Energy Bytes EP 77: Justin McBroom, Operations Data Specialist
Nov 28, 2025
Justin McBroom, an operations data specialist with a background at Marathon Oil, shares his insights on blending the oilfield with data analytics. He discusses how to untangle messy workflows and improve data quality for actionable insights. Justin emphasizes the importance of empowering teams with the right tools, like Alteryx and Snowflake, to enable efficient decision-making. He also explores the realistic applications of AI in the industry, stressing the need for good data quality to avoid failed initiatives and unlock true potential.
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From VLOOKUP Chaos To Self-Service Wins
- Justin's team moved from manual VLOOKUP chaos to direct connections and reduced an eight-person weekend task to two people by noon.
- That shift drove him into Snowflake and led to adopting visual tools for non-coders.
Teach SQL With Visual Builders
- Use visual query builders to teach SQL concepts and accelerate adoption.
- Give analysts hands-on tools like Alteryx so they can iteratively learn SQL by example.
How Access Was Earned (And A Crash)
- Justin got elevated access after repeatedly proving the planning project's value to executives.
- That access helped them deliver but also once crashed a BW HANA instance, prompting guardrails.
