Significant Increases in Turnaround Maintenance Performance and Safety through Powerful Digital Integration

Abstract

More and more leading companies are moving to digital systems to support their operations, maintenance and turnarounds. This marks huge progress and sees impressive results: incidents and injuries decrease, risk becomes more understandable, and processes streamline and simplify. But if the information used within these digital systems is not connected or up to date, the concept simply does not work effectively. Collaborating closely with major industry players such as Shell, BP, RasGas, Borouge, and others, eVision Software developed bespoke daily maintenance and turnaround management solutions, which address and mitigate many common turnaround and maintenance challenges. The enterprise-ready tool combines powerful Permit to Work, Risk Assessment, Isolation management and advanced (Mobile) visualisations, and integrates these into the client ecosystem. This study pertains to a major derivatives manufacturer in the UAE, in which a platform was implemented to help achieve ambitious hands on tool time increases during their planned shutdown. Integration gets the most out of existing client data and solutions. From preparing digital permits and risk assessments in eVision's software using up-to-date equipment and location information from Maintenance Management Systems (MMS); to creating context-sensitive work execution packs linked to Oracle Primavera, which can be mass signed, enabling continuous scheduling optimisation; to effective and efficient maintenance execution empowered by mobile tools for front-line crew; to monitoring real-time data through connected dashboards. Data and systems are connected, information is shared in real time, reducing Turnaround time and improving capacity planning and Hands on Tool Time, thereby decreasing the number of contractors required for the next shutdown. This continuous feedback loop further enables the client to take lessons learned and improve their next turnaround, getting maximum return out of their digital solutions. By taking a platform approach to shutdown preparation and execution, and utilising the vast amount of data available across systems throughout the asset, challenges could be met head-on and mitigated, without large-scale changes to infrastructure or methodology. Creating a synergy between existing systems, new solutions and effective and improved procedures allowed staff to focus on what really matters: quick and safe turnarounds. During the 2016 planned shutdown, a core goal was to increase the HoTT of staff and contractors by a minimum of 7%. eVision was able to improve HoTT by more than 17% overall, by tackling key challenges, such as permit cycle duration, work instruction time, and vast reduction of indirect productive hours. By implementing the integrated software platform, the workforce was able to more effectively utilise their time on plant.