy levels of people. I feel confident that we now have a platform to begin building our next steps.”

 

A notable aspect of this partnership was the client’s strong involvement, which was consistently maintained thanks to the backing of a sponsor from Preem. Additionally, the seamless integration of EY People Consulting, Business Consulting and Tech Consulting teams demonstrated the strength of a collaborative approach. The involvement of a deep subject matter professionals in the EY team, the global oil and gas tech lead, also added credibility to the offerings and support provided to the client.

 

This engagement has set a precedent for how transformative leaps can be achieved through unparalleled team collaboration. Preem’s journey toward AI adoption has established a new benchmark for digital transformation in the energy industry, demonstrating the power of AI and the importance of a strategic partnership in navigating the complexities of such a transformation.

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The team

Martin Sandgren

Partner, Industrials & Energy, EY Sweden
Business developer with a passion for industry and energy. Always up for a game of padel or ski touring.
EY Göteborg, SWE

Jesper Kirk

Head of Technology Consulting, Partner, Consulting, EY Denmark
Intelligent Automation Lead in the Nordics, Head of Technology Consulting Denmark. Committed to motivating my team. Father of two girls. Passion for sports.
Copenhagen, DNK

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